The scope of this investigation is to discover the Rastafari movement mainly by considering the influence of Haile Selassie and Marcus Garvey, two of the main charaters in the development of the culture

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Maximlian Ziegler, IB

Candidate number: 000-495-022

Word count: 1700

Critical analysis of the origins and development of the RASTAFARI movement

Section A:

Plan of investigation

The scope of this investigation is to discover the Rastafari movement mainly by considering the influence of Haile Selassie and Marcus Garvey, two of the main charaters in the development of the culture.

In order to carry out the investigation primary and secondary sources will be consulted, and Haile Selassies’ speech in front of the UN in 1963 as well as Marcus Garvey’s “Declaration of Rights of Negro Peoples of the world” in 1920 will be compiled, and attached. The plan is to include in B sections on:

  1. Rastafari – origin and meaning
  2. Rastafari development on Jamaica                                                                                                
  3. Reggae representing the idea of Rastafari

Two important sources will be evaluated in C, the findings of the investigation will be analysed in D, and the conclusion will reached stated in E.

Section B: 

Summary of evidence

  1. Rastafari – origin and meaning

The basic principle of the Rasta Theology is the devine lordship of Emperor Haile Selassie I (1892-1975). The belief contains that god is in every single person, but only Haille Selassie has manifested the attribute of devineness. “God is Jah, and Haile Selassie is Rastafari”.

The fellow Christians are called “Rastas” who accept as true that the colour of the skin is irrelevant. However, their opinion is that every folk is supposed to believe in their own religion and god, without being forced to any changes of beliefs.

Africa is the root of religious history for the Rastas, and as a result they accredit the bible to the coloured Africans. The bible is important for the Rastafarianism, but not considered as literally, since it represents the “white version” of the truth.

In 1928, Haile Selassie, born as Ras (prince) Tafari Makonnen was crowned king of Ethiopia, and in 1930, after the empress's mysterious death, he became emperor as Haile Selassie, claiming to be a direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. He was the 225 monarch of that alignment. Therefore, the Rastas believed that he would be identical with Jesus. They believe that Jesus rose from the dead as Haile Selassie. Given that he is immortal and his gravesite is unknown, they think that he is located on top of the mountain Zion at a holy place.

Rastas do not build churches, because they believe that their own body is the most valueable temple.

  1. Rastafari development on Jamaica

Rastas are followers of an Afro-American redemption movement with its origins in Jamaica. To be classified as founder is Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1887-1940). The key event leading to the movement was the coronation of Ras Tafari Makonnen to Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia (1930), the only country which never has been colonized in Africa. The people who believed in Garvey’s visions and ideals (section C and appendix) interpreted this as a sign of hope for the exemption of the coloured people in the USA (called “Babylon” by the Rastas). The Rastas saw Haile Selassie as the Messiah who recured, and who would lead all the oppressed offspring of the slaves home to Africa (called “Zion” by the Rastas). Though being chased by the British administration department, the movement notably spread out in the underprivileged social classes throughout Jamaica. Kingston alone counts about 30,000 members by the end of the fifties.

  1. Reggae representing the idea of Rastafari

          Reggae – Rhythm out of the ghettos of Jamaica

When “Toots” Hibbert and the Maytals called one of their songs “Do the Reggae”, in 1968, they invented the name of a new kind of music. The electric guitar defines vocal the lead of the melody, supported by drums, keyboard, rhythm- and lead-guitar. However, the new kind of music, which successfully entered the Dance Halls on Jamaica, could not exist without its profound lyrics.

Bob Marley, born Robert Nesta Marley in 1945, who played together with Bunny “Wailer” Livingston, Peter Tosh and Junior Braithwaite in his band The Wailers until his death in 1980, influenced the progress and acknowledgement of reggae a lot. He was representing Rastafari since the late 60’s.

Reggae conveyed their message of inequitable living conditions, the resistance against the suppression and the yearning for a better world.  

Section C: 

Evaluation of sources

The first source selected for the evaluation is Bob Marley’s “War” from the Rastaman Vibration album which was released by Island Records in 1976; production is credited to Chris Blackwell & The Wailers. Bob Marley interpolated words from Haile Selassie’s first legendary 1963 U.N. peace speech into this song. The purpose of the song is to spread out the message of the intentions and perceptions of the Rastafari by using the words of H.I.M (His Imperial Majesty) Haile Selassie. The message contains that, as long as skin colour of the man is of significance, “until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race” there is no peace. Consequently it is valuable as it represents the Rastafarian beliefs and its philosophy. Limitations could be that he just used the some parts of Selassie’s speech in the song which he probably thought would reflect his interpretation of the ideals of the Rastas best. But perhaps this makes the song even more recognized and respected by people with other or no opinion about the situation of the black people in the 20th century.

The second source use for the evaluation is Marcus Garvey’s “Declaration of Rights of Negro People of the world” which was drafted and adopted at a Convention held in New York, 13th of August 1920.

Marcus Garvey, who was born in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, on August 17, 1887, quickly involved himself in social reform, participating in the first Printers’ Union strike in Jamaica in 1907 and in setting up the newspaper “The Watchman”. By travelling around the world (e.g., Central and South America) he amassed evidence that black people everywhere were victims of discrimination. That was the reason why Garvey organized the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and its coordinating body, the African Communities League, in 1914. Since then, Marcus Garvey spend his whole life with the effort of improving the situation of black people, especially with the Declaration of Rights of Negro People of the world he shows the opinion and demand of all oppressed coloured people in the world. It has few limitations as a reliable source since it represents the ideology of blacks, e.g., Rastafarians.

Section D: 

Analysis

 

This investigation has tried first of all to give some general information about the origins and development of the Rastafari movement especially on Jamaica. To understand the idea of Rastafari, one has to get a good image of the reasons of the idolatry first. Second of all this investigation has tried to provide the reader with a deeper insight of the causes why the Rastafari culture is acknowledged all over the world. The specified sources in form of a detailed view on famous people who represent Rastafari give an even better impression about the origin and the cause of the recognition.

Sources concerning the development of Rastafari agree for the most part on how the whole movement became possible. With the crowning of H.I.M Haile Selassie in 1930 a new divine person was created and appreciated as the person who represents the beliefs, hopes and needs of all black people throughout the world. By the creation of this ideal a new religion, movement and hope was accomplished.

In the beginning and early years of the Rastafari there was one main supporter of the black people movement in the world who played a big role in spread of the culture – Marcus Garvey. By spending most of his life with the trial of improving the situation of coloured people worldwide, he had big achievements, e.g., the foundation of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and the Declaration of Rights of Negro People of the world.

Another reason for the global acceptance and acknowledgement is spreading of one of Rastafari’s biggest feature – Reggae. Although there were and are a lot of singers who embody the new created kind of music, there will only be one with such a big influence on the spreading of the message of the Rastas by music – Bob Marley. With songs like “War”, “Fussing and Fighting” and “400 years” he leaves a permanent impression to the listener by delivering the message of  “the dream of lasting peace” (War), “peace and harmony” (Fussing and Fighting) and

“I’ll take you to a land of liberty

Where we can live – live a good, good life

And be free.”

Join now!

(400 years).

It is difficult to define which of the sources had the biggest influence on the approval of the Rastafari movement since all of them are very valuable in pretty different way. It must be remembered that the sources were published in different decades. Hence, the interpretation and point of view of each source in its historical context distinguish from each other, because throughout the whole development there have been changes which could have influenced the opinion of importance of each source.

 

Section E: 

Conclusion

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