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The Future for the Rastafarian Culture

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Rastafarians have always been at the frontline of social changes in Jamaica, as the voice of the under privileged and under represented. They have molded the identity of Jamaica worldwide, as the images many have of Jamaica is that of the colors "Red, Green and Gold", dreadlocks and Bob Marley. The future of the Rastafarian looks mixed based on the developments in the past few years.

Recognition
Recently Jamaican courts have recognized the rights of Rastafarians in prison to practice their religion within the limits of the law.

In February 2003, the Constitutional Courts of Jamaica recognized Rastafari as a religion for the very first time in an out-of-court agreement. This out-of-court agreement states under the Constitution of Jamaica, that Rastafarian prisoners are entitled to have their church conduct acts of worship with them.

Also included in this agreement was the stipulation that the recently formed Church of Haile Selassie I has the right to have access to inmates and conduct acts of worship with them. The agreement gives Rastafarian prisoners the same rights afforded to inmates of other religions. The agreement does not allow the use of marijuana as a sacrament.

The Rastafarians in Jamaica at the turn of the century, have gained a major new ally in Government. Jamaica's first Public Defender Howard Hamilton, Q.C., since being in office in 2000 has been an advocate of the rights of Rastafarians and the right for them to be recognized as a religion.

Divisions
There are also some divisions on the worship of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I as the Messiah within the three main Rastafarian sects. This was evident in a1997 interview on IRIE FM in Jamaica when, Vernon 'Prophet Gad' Carrington, founder of the premiere Rastafarian sect, the Twelve Tribes, declared that they are shifting their faith to Jesus Christ.

Vernon is quoted as saying. "And even after His Majesty say, him saved not by the man character but by the blood of Jesus Christ."

In recent years many of the more prominent Rastafarians have left Rastafari and now follow Orthodox Christianity. Those include music promoter Tommy Cowan, I-Three singer that backed up Bob Marley and the Wailers, Judith Mowatt and singer Carlene Davis.

There are also many disputes between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Rastafarians. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church was commissioned by Emperor Haile Selassie after his visit to Jamaica. The goal was to convert Rastafarians to Orthodox Christianity and redirect them from their worship of Emperor Haile Selassie. The Rastafarians and the church have had some major differences, including their refusal to baptize in the name of Emperor Haile Selassie. This led to the formation of a church by Rastafarians called the Church of Haile Selassie. Many Rastafarians still remain members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Politics
The first Rastafarian political party was launched in October 2001 by Ras Astor Black. His campaign platform was to rid Jamaica of "economic and political terrorists" and abolish the current constitution and colonial monarchy. The goal was to create a government with greater allegiance to Africa and Jamaica. Even though his candidacy for the North West St. James Constituency fell short, it paved the way for the next Rastafarian political party. In 2002 members from the Church of Haile Selassie formed the Imperial Ethiopian World Federation Incorporated Political Party IEWFIPP. Rastafarians face an uphill battle in politics, as the majority of their most likely support base, the Rastafarian community, does not vote. Being active in politics to most Rastafarians is seen as accepting Babylon. The formation of political parties has been criticized by some in the Rastafarian communities. One of the most well-known Rastafarian to oppose this was entertainer Beenie Man. He, however, has been criticized by others as not being a true Rastafarian because of statements he made in support of another Jamaican political party.

Rastafarians held their first International conference on July 17th, 2003 to discuss issues affecting the group and to unite.

Ganja
Rastafarians has always been at the forefront of the legalization of marijuana. This is evident in the many songs by Rastafarian reggae artists. The have always pushed to show the benefits for medicinal uses, which is now being discovered by medical scientist worldwide. Many countries around the world have either decentralized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes or have cases in court in favor of such legislation.

Challenges
There are also new challenges faced by Rastafarians as a group of Christian apologists in Jamaica led by Dr. Clinton Chisholm, who have been challenging many of the teaching of Rastafarians as it relates to the Bible and Emperor Haile Selassie. With the evidence now found in archeology on the dark skin color of many of the figures in Bible, many of these Christian apologists have been appealing to Rastafarians on the basis that there is no need to create a black Messiah and they should only worship the God worshipped by Emperor Haile Selassie.

Summary
The main goal of Rastafarians when it was formed was to be repatriated to Ethiopia. The population of Rastafarians repatriates who did move to Ethiopia has dwindle from over 2200 to just 250. As the times changed, Rastafarians have realized that this goal or repatriation is unrealistic and have begun to assimilate into Jamaican society. If recent actions are any indications of what is to come the trend of assimilation will continue.

Once Bob Marley died, the voice that brought the Rastafarian religion to the world was gone. The search for a leader to be the voice of the Rastafarians continues.

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Where is Rastafari going and what are some of the trends.

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Rastafarians have always been at the frontline of social changes in Jamaica, as the voice of the under privileged and under represented. They have molded the identity of Jamaica worldwide, as the images many have of Jamaica is that of the colors "Red, Green and Gold", dreadlocks and Bob Marley.

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I think this picture is very important to the Rastas, because they heavily embrace music as a part of their culture

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Now:

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Then:

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Rastafarian Culture and Religion isn't a very dominant so if you had to categorize it I would say it leans for toward fol culture.

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where it can be found on a map

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What is Rastafari? Explain Rastafari, Define Rastafari, Meaning of Rastafari

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link to more detailed explanation of rastafarianism

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Rising from the proliferation of Ethiopianism and Pan-Africanism, Rastafarianism took root in Jamaica following the coronation of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I in 1930. A spiritual movement based on the belief in Selassie's divinity, its followers congregated around preachers like Leonard Howell, who founded the first prominent Rastafarian community in 1940. Additional branches surfaced by the 1950s, and within two decades the movement had earned global attention thanks to the music of devoted Rastafarian Bob Marley. Although the deaths of Selassie in 1975 and Marley in 1981 took away its most influential figures, Rastafarianism endures through followings in the United States, England, Africa and the Caribbean.

Background on Rastafarianism

The roots of Rastafarianism can be traced to the 18th century, when Ethiopianism and other movements that emphasized an idealized Africa began to take hold among black slaves in the Americas. For those who had been converted to Christianity, the Bible offered hope through such passages as Psalm 68:31, foretelling of how "Princes shall come out of Egypt and Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God."

The ethos was strengthened through the late 19th century rise of the modern Pan-African movement and particularly the teachings of Jamaican-born Marcus Garvey, who reportedly told his followers to "Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be the Redeemer." Additionally, the 1920s brought such influential proto-Rastafarian texts as "The Holy Piby" and "The Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy to Jamaica."

Haile Selassie and the Rise of Rastafarianism

On November 2, 1930, Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. Believed to be a descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Selassie assumed the titles of King of Kings, Lord of Lords and the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, to some fulfilling the Biblical prophecy of a black king that had been emphasized by Garvey.

Jamaican preachers began promoting the ruling authority of Selassie over King George V (Jamaica was then a colony of England) and by the mid-1930s the Ethiopian emperor was regarded by followers as the living embodiment of God. Although no formalized central church materialized, the budding factions of Rastafarianism found common ground through their belief in a lineage that dated to the ancient Israelites, black superiority and the repatriation of the diaspora from the oppressive land of "Babylon" to Africa. Their movement reflected a range of influences, including Old Testament instructions on avoiding certain foods and a local belief in the spiritual powers of marijuana.

Preachers such as Robert Hinds, Joseph Hibbert and Archibald Dunkley achieved prominence in the decade, but to many scholars the most important figure in early Rastafarianism was Leonard Howell. A former member of Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association, Howell attracted a large following after returning from extensive travels to Jamaica in 1932, and outlined the nascent movement's principles with the publication of "The Promise Key" circa 1935.

Considered a dangerous, subversive figure by the Jamaican government, Howell was arrested several times and his followers subjected to persecution. Nevertheless, he founded the Ethiopian Salvation Society (ESS) in 1939, and the following year he created a Rasta commune known as Pinnacle.

Set in the mountains of Saint Catherine, Pinnacle became an autonomous community for thousands that cultivated marijuana for its spiritual sessions and economic sustainment. However, its reliance on the illegal crop also provided an excuse for authorities to crack down on the community, and Pinnacle's residents endured a series of raids. In May 1954, police arrested more than 100 residents and destroyed some 3 tons of marijuana, effectively wiping out the commune.

New Developments

In the late 1940s, a radical version of Rastafarianism, known as the Youth Black Faith, emerged from the slums of the Jamaican capital of Kingston. A precursor to the existing Nyahbinghi Mansion, or branch, the Youth Black Faith became known for an aggressive stance against authorities. Additionally, they introduced some of the features that became widely associated with Rastafarians, including the growing of hair into dreadlocks and the group's unique dialect.

Although he reportedly rejected the Rastafarian depiction of him as a deity, Emperor Selassie in 1948 seemingly embraced their cause by donating 500 acres to the development of an Ethiopian community named Shashamane. The land grant confirmed in 1955, Shashamane offered the opportunity for Jamaicans and other blacks to fulfill their long desired hope of returning to the homeland.

Over the next two decades, additional branches of Rastafarianism gained devoted followers. In 1958, Prince Emanuel Charles Edwards created the Ethiopian International Congress, or Bobo Ashanti, which ascribes a separation from society and strict gender and dietary laws. In 1968, the Twelve Tribes of Israel was founded by Vernon Carrington, aka the Prophet Gad, who advocated the daily reading of the Bible and emphasized the group's lineage.

Acceptance in Jamaica

Although a new chapter of Jamaican history commenced with its formal independence from England in 1962, lingering negative attitudes and governmental oppression of Rastafari remained. The most notorious incident occurred on what became known as "Bad Friday" in April 1963, when police arrested and beat an estimated 150 innocent Rastafarians in response to a militant flare-up at a gas station.

A visit by Emperor Selassie in April 1966 seemed to foster an improved perception among non-believers, though there were still ugly moments, such as the Rastafarian involvement in the 1968 riots over a ban of professor and activist Walter Rodney. By the early 1970s, it was clear the movement had become entrenched among the youth of Jamaica. This was underscored by the successful 1972 presidential campaign of People's National Party leader Michael Manley, who carried a "rod of correction" gifted to him by Emperor Selassie and used Rasta dialect at rallies.

Music, Bob Marley and Globalization

While Rastafarian practices spread with the migration of Jamaicans to England, Canada and the United States from the 1950s into the 1970s, its worldwide growth was aided by the influence of adherents on popular music. An early contributor in this field was Count Ossie, who began drumming at Nyahbinghi spiritual sessions and helped develop the style that became known as ska.

Later, the movement found its most important ambassador in Bob Marley. A convert to Rastafari and founder of reggae music, the charismatic Marley unabashedly referenced his beliefs in his songs, achieving widespread acclaim in the 1970s through universally appealing themes of brotherhood, oppression and redemption. Marley toured widely, bringing his sound to Europe, Africa and the U.S., while becoming the poster boy for Rastafarian causes.

Meanwhile, the growing popularity of Rastafarianism among people of differing races and cultures led to changes in some of its stricter codes. The 1970s book "Dread: the Rastafarians of Jamaica," by Roman Catholic priest and social worker Joseph Owens, highlighted some of the challenges facing the movement, with some sects electing to deemphasize the importance of black superiority in favor of a message of equality.

Modern Rastafarianism

A turning point for Rastafarianism came in 1975, when Emperor Selassie died and forced his followers to confront the contradiction of a living deity passing away. In 1981, the movement lost its second major figure with the death of Marley from cancer.

Always a decentralized faith and culture, Rastafari attempted to introduce a unifying element with a series of international conferences in the 1980s and '90s. Smaller divisions, such as African Unity, Covenant Rastafari and the Selassian Church, emerged around the turn of the millennium, the same period which brought the passing of longtime leaders Prince Emanuel Charles Edwards (1994) and the Prophet Gad (2005).

As of 2012, it was estimated that there were approximately 1 million Rastafarians throughout the world. Its traditions continue in communities in the U.S., England, Africa, Asia and Jamaica, where the government has co-opted much of its symbolism through efforts to market tourism. Attempting to make amends for past transgressions, the Jamaican government decriminalized marijuana in 2015, and in 2017 Prime Minister Andrew Holness formally apologized to Rastafarians for the Coral Gardens debacle.

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Rising from the proliferation of Ethiopianism and Pan-Africanism, Rastafarianism took root in Jamaica following the coronation of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I in 1930. A spiritual movement based on the belief in Selassie's divinity, its followers congregated around preachers like Leonard Howell, who founded the first prominent Rastafarian community in 1940.

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Groundation Day April 21,
Marks the date date Haile Selassie I visited Jamaica i 1966. The visit was the only time the emperor visited Jamaica . A Nyabingi session, inclusive of music, chanting and prayer is held to mark the occasion.

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"Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality . Wake Up and Live!"
-Bob Marley

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Haile Selassie. Rastas view Him as a symbol of their positive affirmation of Africa as a source of spiritual and cultural heritage.

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Bob Marley. He is very important to the Rastafarians because he was one of the original Reggae Music artists and eventually became the most popular, even till this day.

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a.  A religious and Political movement, begun in Jamaica in the 1930s and adopted by many groups around the globe. But it can also be considered a way of life. A life of Peace. I chose this culture because I love Rasta music and think their culture is really cool!