Rastafari

Rastafari is a religious and cultural movement that developed among Afro-Jamaicans in the 1930s. The name derives from Ras Tafari Makonnen, the birth name of Haile Selassie I, who became Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930. The movement draws on Ethiopianism, Old Testament themes, and pan-African ideas, including Marcus Garvey’s call for Africans to look to Africa as a homeland and source of liberation.

Beliefs center on the divinity of Jah and the recognition of Haile Selassie I as Jah’s earthly manifestation or representative. Zion is Africa, particularly Ethiopia, conceived as a promised land. Rastafari emphasizes emancipation from oppression, repatriation to Africa, and a critique of colonialism and Western materialism. The Bible is read with an emphasis on liberation and identity.

Practices commonly include an ital diet—foods that are natural and pure—often with restrictions on meat and processed ingredients. Dreadlocks symbolize the Lion of Judah and natural living. Cannabis (ganja) is used sacramentally to aid meditation and study. Communal gatherings, chanting, drumming, and Nyabinghi rites are important, as is music that expresses faith and resistance, such as reggae and roots reggae.

Rastafari is not a single church but a movement with multiple orders or groupings, including Nyabinghi, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and the Bobo Ashanti. It spread from Jamaica to the Caribbean, North America, Europe, and Africa, influencing music, art, and social identity. Notable adherents include Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Burning Spear.

Rastafari remains diverse in belief and practice. While it is primarily religious, it also functions as a cultural and political movement for many adherents, promoting African dignity, self-determination, and spiritual renewal.