What is Rastafarianism?

It is a religious movement, which, in the mid-20th century, began to recognize the first black emperor to govern an African country as the incarnation of the messiah on Earth. Despite this, Rastafarianism is not considered an official religion, as it does not have churches or an organized clergy. “The Rastafarian movement is a philosophy of life, which preaches a return to Africa, to our origins, always respecting the law of nature, others and God”, says cultural producer Alfredo Rasta, president of the Associação Cultural de Reggae, in São Paulo. Paul. The movement began to emerge in the late 1920s, when the Jamaican trade unionist Marcus Garvey, based on ideas from the Old Testament, began to preach that all black people should return to Africa, the “Promised Land” for them, from where they had been removed because of slavery. In 1929, while preaching in a church, Garvey said, “Look at Africa. When a black king is crowned, redemption is at hand.”

The statement was taken as a prophecy, since the black Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975) crowned himself Emperor of Ethiopia a year later. Before ascending to power – where he remained until 1974, when he was deposed – Makonnen was called “Prince Tafari”, or Ras Tafari, in the local language. Therefore, those who believed in Garvey’s ideas and saw the emperor as a messiah came to be called Rastafari. Makonnen himself helped to increase the sacred aura around him by deciding to adopt the name Haile Selassie, which meant “The Power of the Holy Trinity”. But, in addition to the religious side, Rastafarianism also had political importance, fighting against the oppression of colonized countries. Today, many of its supporters are vegetarians, do not drink and advocate the ritual use of marijuana to establish a connection with the spiritual world. The colors of the movement, green, yellow and red, refer to the Ethiopian flag and recall, respectively, the nature, gold and blood of Africa and its people.