Rastafarian
Religion:
Dreadlocks
Symbols

1. The Prophet

Whilst there are differing thoughts on the beginnings of Rastafari, the most common idea of its fruition mentions one key figure — Marcus Garvey, widely known as the prophet for many Rastafari. Born in St Ann's Bay, Jamaica in 1887, Garvey lived, travelled and worked in various Latin American countries before studying Law and Philosophy in London.

While conducting these studies, a young Marcus Garvey worked for The African Times and The Orient Review, the latter of which began to formulate his ideas of Pan-Africanism — a movement that encourages the strengthening of solidarity amongst all indigenous peoples.

Just a few years later, Garvey created the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) to celebrate black nationalism through African history and culture. The headquarters were held in New York, where Garvey moved in 1916, supporting a 'Back to Africa' movement and producing 'Black Star Line' — a ship that carried passengers back and forth between Africa and the US.

Garvey was a racial separatist, and a controversial figure — at one point working with KKK members to develop a segregation plan, in contrast to W.E.B. Du Bois who sought integration through the NAACP. In 1922 Garvey was arrested for mail fraud. Despite this, his legacy led to The Black Power Movement, Nation of Islam, and Rastafari.

2. The First Rasta

With a proliferation of Jamaican writings and scripture, many religious preachers began to spring up on the streets of Kingston. The most famous was Leonard Howell — "The First Rasta". Heavily influenced by Marcus Garvey's UNIA after living in New York, Howell was particularly struck by Garvey's statement:

"Look to Africa, where a Black King shall be crowned."

When Haile Selassie I was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930, Howell declared this the fulfillment of Garvey's prophecy — identifying the Emperor as the returning Messiah, fulfilling a prophecy from the Book of Revelation. His teachings professed black people as the original and true Israelites, with Haile Selassie sent to liberate them from oppression.

3. Community Living

Howell founded Pinnacle — a settlement in the hills of St Catherine, Jamaica in 1940 — where followers practised communal living including separation from colonial systems, cultivation of food and plants including ganja. Despite heavy opposition from the Jamaican government, the roots of Rastafari had begun:

• The divinity of Haile Selassie I
• The rejection of Babylon — oppressive colonial systems
• The importance of repatriation to Africa
• The sacramental use of ganja for spiritual enlightenment

Also prevalent were groundings — safe spaces to discuss and debate that could last all day and into the night, with the akete drum set, ganja and dancing.

4. The Dreadlocks

The Rastafari dreadlock started with tales of exploitation — roughly 35,000 Indians were shipped to Jamaica as indentured labourers between 1845 and 1917 by the British Government, replacing enslaved Africans after the abolishment of slavery.

Among the cultural practices brought over by Hindu practitioners was the wearing of matted hair, called Jatas — showing devotion to the Lord of Shiva, revered as the lord of regeneration and renewal. These two merging cultures, both oppressed, began to share spiritual practices openly.

For Rastafari, the symbolism of Shiva's Jatas and the Old Testament tale of Samson — dedicated to God, required not to cut his hair, rewarded with the strength to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors — created powerful and resonant associations.

5. The Reggae Rockstar

Santamaria (2002) states that cultures are self-referential texts — as they produce meaning, they generate representations of themselves that structure social relations. This observation mirrors the Rastafari concept of 'I and I' — where the first 'I' represents the physical and the second 'I' the spiritual.

No moment in history caused a mass cultural revaluation quite like Bob Marley and The Wailers. Their music alongside television and radio meant the Rastafari message beamed into the homes of those with no previous knowledge of the religion — and the dreadlocks became a global visual symbol, often divorced from the faith behind them.

6. Multicultural Messages, Monocultural Realities

On a national level in the UK, artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker and Gregory Isaacs created notable songs associated with the era of Rastafari, amplified by the media. Yet life for second-generation Jamaicans post-Windrush remained far from easy.

Rodrigo-Alsina and Medina-Bravo (2016) argue that whilst multiculturalism transmits a message of apparent integration, the reality is less simplistic — reciprocity requires empathy, equality and genuine attention to others. Dreadlocks and ganja became symbols of criminality and suspicion on the street, even as Bob Marley's image projected enlightenment globally.

This dualism is a critical part of cultural appropriation — the uptake of meaningful aspects of oppressed cultures as style symbols for dominant cultures, over the real-life support required for genuine equality.

7. Conclusions

Rastafari is an Abrahamic religion drawing from Christianity and Hinduism — through which dreadlocks became a natural expression of African-based beauty and biblical references of strength and prosperity. Its beginnings represent a movement of self-love, where humans continue to reform the concept of humanness based on environmental influences and perceptions of the "other".

This paper has not touched upon the three mansions of Rastafari — Nyabinghi, Bobo Shanti and Twelve Tribes of Israel — nor has it delved deeper into reggae music by artists of European and Canadian heritage influenced by Jamaicans. The modern day interactions of Rastafari groups on social media remain a rich area for further study.