Haile Selassie
Here is a story I wrote for the Hawaii Hempfest ‘98 Program:
I AM A RASTA
One day I walked into the valley of Maunawili, crossed the stream, and hiked up to the falls; a trip I have taken many times during my upbringing here in Kailua. I splashed my face and head to cool off my dreads and sat on a stone to rest, all the while taking in the incredible beauty and energy bursting from our island home. My thoughts drifted to the lessons I have been taught, quietly through observation and the experience of communicating with natural forces. Watching the spider, showered in sunshine, drink the morning dew from his web, for instance, has taught me and guided me metaphorically through challenges in my everyday life! It is the way of nature. Feeling the strength of my experiences I began to sing a rasta chant and remembered how I identified with the message reggae music offered from the first time Bob called on me to “Chant down Babylon” . It was clear to me: nature, the natural forces in the universe, is the way of Rasta.
The true rastaman is endowed with the virtues of righteousness, compassion, spirituality, humility, and a respect for all humanity. The rasta diet reflects their beliefs, they eat only “ITAL” foods: organic fruits, grains, vegetables, and fish (no bottom dwellers/shellfish or other meat). Their music celebrates the natural forces as an integral part of Jah Rastafari and HIS Kingdom on Earth. Reggae is inspiring and promotes a very gentle (although somewhat defiant) way of approaching life here in “Babylon”. It encourages one to believe in oneself and have faith that we are guided in this life. The message also promotes the idea of action to forward universal consciousness toward a state of equity and equality for all people. There is no “pie in the sky after you die,” so conviction to these beliefs is the key to life forever.
Over time and through reasoning I have learned much about the beliefs of the Rastafarian and I have taken them to heart. Growing dreadlocks is a humbling experience. Choosing this path I had to look deep within to find the strength to carry on when: challenged by social reactions; discouraged seeing that there are “dreadlocks gone astray”; and not fully understanding the relevance of the Kingly Figure at the center of this positive movement. I needed more knowledge to grasp the connection, so I looked to Haile Selassie I. I got on Lavanet and through the Boom Shaka website I found a series of speeches given by Haile Selassie before and during His reign as Emperor of Ethiopia. My brethren from THC lent me a historical book about Haile Selassie and I collected all the Rasta literature I could find; then the Reasoning began to flow.
His Imperial Majesty was born on July 23, 1892 in the Ethiopian village of Ejerso Goro in the province of Harrage, and was the only surviving child of eight children. He was simply known as Tafari Makonnen until the age of thirteen [1905] when he received the title of “Dejazmach”, Commander of the Door. The culture and peoples of Abyssinia are considered Israelite, the historical reality of a line of Ethiopian Kings linked to Menelik I, son of the union of King Solomon and Queen Makeda of Sheba - a divine biblical line of monarchs without interruption from ancient time to His Imperial Majesty. The Solomonic dynasty was established in Ethiopia by Menelik I who, on a visit to his father King Solomon, is said to have transported the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia. The Chronicle of the Kings (Kebra Nagast) and the Glory of the Kings (Feteha Nagast) contend that Menelik I and his successors are the true representative of a Holy lineage, since Solomon was of a chosen biblical line beginning with the first created man: Adam. Christ being the son of God, and Menelik I a kinsman of Christ, means that Menelik I and Selassie I represent the continuation of a God created line of Royalty established in Ethiopia from its ancient foundation. The true inheritors of Israel, the chosen people of God. Rastafarians enter into a divine kinship with the King and Creator, thus becoming adopted sons through a spiritual birth in acceptance of Jah as the Almighty and biblically prophesied King of Israel.
Historically, Ras Tafari grew up in the politically dynamic atmosphere of Ethiopia in the early 1900s as the health of Emperor Menelik II declined and a power struggle over heir to the throne heightened. His father, Ras Makonnen, was the governor of the Harrar Province. When he died in 1906 the Empress Taitu favored Makonnen‚s son Yelma (by his first wife) not Tafari (by his second wife) to replace his father as governor. An upset Tafari was appointed to rule a small province called Selale from the confines of Menelik‚s Palace, a political maneuver that was meant to neutralize him completely. In 1908 Menelik suffered a stroke which incapacitated him. Now cut off from his last ally, Tafari was exiled to the southern frontiers of Ethiopia to serve as the governor of the Sidamo Province. His half brother Yelma suddenly died leaving the governorship of Harar open and leaving the Empress alone to defend against endless plots to overthrow the throne in Addis Ababa.
In 1910, with political muscle supplied by a loose confederation of other princes, Tafari regained his birthright of Governor over the Harar Province and then moved swiftly to surround the imperial palace with troops, informing the Empress that her duties were to care for the ailing Emporer. Soon after, Menelik II died, and in 1917 his daughter Zauditu was named Empress. For the next thirteen years, Tafari maneuvered his way to a position of political indispensability. He assembled a staff of confidants and then installed them in government offices in Addis Ababa. He introduced a European-style bureaucracy and imported advisors and statecraft from the West. By 1923 he had ushered Ethiopia into the League of Nations. During the twenties he triumphed over all opposing forces to become the most formidable man in Ethiopia. He insisted that Empress Zauditu crown him Negus, or King. She sent her husband‚s forces against Tafari‚s forces, but the army was immediately crushed. Against all odds, a thin, seemingly fragile man who stood but five feet four inches tall and had rarely been heard to raise his voice, a man who twenty-odd years before had no living parents and no powerful connections to pave his way politically, had somehow risen to challenge, outwit, and finally vanquish the last of his opponents.
On the morning of Sunday November 2, 1930, His Majesty rose to pledge his loyalty to the [Ethiopian Coptic] Church and to the State and promised to put the welfare of his subjects above all personal concerns. As each declaration and blessing was made, he received the symbols of his imperial office: the royal insignia, the gold-embroidered scarlet robes, the jewel encrusted saber, the scepter and the orb, the Ring of Solomon, two diamond rings, and two gold lances. The Abuna (priest) came forward and, repeating a rite that dated back to the consecration of David by Samuel and Solomon by Nathan and Zadok, he anointed Tafari‚s brow with oil and crowned him Haile Selassie I, Power of the Holy Trinity, Two-hundred twenty-fifth Emporer of the Solomonic Dynasty, Elect of God, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The Abuna sealed the moment with the benediction “That God may make a crown of Sanctity and glory. That by the grace and blessings we have given you may have unshakable faith and a pure heart, in order that you may inherit the crown eternal. So be it.” Ras Tafari became the Emporer of Ethiopia.
Still, I did not fully understand how a historical leader whom your and my parents and grandparents know as a Regal Statesman and Nobel Peace Prize winner (1932) could be the figurehead of a poorly understood yet righteous religious cult indoctrinated with Old Testament ideas and the sacramental use of ganja - marijuana. Winston Rodney - Burning Spear - sings that prophecies are fulfilled, that “Marcus Garvey words come to pass”???Marcus Mosiah Garvey was a Maroon descendent, born on August 17, 1887 in St. Ann‚s Parish, Jamaica, who was institutional in the establishment of Black Awareness and the Repatriation of Blacks unto Africa. His Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), begun in Jamaica in 1914, used a slogan which is seen throughout today‚s reggae scene: “One God, One Aim, One Destiny” . Garvey moved to New York in 1916 and from his Harlem headquarters he dominated a movement yet to be properly rivaled in the annals of Afro-American history. Marcus Garvey, who died in 1940, is a Jamaican National Hero . He centered his political philosophy around the “God of Ethiopia, the everlasting God???in whom we believe, but we shall worship him through the spectacles of Ethiopia”.
During a speech in 1926 to the poor rural folk in Greater Kingston he cited Psalm 68: “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” He also called the people to “Look to Africa, for the crowning of a Black King; He shall be the Redeemer.” Four years later Ras Tafari was crowned Emporer of Ethiopia and words of the prophecy soon became the foundation for a small sect of Garveyites to become Rastafarians. By 1966, when Haile Selassie paid a state visit to Jamaica, a crowd of Rastas estimated at 100,000 surrounded His plane on the tarmac.
Self-appointed “prophets” of the movement formulated a set of dietary rules to accompany the religious doctrine based on “Ital” foods, no meat, and restraint from alcohol and tobacco. They also outlawed the combing or cutting of the hair, citing the holy directive in Leviticus 21:5: “They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of the beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.” The Rastas denied allegations by other religious groups that they were anti-white and anti-mulatto and invited all to accept Jah (a shortened form of Jehovah). They vowed that at a secret hour known only to a devout few, converts would return to Ethiopia by an undisclosed means, leaving behind the tropical steambath of Jamaica, which they considered literally Hell on Earth. Until that time Rastas would refuse to take part in the machinations of daily life and commerce in “Babylon”, the sphere of temporal captivity of the spirit.
The herb “ganja” was regarded as “wisdomweed”, and the Rasta leaders urged that it be smoked as a religious rite, alleging that it was found growing on the grave of King Solomon and citing Biblical passages, such as Psalms 104:14, to attest to its sacramental properties: “He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the Earth.” Called kan in the Amharic Bible, the ganja of India, i.e. Asian Hemp, was brought to the New World by the Spanish around 1545. Britain offered colonial planters generous subsidies to encourage them to cultivate hemp (in Jamaica) and break the Russian monopoly on the crop, whose fibers were used mainly for rope. Today, an estimated 65% of Jamaican adults and 80% of the population under twenty-one smoke ganja regularly (so much for the “marijuana causes impotency” propaganda). Rural poor and enterprising Rastas grow and sell the crop (which is illegal in Jamaica) simply because it is a splendid source of income, its cultivation and harvest requiring far less exertion than toiling in the island‚s bauxite mines.
How did Haile Selassie view the Rastafarians and his position as a living God to these followers? Ras Tafari himself was part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and represents the last Emperor of the longest reigning Christian Empire in history: the Solomonic Dynasty. Although he gave the Rastas considerable respect, he never claimed to be the living God; rather, the “Elect of God”. During his visit to Jamaica in 1966, Selassie made no official comment on the sect‚s evaluation of his spiritual status, but a rumor quickly spread among Rasta circles that a secret communiquZ<caron> had been passed by the Emperor to some of the Rasta elders, instructing them to “liberate Jamaica before migrating to Ethiopia. The rumor had a tranquilizing effect on the restive Rasta community since the awesome responsibility of announcing the date of the ultimate exodus from Babylon was thus ultimately deferred. But it was also viewed as a mandate for increased political action on the part of Rastas, much of it soon to be focused on demands for the legalization of ganja.
Haile Selassie reigned Emperor in Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. In 1931 he created a constitution which established a Parliament and a court system. Although there were many internal coups while he was Emperor, the only interruption to his reign came when the Italians invaded Ethiopia in 1935 as World War II spread. Mussolini wished to conquer Eritrea as tool to regain Italian National Pride (prior to the war Italian colonialists were defeated in Ethiopia). Selassie fled his country and went to England (the same country that opposed Ethiopia‚s entry into the League of Nations, along with the US) where he campaigned for the return of Ethiopian independence.
Some criticized Selassie‚s flight from Ethiopia in the final hours before the Italian invasion of Addis Ababa, but, by doing so he was not defeated by the revolution. While still in the possession of power he surrendered without a fight (similar to Queen Liliuokalani‚s decision to abstain from violence at the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy). “He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day”; again, Selassie Inspiration is found in Bob Marley‚s music. Haile Selassie‚s famous address to the General Assembly of the League of Nations on June 30, 1936 stands out both as a historic landmark and as a moral victory for the Emperor himself. It highlighted painfully the downfall of the League (who could not stop the Italians from invading Abyssinia as promised through “collective security”). Excerpts from HIS speech have been further immortalized by Bob Marley through his tribute to Haile Selassie‚s address in a song called WAR . HIS campaign abroad, led while in exile from Ethiopia, led to the liberation of Ethiopia and his return to power in 1842.
The Emperor then began rebuilding his war-torn country. Among his major accomplishments were a major land reform (1942 and 1944), emancipation of slaves (1942), and a revised and somewhat broadened constitution (1955) that provided for universal suffrage . He improved the roadways within the country and put strong values on education, providing schooling for each and every citizen of the Empire. He encouraged the arts, philosophy, and sports, believing that the mind, body, and spirit must be maintained in order to remain healthy and strengthen the soul. He encouraged spirituality, saying that “we don‚t consider our religion alone valid and have granted the people the freedom to observe any religion they please”. He also worked heavily toward African unity, helping to organize several organizations for that purpose. For 57 years Haile Selassie I continued and furthered Menelik‚s unifying works primarily by securing Ethiopia‚s borders through the involvement of the country in ever-widening international relations, and by establishing a modern administration and legal codes, i.e. establishing a universal political order over archaic feudal particularism. Here, then, was the modern foundation upon which Ethiopia as an ancient polity would adapt and continue into the future.
The process he had started gathered revolutionary momentum with the impatience of the youth. With the expansion of education and the growth in numbers of young people sent abroad to study, and the marked increase of students in Addis Ababa from the former Italian colony of Eritrea, brimming with foreign ideas, the Emperor realized that their impatience revealed them to be a symptom of their heady times . An attempt to overthrow Selassie in 1960 was quickly aborted by loyal factions. By 1974, however, worsening conditions - corruption in government, inflation, drought (illegal deforestation caused the desert to devour hundreds of rainforest acreage every year), starvation, and hesitancy in dealing with dealing with these and other emergencies - led to a revolt by the army and Selassie‚s removal from power. He was formally deposed in September 1974 . He was exiled to the Jubilee Palace in Addis Ababa and remained there until August 27, 1975. There is no known grave site for Haile Selassie and many believe he disappeared. Words of the Abuna‚s benediction echo across the years??? “so that you may inherit the crown eternal. So be it”.
Rastas say “let the dead bury the dead,” Rastafari inherited eternal life as Earth‚s Rightful Ruler and he guides us in everyday life through the path of righteousness. Through my research and spiritual meditations I have undergone since I began my search for the truth about Rastafari I discovered that indeed the feelings I have always carried inside are aligned with the teachings of Haile Selassie as well as the Rastafarian celebration of the natural world, roots music, and path of righteousness. Social reactions no longer challenge me, I can overcome with positive energy. I understand that dreadlocks have gone astray due to economic and social pressures, but also because the words and teachings of Haile Selassie are not well known. My discoveries have brought within me incredible respect for Ras Tafari and have created many different levels of faith within me because as an Emperor he had to face challenges from all realms of social, economic, environmental, and political life in the context of western society. But my search is just beginning, and so should yours. At the foundation is self-confidence, self-reliance, self-respect, righteousness towards all humanity, and the self-discipline to create positive change in the only world we‚ve got, our mother, Earth.
Haile Selassie, in a speech given on education in 1963 inspired the foundation for the addition of the Hawaii Hempfest to the Haile Selassie Anniversary Celebration:
“Education develops the intellect; and the intellect distinguishes man from other creatures. It is education that enables man to harness nature and utilize her resources for the well-being and improvement of life. The key for the completeness and betterment of modern living is education. But, ŒMan cannot live by bread alone‚. Man, after all, is also composed of intellect and soul. Therefore, education in general, and higher education in particular, must aim to provide, beyond the physical, food for the intellect and soul. That education which ignores man‚s intrinsic nature, and neglects his intellect and reasoning power can not be considered true education”.
Please enjoy this year‚s celebration and be thoughtful. Knowledge on Haile Selassie, the benefits industrial hemp, hemp legalization efforts, and many more environmental issues are there for you to learn from. Hug a friend and smile at a stranger. It is a day for expressing positive energy in the spirit of Jah Rastafari. Give Thankx!
footnotes:
1 Bob Marley and the Wailers. “Chant Down Babylon”, Confrontation. Produced by Chris Blackwell and the Wailers; Island Records LTD., 1983.
2 Faristzaddi, Millard. Itations of Jamaica and I Rastafari. Judah Anbesa Ihntahnahshinahl. Miami, Florida: 1987.
3 White, Timothy. Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley. Henry Holt and Company, Inc.. New York, N.Y.: 1983, 1989; pp. 33-36.
Ibid.; pp. 44-45.
4 Originally from a fictional book called Ethiopia Unbound written by Casely Hayford and published in London in 1911
5 Burning Spear. “Marcus Garvey”, 100th Anniversary. Produced by L. Lindo; Island Records LTD., 1976.
6 White, Timothy. Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley. Henry Holt and Company, Inc.. New York, N.Y.: 1983, 1989; pp.5-11.
7 Ibid.: pp. 15-16.
8 Ibid.: pp. 12-15.
9 Bob Marley and the Wailers. “The Heathen”, Exodus. Produced by Bob Marley and the Wailers; Island Records LTD., 1977.
10 Hans Wilhelm Lockot. The Mission; The Life, Reign, and Character of Haile Sellassie I. ECA Associates Press, Virginia. pp. 37-39.
11 Bob Marley and the Wailers. Rastaman Vibration. Produced by Bob Marley and the Wailers; Island Records LTD., 1976.
12 “Haile Selassie I”, Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation.
13 Excerpts from a speech given by Haile Selassie to the Organization of African Unity, 1958.
14 Hans Wilhelm Lockot. The Mission; The Life, Reign, and Character of Haile Sellassie I (Introduction by Maxim J. Anderson). ECA Associates Press, Virginia. pp. xi.
15 Ibid.: x, xi.
16 “Haile Selassie I”, Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation.
17 Peter Tosh. “Burial”, Legalize it. Produced by Peter Tosh. CBS Inc. 1976.