BLACK AND WHITE
admin:
BLACK AND WHITE
posted by: gman -- Tuesday, 11 March 2003, at 12:18 a.m
http://www.rastafarispeaks.com/forum/index.cgi?read=10222
###
First of all let me point out that there are Chinese, East Indian, Native American, Hawaiian, Japanese, Maori Rasta. So it's not only about Black and white anyway.
Now I wonder if a few simple points could calm the controversy.
Ha Ha, of course not. But here goes anyway:
THINGS I FEEL BLACKS, WHITES AND OTHERS SHOULD OVERSTAND ABOUT RASTAFARI
(1) Rastafari is Black. Rastafari emerges from the African experience(s) in the so-called New World. Rastafari interprets and makes sense of this experience and seeks the way forward for African people. This is not to say Rasta doesn't seek the way forward for ALL people. But PRIMARILY, Rasta is dealing with the African people. However, Rasta raises the consciousness of the African people to the extent that IanI see our struggle as tied in with the struggle of ALL downpressed people, and even of the other life forms that share the planet with us. Rasta realizes that, as the Native Americans would say, we are all relations. Which leads to point number
(2) Rasta is not "racist". I put "racist" in quotes cos I feel it's quite a stretch to call ANY Black person a "racist" when it comes to their feelings about whites, given all that whites have done and are continuing to do to us. Anyway, Rasta is not about "all white people are devils" and suchlike thinking. Rasta recognizes that as simplistic and simply UNTRUE. It's unproductive for African people, or anyone, to act on the basis of something that is UNTRUE. Rasta deals with reality, not mythology.
(3) Rasta has no one leader. No one person can speak for all of Rastafari (other than H.I.M. Haile Selassie I, of course; and even so, Rastas interpret HIM words differently). So there's no one who is really qualified to say whether or not (for example) whites can be Rasta. The closest we could get to a voice of authority on this would be the elders. Well, some say yes, some say no.
(4) Black people whether Rastas or not have a right to be angry about the state of the world today, and in particular the position of Black people in that world. I might even go so far as to say, we have a DUTY to be angry about it. Once that anger is going to serve as an impetus to do something about it, and not become a self-destructive cancer in the gut.
I feel that if Black and white (and other) ones keep these points in mind, and listen to one another with an open mind and without knee-jerk defensiveness, maybe they could progress further than the current morass of name-calling and back-and-forth accusations and one-upmanship.
Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong.
Ayinde:
Most of what you said seems pretty clear, however, I would like to add a few points from my perspective.
“(3) Rasta has no one leader. No one person can speak for all of Rastafari (other than H.I.M. Haile Selassie I, of course; and even so, Rastas interpret HIM words differently).”
H.I.M. Haile Selassie I do not speak for me. I admire much of what he said and attempted to achieve and I do share much of his views but I and I alone speak for myself.
Some people interpret "following someone" differently to myself. They interpret it as literally doing as someone says even if they do not agree or understand the reasons. I never accepted or practice this.
I follow the best example of H.I.M. Haile Selassie I, which is learning broadly and engaging the world from an informed position. I think this is the best of HIM that is worth EMULATING. Haile Selassie I also read a lot and was able to synthesize many ideas.
I accept Rastafari in its most indigenous form with the definitions I expound on this board.
I spent much time in the forest when I was younger and observed and learnt much there. I used to go back from time to time to get my bearings. It was there I felt at home. Today, anywhere I am, mentally I am still in the forest environment as I interpret everything from that perspective.
On another note:
In my view many were not fully able to grasp the reason Marcus Garvey felt strongly against Africans accepting another person as their saviour. Garvey may have understood the danger in ‘blind fellowship’. He may have felt that Africans would be returning to another state of dependency and not actually doing enough to help themselves.
Marcus Garvey and H.I.M. Haile Selassie I operated from two sides of the same coin.
Garvey operated from the West as is symbolized in the logo to the top of the board, trying to get Africans back to Africa and to accept themselves as worthy people. Haile Selassie I started his reign from East Africa as symbolized in the logo, where asserting Blackness would not have been a priority as the people he was directly leading were already in Africa and around mostly Black Africans.
On the point of White people, I actually know a few very spiritual White people. I started treating with them with my usual distrust and over time saw that they were able to draw very similar conclusions after learning more about themselves. The few I know, willingly contribute to the development of African institutions but they have felt no desire to try to set up or own any African organization. They usually spend their energies trying to educate others who gravitate to them because of their color or perceived social position. None of them claim to have the level of consciousness that gives them some superior advantage. But they are quite spiritual. They are few in numbers and are the exception to the general conduct of most Whites but certainly in my mind I know that anyone can develop the essence of Rastafari (weather they choose to call it Rastafari or not).
I also know people of other races who live in relative harmony with nature and do fair by all manner of people. There are highly ‘spiritual’ people in all races although few in numbers.
Sis_Iyabinghi:
Yes Gman and Ayinde always a pleasure to read the I's input. Blessed Love
Joshua Liontree:
In reference to your first point, about Rasta being Black, in an accepting way. I have always interpreted Rasta as being about African, not about Black. A principal tenet of Rasta is that we all came from Africa. Because my relatives left Africa long before your's did, does that make me any less African? Debatable, granted. Just a question. I'm glad I came here from the Open Board, aka the Board of Digression and Bickering.
Peace to all,
Joshua
Ayinde:
As I said in previous contributions, Rasta in essence is about character building, living within the laws of nature and respect for our ancestors.
In my view, most people who claim to be Rasta are at different stages of attaining this ideal state. People of different races have done this although they did not call it Rasta. The principles are what make these different peoples' experiences equal.
But Rasta has variants especially when addressing issues that plague most societies.
One must remember the Black African ancestral roots of Rasta apart from the evolution of Europeans who were not part of defining this livity. One must also remember the Black resurgence of Rasta as a resistance to social decadence and false white supremacy. As I stated earlier, some whites made good attempts to live by these values but for most the ideals are foreign. Black Africans were the first to consciously recognize and define these processes for higher development.
Modern oppressed Blacks/Africans can easily identify with this livity because of the decadence in all societies that also negatively discriminated against Blacks. Many Blacks were literally forced back to nature where they recaptured elements of the peace within this natural living.
However many who were forced back are not in a position to be conscious because they were not allowed to choose. Conscious development must be done by choice.
Identifying with our common African humanity through learning the processes is important and from learning these processes people should recognize the common social problems that afflict most people, Black, White and all others, because of how they perceive progress and worthiness with the baggage of color and gender prejudices. It is in this regard Black is used instead of African as many Blacks are yet to discover their 'Africanness' but they can easily identify with the common problems of all Black people.
Also, Black speaks of much more than just people as it also pertains to human physic development.
Many today can easily accept that we are all Africans or in the case of some who wish to emphasize their differences, descendants of Africans. However most of these people did not come to this realization through examining our history and as such are ignorant of the delusional socializing process that took place during the long spell of ignorance of the facts. Many today now say we are one but remain woefully ignorant of how their present attitudes and actions were developed and how much of it still reflects a jostle for societal superiority recognition with all of its false values.
I'll stop here for now but there is much more that can be said on this.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page