rastaforian scrapbook 2

Table of contents

Contents pages
Author’s Article 1-10
Meme 1 11
Article 2 12-13
Meme 2 14
Article 3 15-18
Video 1 19
Photo 1 20
Video 2 21
Photo2 22
Photo 3 23
Reference 24-25

No one but us can free

our minds.

By: Chris-Ann Vaughans-Lyttleton
“You never know how strong you are, till being strong is the only choice you have” this quote is a popular saying
by one of the Rastafarians biggest promoter Bob Marley. This saying truly describes the resilience and struggle that
the Rastafarian people have faced. From as far back as the 1960’s Rastafarians have been experiencing resistance
from not only Jamaica but also countries across the world. Even though the Rastafarian group has come a far way
from being viewed as outlaws and criminals, just by the way they dress and live, Rastafarian’s today are still
viewed as a marginalized group. The rights of Rastafarians in Jamaica and other countries are still being violated
despite the numerous strides that they have made to eliminate the negative outlook on their beliefs. Despite that
Rastafarians promotes healthy living, unity, freedom and conscious living; persons still think they are dangerous
and unstable.

Marginalizing Jah people

According to Syracuse University (2019) marginalization is “Marginalization is the process of pushing a
particular group or groups of people to the edge of society by not allowing them an active voice, identity, or place
in it. Through both direct and indirect processes, marginalized groups may be relegated to a secondary position or
made to feel as if they are less important than those who hold more power or privilege in society”. Rastafarians
does not have any real leader or definite creed; Rastafarianism is more about a philosophy and cultural lifestyle
than a movement. Rastafarians does not have a political leader and based on their beliefs they tend to avoid the
political scenes. Due to this fact, the Rastafarian community has been neglected and taken advantage of seeing that
they don’t have any true representation making them a marginalized group in Jamaica. With their appearance,
coupled with their perceived association with marijuana, causes many Rastafarians to be harassed by law
enforcement and other state agencies. Many Rastafarians however believe that this is not the main reason that they
are marginalized by the Jamaican society. Some Rastafarians associate the Governments obvious lack of concern
about them to that of historical inherited caste and color prejudice. This frowns upon any open celebration of
African-derived physical and cultural traits and principles in a society that has always placed greater value on

European- derived norms. Rastafarians are also faced with the issue of “fake Rasta’s” impersonating them and
getting involved in illegal acts; making it even harder for those who are deemed to be real Rastas. The Rastafarian
community often complains that for the most part state authorities seem unwilling or unable to distinguish between
real Rastafarians and others who do not hold genuine Rastafari beliefs or seek to practice a healthy holistic,
productive, spiritual, self-reliant lifestyle. As a result of this, young Rastafarians have been seeking to become
more organized in order to better advocate at a local and regional Caribbean community (CARICOM) level for
greater appreciation and acceptance of their right to cultural autonomy (minority rights group international, 2019).

Rights are for everyone, including Rastafarians.

The rights of Rastafarians all over the world have been and is continuously being violated and while in some
cases the violators have been brought to justice; there are still many cases where the rights of Rastafarians are
neglected or desecrated.

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which underpins the constitution of
Jamaican law and other countries in the United Nation; asserts that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought,
conscience and religion...” and “...freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to

manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.” Article 19 also assures the right to
“...receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Under Article 2 of the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) everyone is guaranteed their rights
without discrimination of any kind including with regards to religion, opinion, and national or social origin. Article 15
also states that everyone has the right to take part in cultural life including the conservation, development and
diffusion of culture. Articles 18 and 19 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) affirm the
same pledges of the UDHR. The Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination
Based on Religion or Belief (DEAFIDBRB) reinforces these rights but, under Article 1, adds that these freedoms
“...may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order,
health or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others”. Articles 3 and 4 say that discrimination based on
religion or belief is considered a human rights violation and that states shall enact legislation that prohibits such
discrimination. With specific reference to education, Article 5 affirms the right for children to access school in the
matter of religious beliefs. Also in Jamaica all citizens have the right to freedom of movement.

During the 1960’s the Rastafarian community experienced the worst form
of abuse and cruelty that they would probably ever face. During that time
Rastafarians were beaten and imprisoned for no other reason than because they
were Rastafarians. The prime minster at the time the honorable Alexander
Bustamante put out a warrantee for every Rastafarian man to be detained using any means necessary dead or alive.
The rights of the Rastafarians were being trampled on by their own country. Even though the Rastafarians have
come a long way since then and they have received a public apology for the way they were treated back then,
Rastafarians still face discrimination and their rights are still being violated. One example of the violation of the
rights of Rastafarians today can be seen where Ras Yolanda, a Rastafarian mother complained that her child was
sent home from school because he wasn’t wearing a tom. The education act states that children have the right to
education despite their religious belief. This is just one case noted but there are many other cases in Jamaica where
children have been turned back from school because of their dreadlocks.

In the United States of America a Rastafarian man was imprisoned and despite asserting that he is a part of
the Rastafarian movement, which stipulates that his head is not to be shaved, police officers still went ahead and

shaved his head. The man consequently sued the state for violations of his rights and the 4th Circuit ruled that the
forced grooming of a Rastafarian man's dreadlocks by South Carolina correctional officers violated his rights under
the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (Fayle 2009). The United States of America has very
strict laws about the rights of persons from religious groups including Rastafarians. Federal law protects not only
people who belong to traditional, organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and
Judaism, but also others who have sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs, such as the Abrahamic religion
of Rastafarianism (smith 2019). Not only that but while Title VII does not prohibit employment dress or grooming
rules, per se, as long as these company rules do not have a “disparate impact” on the applicant or employee; title
VII does require an employer, once the employer becomes aware that a religious accommodation is needed, to
accommodate the person whose sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance conflicts with the
employer’s requirements or “appearance policies,” unless doing so would pose an “undue hardship.” In the US,
several public schools, and workplaces have lost lawsuits as the result of banning Rastas from keeping their
dreadlocks. In 2009, a group of Rastafari who work as public safety officers in Manhattan settled a federal lawsuit
with the Grand Central Partnership in New York City, allowing them to wear their dreadlocks in neat ponytails,

rather than be forced to “painfully tuck in their long hair” in their uniform caps and suspending anyone who
allegedly violated the grooming policy (smith 2019).

The United States of America is not the only country that violates the human rights of Africans but in
countries like Africa; Rastafarians are in a constant battle with authorities concerning their rights. In King Williams
Town, Eastern Cape, a young boy, name Miguel Benjamin was prevented from starting school because he had
dreadlocks. The school stated that as part of their rules, dreadlocks was not allowed and young Benjamin would
have to cut his hair in order to start school. His parents being a Rastafarian follower, has refused to cut their sons
hair. This is a clear violation of Miguel’s rights to access education despite of his religious belief as stipulated by
Article 5 of the universal declaration of human rights that affirms the right for children to access school in the matter
of religious beliefs.

There was also a case where a young boys rights in the United Kingdom
was violated because he was a Rastafarian. Chikayzea Flanders is a twelve
year old boy who was a Former Fulham Boys School student. Chikayzea was
told by his school that he should shave his head or he would be expelled

from school as it was against the schools uniform policy to. Chikayzea is a
Rastafarian follower, therefore it is against his religion to shave his head. His
mother saw this as an attack on their religious belief and brought the school to
court. The family eventually reached a settlement with the school, allowing
Chikayzea, to return so long as “his dreadlocks are tied up so that they don’t touch the top of his collar, or covered
with a cloth of color to be agreed by the school.” As part of the settlement, the school will also be required to
review its strict uniform policy and take steps to ensure more equality and diversity training is given to staff
(Kenney, 2018).

Inclusion, its full time Rastafarians feel like they belong.

The Rastafarian community has contributed so much to the development of Jamaica and not just Jamaica but
a lot of other countries in the world. Through the preaching and teaching of black pride and freedom from mental
slavery, the Rastafarian community has made a lot of black people across the world more conscious of their black
race and identity. Despite the many strides that Rastafarians have made they are still treated like second class
citizens. Furthermore, people across the world still holds a lot of misconceptions about Rastas and think they are

dangerous and harmful people who are mentally ill. This misconceptions of Rastafarians need to change and
therefore, the writer has proposed some recommendations that can be implemented to improve the inclusion of
Rastafarians. The first strategy that I would recommend is for the government to partner with the Rastafarian
community to create some little short videos to be placed on social media platforms and also as advertisement on
television. This will highlighting the way of life of the Rastafarians and their belief, so that persons can distinguish
between a fake and a real Rastafarian and for persons to also realize that based on many misconceptions
Rastafarians are peaceful people who promote peace and harmony. The more people become aware of what a true
Rastafarian represent they won’t have any problem hiring them or accepting them in schools and various
organizations. Persons will also be sensitized on their beliefs and realize the importance of trying to accommodate
and respect their beliefs in the workplace. Another strategy is to sensitize the Rastafarian followers of their rights
and what those rights allow or don’t allow them to do. Most Jamaicans do not know there rights and I think for a
minority group such as the Rastafarian community it is important that they become aware of their rights so that
they will be better able to represent themselves and take action against persons who try to violate their rights. The
next recommendation that I would like to make is for the government to put certain law in place for the
accommodation of Rastafarians in the workplace and school; making it mandatory for employees to make special

accommodations for Rastafarians based on their belief. The other recommendation that I would make is for the
Rastafarian group to become more organized so that they can be better represented on the national stage.
Rastafarians tend to get left behind or overlooked when certain policies or laws are made in the country because

they don’t have a recognized group lobbying for them at the national level such
as in parliament. Therefore, I would recommend that a Rastafarian
representative be present at some of these meetings to ensure that they are also
considered when some of these policies are being made. The final
recommendation that I would make is for the government to allow one of the Rastafarians holiday to be a public
holiday. There are a lot of Christian holidays that are celebrated in Jamaica and I think for if the Rastafarians get a
least one national holiday they would feel less like a minority and more important as citizens of the country.



Editorial: Should the Gov’t say sorry to Rastas?

Published:Monday | December 14, 2015 | 12:00 AMdeo

Arlene Harrison Henry has attended her job as public defender with commendable energy and a willingness to
jump, without prompting, into matters in which citizens are in danger of compromise. Her intervention in the St
Hilda's High School debacle in defence of head girl Jade Bascoe against religious bigotry was especially
refreshing. That is part of her mandate.

But we suspect that with the sheer number of incidents in which people's constitutionally protected rights are
being impinged on by institutions of the State and the limited resources of her office, Mrs Harrison Henry is
hard-pressed to determine on which matters she should expend her time, and the manpower and money of her
office.

Which is why - its historic and social relevance, notwithstanding - we are surprised she chose to take up the
more than half-century-old Coral Gardens case of violence between Rastafarians and the Jamaican State.

But having done it, the public defender may have provided an opportunity for the Government to reflect on the
post-Independence misadventures by the State and determine for which of those closure demands at least an
official apology, as Mrs Harrison-Henry has recommended be given to the Coral Gardens Rastafarians, their
descendants and, by extension, the wider Rastafarian community. We expect, though, the Government to be
circumspect about her call for compensation for surviving victims, for fear it be subjected to moral hazard.

Coral Gardens is in Montego Bay and was the scene of a 1963 incident when what, by most accounts, was a
dispute between a land owner and a Rastafarian erupted into a mini riot that was forcefully put down by the
Jamaican authorities with the deaths of eight Rastafarians and two policemen. More than 150 other Rastafarians

were arrested, many of them beaten. Some shaved their locks and beards to avoid retribution, it has been
reported.

It was not the first incident of violence between the Jamaican State and Rastafarians, then a relatively new
Afrocentric, religious, countercultural movement of marginalised poor people who were viewed with suspicion.
Three years earlier, at a Rastafarian compound in St Catherine, two members of the movement were killed and
two soldiers wounded during an attempt to move the group from their settlement.

SOCIALLY SIGNIFICANT EVENT
With regard to Coral Gardens, which has been the subject of significant scholarly discourse, Mrs Harrison
Henry told Coral Gardens residents that "our investigations" discovered abuse, which underpinned her
recommendation for the State's "apology to those Rastafarians who were imprisoned, assaulted, taken into
custody and were not themselves ... involved in any unlawful activities".

Academics will certainly look forward to the broader publication of Mrs Harrison Henry's findings, hoping that
it offers new insights and a deeper understanding of this socially significant event in Jamaica's modern history.
Indeed, we look forward to theirs, as well as the contribution of others, on the public defender's call for
government financing and technical support for the "preservation of Rastafari culture" and other economic
activity.

Rastafarians have had a significant impact on Jamaica's modern identity. The issue that is likely to arise is
whether theirs ought to receive special acknowledgement and how the Jamaican State should redress the wrongs
it has done to too many of its citizens.



Middle, upper-class Jamaicans did not want Rastas uptown

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Public Defender Arlene Harrison-Henry.
Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry, on December 9, 2015, sent an explosive report to parliament, the result
of an investigation into several incidents, including the blood-stained Coral Gardens affair, for which she has
recommended reparations and apology by the Jamaican State to Rastafarians. The Jamaica Observer presents
part two of an edited version of the report: In the period of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia and the formation of
the Ethiopian World Federation (EWF), many Rastafarians established branches of the EWF in Jamaica. The
Rastafari community was energised to lend support to the Ethiopian Emperor and Ethiopian people.
After his release from prison Leonard Howell, (first Rastaman) returned to St Thomas. However, he and his
followers were mobbed by citizens in St Thomas in January 1937. Dunkley, Howell and Hinds continued their
Rastafari evangelism separately in the late 1930s to early 1940s, in downtown Kingston and St Catherine.
Popular public sentiment openly denigrated Rastafari and suggested their extermination. The Rastafari were
referred to as "the dangerous cult" in the Daily Gleaner in 1934. The public mobbing of Howell and his

followers in 1937, was extensively reported. The police allegedly looked on or even participated. The fact that
there was no reported public condemnation, demonstrates that there have long been hostile responses to
Rastafari by the Jamaican citizenry, which were sanctioned by agents of the State. Howell’s move from St
Thomas to Kingston was also met with complaints from many middle and upper-class Jamaicans. By March
1937 the colonial secretary, in responding to a petition of complaint brought by the Kingston & St Andrew
Civic League against the ‘religious sect’ known as Ras Tafari, advised that ‘...the Government is considering
the enactment of legislation to prohibit the practices of these curious religious cults’. Howell was again arrested
and charged in 1937 and this time sent to the Bellevue Hospital where he remained until the end of 1938. He
formed his Ethiopian Salvation Society in 1939 and continued to preach Rastafari beliefs in St Thomas, in spite
of the actions of the State. By 1940 he was stopped again by police on the premise that his activities would
incite the public during a period of the war.Howell went on to establish his Rastafari commune at Pinnacle in St
Catherine, which has its own long history of colonial surveillance and harassment by the State.

Pinnacle was singled out for special treatment not only by police officers but other agents of the state, in
particular, the health authority. The strategy of the health authority is revealed in a communication dated
16.1.41 from the assistant director of medical services (ADMS) to the colonial secretary. The instructions given
by the ADMS were for systematic inspections of the camp to detect breaches in public health laws. The ADMS
concluded that the ‘Local Parochial Board appears to be in an excellent legal position to demand a number of
expensive undertakings in the Camp with the alternative that they may go in and do the work and charge it to
the owner…’ In response, the clerk of the Parochial Board R D G Lewars, assured the ADMS that such
inspections and investigations were already being done and stated ‘…that there was always an appreciation of
our powers under the Public Health Law but on the reports of our Health Department it would seem that there
has been no ground for drastic action’. The police continued its relentless march to quash the seeds of Rastafari
which was regarded as inimical to the state and society. It was on the early morning of July 14, 1941 that a
deputy commissioner of police led a party of 115 police officers to raid Pinnacle. The commissioner of police in
his report to the colonial secretary dated 17.7.41, accounted as follows: "The male population of the Camp was
rounded up by the Police and 70 of these arrested…and are now remanded in custody awaiting trial at Spanish

Town." Allegedly, "…in a field in the camp and close to Howell’s residence a ganja cultivation was found. 101
plants of Ganja were removed as exhibits together with a number of seedlings which were being cultivated."
Howell was again arrested and convicted, along with over 70 Rastafarians. Those events were extensively
reported in The Daily Gleaner, heightening public fear and suspicion of Rastafari.

Rasta leader charged with murdering his wife

By March 25, 1944 Howell was again arrested and incarcerated at the St Catherine District prison awaiting trial
on a charge of murder of his wife. The then attorney-general by letter dated 4.4.44, advised the colonial
secretary that he terminated the prosecution as there was no basis in law for Howell to have been charged in the
first instance, his wife having died of natural causes. Reportedly, it was at Pinnacle that the more openly defiant
manifestations of dreadlocks worn by Rastafari began to appear in the late 1940s to early 1950s. Some say the
manifestation of dreadlocks was inspired by the Mau Mau revolutionaries then fighting colonialism in Kenya.
This quickly spread among the younger, more confrontational Rastafari adherents, especially in the urban
Rastafari camps such as the Youth Black Faith.

This inspired more fear among the Jamaican citizenry. The beards and the dreadlocks became symbols of
Rastafari. This fuelled and exacerbated some of the anti-Rastafari prejudices, as well as contributed to
Rastafarians being stereotyped as criminals. Noted Rastafari elder, Philmore Alveranga, cites 1951 as the year
when the first physical tribulation was visited upon Rastafari. In that year Wappy King was accused of killing a
Chinese boy and raping the girlfriend who told the police that it was a ‘Rasta’ who did it, because he had a
beard. The event sparked intense public outrage against Rastafari…The Police responded by forcibly trimming
men with beards, which included most Rastafarians. The police arrested a suspect within two days. However,
Rastafari was identified as the culprit and subjected to special treatment. The Gleaner reported the rise in
"public resentment and hostility to bearded men and to their anti-social cult", and that it had received numerous
letters to the editor "demanding a campaign to clean out the dens of these Ras Tafarites" The Gleaner supported

"a very necessary outbreak of public clamour for an end to be put to these queer sub-social and inimical groups"
which had "created kraals of wickedness in the city"

One influential personality wrote in the Daily Gleaner in 1951 that:

"The worst evil of all are the members of that bearded cult who style themselves the Ras Tafarites and claim
some kinship with Abyssinia. In reality this group has no religious significance, do not even know where
Ethiopia is, and merely adopted the untidy habit of letting hair and beards grow through laziness and filthiness
and a desire to appear more terrifying… if a start is made by cleaning out these so called Ras Tafarites it will
have a salutary effect on the remainder of the wrong doers."

A Gleaner columnist advocated the expulsion of Rastafari from their communities, including Wareika Hills,
Palisadoes and the Foreshore Road area (Dunghill) and their removal to "prison camps" where they could be
"tamed" with the tamarind switch or the cat-o-nine tails. It seems that the Government heeded the call of the
public. An estimated 1,500 Rastafarians were forcibly evicted from Wareika Hills, Palisadoes and the Foreshore
Road area (Dunghill). Many were charged for ganja. Persecution of Rastafari leaders continued. Leonard
Howell was again arrested in April 1954 for unlawful, possession of medical instruments and in May 1954,
Pinnacle was raided by police for the second and final time, that time on the premise of curtailing ganja
cultivation there. The 1954 raid on Pinnacle was described as the biggest raid in local police history, involving
over 173 armed policemen and over 140 Rastafarians arrested. The joint police/military force seized eight tons
of ganja and arrested 140 persons; about half of them were women and children. During the following days they
destroyed thousands of ganja trees. (Daily Gleaner May 25, 1954, p.1) Most of those arrested, excepting the
women and children, were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment ranging from six months to two years.
Pinnacle was destroyed and would never return to its former stability as a Rastafari communal space. Indeed, it
has been said that the history of the treatment of Leonard Howell and Pinnacle by the State "showed such
unrelenting opposition to the settlement that with hindsight it is now possible to assert that they wanted to kill
the seed of cooperation and open love for Africa before it blossomed in society."

Rastafarians speak out about the injustice that they are
facing and is demanding restoration from the government.



Trinidad Rastas Advocate for Reparations and Marijuana Legalization



Rastafarians protesting for education for their children and for equal
rights.