Rastafari

Rastafari is a spiritual and cultural movement that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s, rooted in Afrocentric consciousness, pan-Africanism, and a reinterpretation of the Bible through the lens of the Black experience. The movement draws its name from Ras Tafari Makonnen, later crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, whom many Rastafari regard as a messianic figure and the returned Christ.

"The Holy Piby" (1924) by Robert Athlyi Rogers is one of the foundational texts of the Rastafari movement. Written before the movement formally began, it presents a Black-centered theology and prophetic vision that deeply influenced early Rastafari thought. The text emphasizes African identity, spiritual liberation, and the divine destiny of Black people.

Rastafari culture has had a profound global impact through reggae music (most notably Bob Marley), its distinctive visual aesthetic, and its philosophy of resistance against oppression (Babylon). Core values include natural living (Ital), spiritual reasoning, and the hope of repatriation to Africa (Zion).