It seems like a lot of blogs this week are focusing on people's revelations relating to Rastafari, and how much they learned about it this week, and I would like to add.
It's not as though I'd never heard of Rastafari before this class, but I really didn't know what it was about. I grew up listening to Marley, and knew that he had been part of the Rasta movement, and that it was based in Jamaica. I knew that pot was connected with Rasta, as well as the Ethiopian colours, and knew that it was some sort of religion, but not much beyond that. It wasn't a hard collection of symbols to find when growing up, as many people wore the colours or sold t-shirts and hats emblazoned with Rasta symbols or Marley's face. I think that going back home after learning this much about Rastafari is going to be very interesting.
I guess what's hitting me the most is that I really enjoyed learning about the Rastafarian movement and religion, and think that there are some really wonderful aspects of it, and I just wish that more people really knew about Rasta. Instead of just thinking that it's a bunch of pot-smoking, anti-Capitalists whose image can be used to validate and support someone's own addiction and/or anarchy (especially since the Rastas don't seem to be Anarchists at all), I wish that they could understand the real meaning behind the Rastas' movement and struggles. I guess I just wish there was more education about it in schools so that people don't fall into the trap of thinking that it's all about smoking.
I, too really enjoyed learning about the Rastafarian movement and religion. I had always been curious about it because it's many symbols have been woven into popular culture of Jamaica and the United States but I never knew much about what the movement and religion was all about. Because elements of Rastafarianism have become mainstream, its easy to get the wrong idea about it based on the symbols alone without addtional knowlege. Because while one might know that smoking weed is prevalent and closely connected to the Rastafarian movement it's easy to misunderstand and judge Rastas because of American ideas about smoking weed and potheads. While it is in some ways good that Rastas have been accepted in Jamaican society, I think it also breeds some ignorance about what the movement is really about.
ReplyDeleteI agree so much with this post. I think a lot of people think they know what the Rastafarian movement is about, but I think that many have missed the main points of the religion. This class has really opened my eyes to everything the Rastas think and why they do what they do, like smoking ganja and playing the music they do.
ReplyDeleteOliver, I completely agree, I kind of wrote about a similar topic; people using religious symbols all the time without having a clue what they are about. I think people are too eager to jump to the conclusion that the Rastafarian movement is about free love and smoking.
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