Greetings,
Fiyah wrote:
Sistren Valerie I hope you get a chance to bless this thread with your views on this:
And, as far as I am concerned there is a BIG difference between 'identity' and 'identification'. But I don't have time to express my point of you on that, although it would be interesting and appropriate to emphasize this distinction.Here is what I mean:
It is my contention that there is a clear difference between "constructing your identity" from a culture (Rastafari) that glorify our African heritage and recounts the suffering and Resistance of Black West Indians and "identifying" yourself with a culture (Rastafari) which has nothing to do with you.
There is a huge difference between the African descent people who come into Rastafari to gain self-awareness, African Pride/Dignity and to reconciliate themselves with their African heritage and Non-African descent people who come into Rastafari becoz' obviously they feel a loss of cultural identity and wish to adopt other cultures that connect them to their natural sense of Self.
Since this thread addresses to Non African Rastas, I would like you to recognize that, to some extent, it is difficult for you (indeed impossible) to adopt some tenets of the Rasta culture (reparations, repatriations, glorification of our African heritage...). I would like you to recognize that yes you came into Rastafari culture coz' you were going trough an identity crisis. It can be overstandable since Babylone, Europe, Western "civilization" offers no real/ valuable culture.
Yes, there is an enormous difference between "identity" and "identification".
I don't think that Non African Rastas are constructing their own identity with Rastafari but are rather "identifying" with some tenets of the culture (H.I.M speeches, Reggae music, Rasta colors...).
Rasta does not shape a "universal identity". Besides, the day there will be a universal identity it will be the end of the world!
Let me now go back to a statement of R.Viking:
Rastafari is the liberation of MAN. Let me stop writing and burst out laughing!
![[smiley=laugh.gif]](http://forums.rasta-man.co.uk/smf/Smileys/default/laugh.gif)
You have obviously misoverstood the real purpose of Rasta Culture.
Sorry Bro. RViking, but I cannot let you say such a thing and spread misinformation in this forum. the TRUE, ORIGINAL, REAL meaning of Rasta Culture is the Liberation of Black People (particularly in the West Indies, but also abroad).
Black People liberate Urself from your "slave mentality". This is what Rasta is all about. And H.I.M is the Liberator/Redemptor of the Black People as M.M.Garvey prophetized it. But I agree to say that H.I.M can be the Lord of anybody for His teachings are invaluable.
Yet, you have the right to see Rasta as U want and have your own viewpoint. Maybe it is in this way that you find the possibility to "feel at ease" in this Afrocentrist Caribbean Culture. But, please don't deny the fact that Rasta is Liberation for Black People; by denying that Ur denying the Culture itself.
After having spoken my mind, I want to add that this post is not an "anti Non African Rastas post". Not at all. I just wanted to emphazise the clear distinction between "identity" and "identification", coz' I think this thread is the opportunity to do it, and coz' I think that the notions of "identity" and "identification" are central issues in this thread.
I am not saying that Non Africans cannot be Rasta? Who am I to sustain that?
No, I am just saying that everybody should recognize a number of things (particularly Non African Rastas) and know their place and stop questioning the essence of Rastafari by turning it in a Universalist Culture coz' it is not. Besides, Universal-ism is a racist approach.
Sorry for this long and messy post.
Paix et Amour. Valérie.