Rastafariin the context of the African diaspora seems to be about ones who were dehumanized in the most brutal inhumane acts in history refinding the glory and heritage of their bloodline which had been forcibly removed and erased from memory in the process of the trans-atlantic slave trade and its aftermath. Sighting Haile Selassie as a Black king whom 72 nations bowed is one of the ultimate displays of reclaimed dignity and respect for a people who have been put through so much. From my perspective the slave trade dismissed the very HUMAN-ness of the Africans who were transported and enslaved against their will using the justification of a sub-human and even animal status applied to these people. Being human does not entail one to be perfect - being human means one is subject to all the pitfalls, struggles, victories, and glory that comes along with being a human. Likewise being accepted as CAPABLE of civilization and seen as equals is part and parcel of what it means to be accepted in the fellowship of dignified humanity.

I do not think that it is necessary to make excuses for Ethiopia or Haile Selassie in order to sight Ethiopia and Haile Selassie as divine and meaningful if one can overstand the context in which reverance was given to these cornerstones of the Rastafari movement. This view, IMO can only be overstood when one takes in the complete picture and context of the first Rastafari men and women who, against all odds, came into themselves in the face of so much adversity.