I would first like to say that the essay was amazing. It is quite refreshing to know that this kind of rhetoric still exist. In fact it is much more than rhetoric because it is fact backed up with evidence versus a bunch of jargon and terms empty of action and promise. At any rate, I have recently discovered Rastafari(or maybe it found me) and I have been grappling with one issue in particular while on my journey. This is not in particular directly related to your article, however I will reference one part, but it is related to Rastafari. I have spoken with some Rastas and they say they still pray to Jesus and that Haile Selassie I is a seperate entity, then you have others who pray in the name of Selassie. Now in my research, I have read that Haile Selassie I is looked at as the Messiah, reincarnation of God of Earth, much like Jesus in Christianity. My question is, and this is the same problem that I had with Christianity, do you pray to Selassie or God? I'm just really confused as to what is the correct way of thinking. And excuse me if I offend you in any way, but I don't think it's correct to worship a man or pray in his name. I would like to believe that I have a direct line of communication with God myself and I thought that that was part of the concept of "I and I"; God exists in me and therefore I have control over my actions and my being. Please excuse me if I am wrong, but this is why I'm asking because I want to be clear and have total understanding. I mean for me, Haile Selassie I is a figure of divinity for sure and I understand his role in Rastafari, but at the same token he was still a man with faults and shortcomings, as us all. That doesn't, however, take away from all the good he did and said. I just feel that putting trust in man is bound to leave some lose ends and it seems almost blasphemy, unless H.I.M iS worshipped as God(Jah). That was another question I had as well. PLease explain to me the meaning of Jah Rastafari? Is it referring to Selassie as God because I do know that Rastafari was his real name?

Also, something else I wanted to point out. In your essay you spoke of Selassie's address to the UN about what was taking place in Ethiopia at the hands of the Italian army. In your essay, you spoke of not assimilating and "filtering" your statements just so that they are appeasing to the white oppressors so that they might become your brethren. I just had a question. do you think that Selassie was pushing for acceptance by white society? I mean, why trust your oppressors and then trust them so much that you enter into a pact and a union with them? Why even feel compelled to want to join the League of Nations? Why not rather attempt to strengthen the union of African countries, so that it could be established and independent of any false-assistance claims that Babylon promises? That last question/thought is complex and complicated, I know, but there has to be a way, there has to be a way to gain strength and autonomy. Granted China's land and people weren't pillaged as our people were, but they were once a great power, and then they lost all their power, but they regained it back and is now a world leader and I don't see why we can't do the same. I'm not saying it will be an easy task, in fact I think it would be a much harder one, but it can be done and I think we need to believe that, no we need to KNOW that. Education is the first step, it's a reason they say knowledge is power. People need to wake up...stir their consciousness up. People should know that with much progress comes much sacrifice, let go of complacency. The world is constructed, meaning it is no more than a game. It's all about who is controlling it that rules are set. But one can elevate themself beyond the game and realize the game for what it is to where they are no longer a pawn but someone who is able to strategize to take over the game, better yet, change the game. "We are the ones we are waiting for (Maya Angelou)."