African Liberation

RAS TYEHIMBA: We live in what some call the information age. Do you think that there is a lot of accurate information about the Rasta Movement?

RAS MARCUS: It is a diverse Movement. Different people give different opinions of the Movement. The accurate information that I know is that it is a Black Power Movement that is fighting for the rights of African people everywhere. It is coming out of the Marcus Garvey Movement which was a Black Power Movement and it still is. "Africa for Africans at home and abroad" is because of the people and also the advancement of the living conditions of African people everywhere. Africa is not in the best state today and it is disturbing to the Rastaman. We have to work together with those who can work and not with just the African politician, but with those who are real African liberators. We are having African politicians leading the country and they are not African liberators. You should be able to drive in Africa without having to cross the borderline. If you can drive from Baltimore to New York or from New York to Washington, then you should be able to drive in Africa like that and just have one passport called 'African passport' instead of a Nigerian passport and so on. There are no Nigerians and Ghanaians. They are just Africans born in Nigeria and Ghana. Cut out those names and let all of us be called Africans.

RAS TYEHIMBA: What are some of the contributions the Rasta Movement has made to the cause of African Liberation, and can possibly make to that cause?

RAS MARCUS: Actually, they have made contributions. They were few in numbers in the early days and as the time went by, Rasta became the talk of the whole world, as though it caused a dilution. Some of it became Reggae music and some became beer drinking and smoking while the music is playing. But at least it pulled them a little closer to the Movement. The contributions that we have made and can make are waking up the people to know that there are Africans abroad and at home. Now today, everywhere you go in government, people are talking about reparation, especially in Jamaica. The Ministers in the country, the members of government; they are all talking about reparation, repatriation and all that kind of stuff. The worst thing about it is that Africa didn't get reparations. We are the property of Africa. It is Africa that lost a people. The way to get this reparation is for all the countries in Africa to unite and have a general call at the United Nations. Put the case about reparation and repatriation before them and all of them should unite and go and speak on it. While that is happening, you should have millions of Africans in Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, America, New York and so on, demonstrating on the streets while this is happening. They are the ones who must lead this reparation and repatriation Movement. They must open the gate and let us repatriate.

The Rastaman has already made his contribution. He continued all these years shouting "Africa for Africans at home and abroad" with his long dreadlocks and so on until it is widely spread. Right now, there are people who are not even Rastas wearing dreadlocks. But they were not the ones who were prosecuted in the early days and called dirty, nasty Rasta people. Today, you have doctors, lawyers and all types of people of various professions wearing dreadlocks. They have made an industry out of dreadlocks. Today, many people pay to get their locks twisted. But that is different dreadlocks from the Rastaman. The Rastaman lets nature; a son of nature and a son of Father Time twist his locks. But at least it created an industry for some people to live off. They can employ the people to twist the locks and pay them a salary for doing it. That has a contribution to it. It is happening in Africa, London, New York and other parts of the world. A great industry was established after Rastaman appeared.

RAS TYEHIMBA: In terms of the philosophy of Rastas in this period, how has it evolved or changed from the earlier period?

RAS MARCUS: It is not as Black Power as it should have been. In the early days, we saw it as a Rastafarian Institute. Then it became Black Power, Blackheart Man and so on. Since the Reggae music and everything got mixed up in it, the Indians, the Whites and everybody mixed into it, wear dreadlocks and call themselves Rasta and expect to go to Ethiopia and settle under really good conditions. It's not under "Africa for Africans at a home and abroad." Yet, the very Bible that they follow says that every nation should have their own vine and fig tree. In the jungle, when there is a stampede, you will see elephants running together and zebras running together in their own flock. You never see different groups together. Every group stays in their own company. Even with the birds, "birds of one feather flock together." I do not know how they are going to change this creation. But the way creation has it, the elephants lay under one tree and the lions lay under another.

The human race is falling. They have made so many mistakes. Instead of trying to think and edify each other, they spend their time making weapons of war and killing each other. Our children are in a bad condition. They are killing each other in the streets with the guns that are being made by the Europeans. It is a very sad thing. We are in a bad condition as a people and so too are our children.

Continue...

< Prev | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | Next >