Rastafarianism

Abstract

Rastafarians are followers of a growing movement which began in the West Indies, largely in Jamaica and Dominica, in the 1930s. The movement is linked to the roots of resistance to slavery (Campbell, 1985) among the descendants of the black African slave families, and the identification with Africa is central to the doctrine of Rastafari. Much inspiration came from the ‘Back to Africa’ movement led by Marcus Garvey (1887–1940) which raised black consciousness and self-respect.