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Handsworth Revolution by Steel Pulse: This song is filled with cries for equality, justice, and the fight against societal ills. This class felt very revolutionary to me which is fitting for the times we are living in. The fact that Babylon has fallen spiritually is made known in this song. The lead singer David Hinds says in one part of the song that “We know what you have to offer, we know what’s going on” this is a very powerful message denouncing the brainwashing agenda that exist in the media and the educational system. This class dismantled old perceptions Christianity and explored black spirituality which is something I deeply appreciated as a black man. learning about islam, vodoun and Rastafarianism made me feel at home.

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Suffer by Burning Spear: As we explored the theologies of suffering I thought about this song a lot because you dissected important tenants of black spirituality. In this song Marcus Garvey is celebrated because he had the brilliant idea of building the Black Star Liner ship which was supposed to take black people back to Africa. This sentiment was shared by many during the Pan African Movement because of the ill treatment of black people in this country and the Caribbean. The promise of 40 acres and a mule was never realized and even today we ask ourselves if we want to give away our continent for an island. We have turned the spirit of suffering and lamentation into an oil of joy which runs down our head as Rastafarians, similar to our brethren Aaron the brother of Moses. Our class embodied Psalm 133 which says ” Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments”. 

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Under the Sun by Akae Beka: This song came to mind during the time in which we talked about Voudon in this class because its filled with the science behind it. In one part of the song the lead singer Vaughn Benjamin speaks about our fascination with divination and he points to when Balaam was hired to curse Israel. He goes on to say that Simon Magus tried to buy miraculous powers and how Saul sought the powers of divination when he conjured up Saul from the grave. The Bible proves our long history of being associated with Voudon. The Magi which is short for the word Magician were the three wise men came to visit the son of Mary who was given Myrrh to preserve his body during his death so he could resurrect with his body remaining fresh, so as we can see even in the ressurection of Christ Voudon was present. They knew he would need help from the spiritual realm, the place in which Voudon dwells so comfortably. So once again black spirituality was celebrated in this class and it cannot be denied. It was truly an honor to partake in all the discussions of this class. Praises be to Haile Selassie I the first who was manifested to us in the ressurected of Christ and conquered all the principalities, powers, and  the rulers of darkness of this world with the word which was with us in the beginning. For this is reason we call him the Ancient of Days. Thessalonians 5:2 says “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night”.

The object that I have in my possession that I’ve developed a deep connection with is my Meskel. The word means cross in Amharic and the discovery of the true cross is a holiday and its celebrated within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. this object reminds me of the spiritual battles that Christ encountered and that we must carry our own cross in life. I feel like I have the company of the High Priest who came after the Order of Melchizedek the Ethiopian who was the king of Righteousness, king of Peace and king of Salem, currently known as Jerusalem in which he named after his son Jeru of Salem, so I feel spiritually invincible. it does signify cultural preservation, kinship and resistance for me. The Christ was mothered by an Ethiopian woman and a couple of years ago I purchased an ancestry kit and it traced my roots back to the Bantu people in Africa and upon doing my research I realized that part of Africa was once part of Abyssinia. This information made me realize was I was so drawn to Haile Selassie and in the scripture it says my sheep hear my voice. All the captives from the transatlantic slave trade are descendants of the people spoken about in Genesis 15:13 Which says ” Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and they will be enslaved and mistreated for 400 years, but I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterwards they will come out with great possessions ” 

It’s amazing to see how people from the African diaspora will always reunite and sing and dance like we used in the ancient of days like when we celebrated jubilees in Zion. The Ark Of The Covenant dwelt with us during those days so we were protected from other nations. The windrush generation and the Rastafarian community share many things in common, they are a people who were displaced from their home in Africa. We know that we have no place in Babylon because of the way we are treated. Psalm 137 depicts our story, it says  “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song: and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” So the dancehall scene at the house party in the lovers rock episode was a depiction of a Sabbath service similar to a Nyabinghi celebration. People are carried away in a trance like state through the spirit of Jah and the meditative heights that we reach through Ganjah smoking enhances that experience. Many reggae artist were birthed out of the windrush generation and they emulated the spirit of resistance, Steel Pulse was one those bands that embodied the spirit of belonging and identity. Word Sound and consequent Power is what we use to chant down Babylon, so the spiritual sound technologies harnesses that power and spreads it far and wide, similar to when the trumpet is blown in the book of revelation. It’s an ancient calling back to the spiritual realm which is our origin, the carnal realm is a distraction and a fallen estate. Perfection has never stop longing for us. The book of Matthew 5:48 says “Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect”.  Philippians 2:12 says ” Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under the foot of men”. I quote all this scriptures because reggae music embodies the seasoning that gives us our flavor, it’s a message that celebrates our remnancy.  

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I believe that we go to spirit when we leave the burning house. The scripture that says “my zeal has eaten me up” comes to mind when you ask this question. I myself wonder about what next after this life. All I have is faith which is the evidence of things not seen but hoped for. Based on the account of Enoch who was taken up and described heaven and all its beauty, I hope to be part of a heavenly realm someday. The world seems to be out of course and unbalanced, so I know there must be something better. What bothers me the most is all these wars that we’re involved in as a country while many people at home lack food and shelter. People are steady fighting for rights and basic human dignity, things that were given to us freely before a governing body came to fruition. Judeo-Christian roots are embedded in Rastafarians because the tribe of Judah from which the word Judaeo comes from is a black Ethiopian-Semitic tribe and Christianity stems from the son of Mary who was from this Black Indigenous tribe. The problem is that another group of people have assumed this identity and currently this deception is being brought to light. The truth is an offense but it is important to remember that Cain was a murderer who was later became a vagabond because of his transgression. Colonialism is rooted in the spirit of a vagabond, piracy is alive and well but the people are resisting it. The world can’t seem to get away from tribal war as “Civilized” as we are. I use music therapy and a spliff to escape this realm often because everyday there is an escalation of war which brings me to the conclusion that vampires are alive and well.

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Greetings in the name of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie the first who is  the 225th descendant of King Solomon of the Bible. Jerusalem enjoyed 40 years of peace during the reign of King Solomon who was the son of King David who slayed Goliath the brute. David was the son of Jesse who was the son Obed whose father was Boaz. All the kings of Judah descended from King David and it is from this tribe that the law is administered. If there a governor, prime minister, president, mayor, or king that does not come from this tribe then that leader is illegitimate. It is written that our Lord sprang from Judah because the hearts of these persons make them qualified to take care of human beings who were created a little lower than the angels. Babylon was created for the day of Judgement of the wicked and it is said that not even the dog that pisses against the wall of Babylon shall escape this judgement. Rasta livity has everything to do with self reliance, this lifestyle is a form of protest towards the Crown of England and all the European powers that had a hand in slavery which decimated the inhabitants of Africa and the Caribbean. A Rastafarian is a modern day term for the word Nazarite, which is a person who takes the Nazarene Vow. Numbers chapter 6 speaks about this vow of separating oneself unto God. A principal part of this vow has to do with not cutting or combing your hair on your head or your face. All the men and women of renown in the Bible were Nazarites. So when Babylon ridicules us we know that the real issue is that it is a propaganda campaign to devalue our ancient glory. John the Baptist was Rastaman, Samson was Rastaman, King Solomon was a Rastaman and Jesus the Christ was also Rastaman. The Scribes and Pharisees said can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Jesus was from there. The same leaders will say can any good thing come out of Compton or Trenchtown? When we draw these parallels we can begin to understand that Christ was from a place that was perceived to be a bad neighborhood. This is something that many of us can relate to. Marijuana is only perceived to be a drug because of its medicinal qualities but mostly because it has the power to lift many poor people out of poverty. The outlawing of Marijuana in the Caribbean was used as a tool of oppression. When slavery was overthrown through many revolts the Crown wanted to keep us poor because we burned downed their cane fields. Haiti still pays a heavy price for these sorts of actions. 

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Obeah was used as weapon against our slave masters during slavery and over time its become more popular and acceptable for Caribbean people. I remember seeing seeing my Aunt’s friend puff a cigar and put the ashes into a wine glass with care and speak as if something from the spirit realm was communicating with her. I was a young boy during this time so I was scared and shocked at the same time. In the Dominican Republic where my parents are from  it’s called Santeria and I’ve heard many stories about people behaving like snakes slithering on the ground during these rituals. A lot of people in the Caribbean share the sentiment that Haiti is in perpetual disarray because of obeah. They say that they have opened doors to the spirit realm that are difficult to close. One time my step-father told me a story about working on a deceased persons grave, he was the one that poured the concrete over the casket to close it shut. A week later he told me he saw the deceased person walking, this was in the Dominican Republic which is across the river from Haiti. I remember the look of dread on his face as he told me this story and it always stuck with me. I know that  Obeah workings are real because I know that God created good and evil. In St.Thomas Obeah has become very popular, especially amongst the Rudeboys, they used it for protection and good fortune pertaining to money. I knew 2 people that used an Obeah for longevity in the Badman Trade and they died very horrible deaths because it is said that the Duppy will give you anything that you desire but it wants its repayment of said favors in blood and when you don’t deliver it will come for your blood. They say that there are effective Obeah workers and then you have Ms.Cleo’s for those who can remember her commercials. The Maroons in Jamaica used a lot of magic to confound and defeat the slavers. As Rastafarians we embrace suffering because we know that it’s nothing more than a refining of the spirit, so obeah is seen as cheating the process of who you are destined to become. In the Scriptures King Saul hired a medium and conjured up Samuel from the dead to ask him about his future as king and Samuel scolded him and told him to let him rest and trust in the Lord but he didn’t develop that sort of patience so he went on to be a hot tempered and unsuccessful leader of Israel. If it’s used for a good purpose I think it’s ok but back home I’ve only seen it be used for material gain that is usually ill gotten.

In the words of ODB I’d like to say that WU-TANG is for the children!  So I think that the Wu would fend fairly well in today’s world of mainstream hip hop because their message has always been consistent. They make music for people who love knowledge and you’ll always have those few who need to hear music that uplifts them. The party music and the trap music has its purpose but there’s nothing like listening to music that feeds your soul during your quiet time. Conscious hip hops success was never based on dividends but rather about reaching people and spreading awareness of self. I remember catching the 2 train to go 42nd street to buy Supreme Clientele by Ghostface aka Tony Starks. These albums were so highly anticipated because people  were yearning for more knowledge and hearing about the NYPD blues coming from Shaolin during those times was just so cathartic because they were a protest and these artist had the perfect platform to do it. Depending on where you lived you were going to be stopped and searched. It was mandatory that we go to the weed spot and blaze up before we listened to these albums just so we could get a heightened sense of this educational experience or church like we used to say. The day ended with watching the Box tv programming late at night and this brought everything full circle. IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW! what a time to be alive. 

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Hi, I once felt that curiosity of why black people were drawn towards islam and then I learned that there was great population of muslims in prison. I can only imagine what’s its like to be incarcerated and based on the stories I intend to keep it that way, but most importantly ive realized that in that suffering there is an opportunity to experience metamorphosis. when you take everything a person has in the outside world and place them in a cage you have no other choice but to surrender to blackness. the blackness of the first night when the lights go out, the blackness that you encounter when you close your eyes to pray and the blackness that you rest in when you go to sleep. I’ve read many stories about people that go into the blackness and come out refined as pure gold. the most impressive ones where Jonah in whale of the belly for 3 nights, and the Christ who fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and rose after dwelling in darkness for 3 nights. One would think there is something magical  about this blackness, are we not all evidence of that? we’ve dwelt in our mothers womb in 9 months of blackness and here we are. Or look at the way the stars dwell so comfortably in blackness night after night, there’s beauty in blackness.

In many instances history has taught us that violence is a necessary tool for freedom and decolonization. We usually reap what we sow and the violence that the oppressed endure is always a reaction to the violence we are met with. Within systems of systemic oppression there’s a lot of silent suffering that builds up over time and after your cup runs over you explode because reach your breaking point. In these systems you are not mentally or socially free. Oftentimes what makes these systems oppressive is the utter disregard for cultural values by the colonizer or the oppressor. The settler mentality is one that exalts itself over the native and many different negative traits take root which create ego maniacs. Within this delusion the idea of subjugation seems righteous within the settlers eyes and its only a matter of time before he or she has a crisis of conscience like the one that Bartolomew de las Casas experienced in Santo Domingo. I think that liberation can be achieved without human domination but it will take some form of checks and balances in order for us to stop ourselves from being consumed with the lust for power. Africa has had many successful Queendoms and Kingdoms prior to the Berlin Conference which was an invasion of European powers enforced through legalism. I think that an acknowledgment of these atrocities is a good step towards decolonization.

Living in Portland,Oregon oftentimes feels like I’m in permanent episode of Get Out that just won’t end. In this movie Chris which the main character is a victim of hypnosis by  a cult of white people who covet his black bodily parts for the sake of immortality. I thought this movie was interesting because they were cheating death. In the scriptures it says that we shall die once and then we shall be raised with our heavenly bodies and this requires the faith and patience that the field of science doesn’t have. The movie Matrix on the other hand is fascinating because in this motion picture that is based on the lives of Christ and John the Baptist. Morpheus portrays John the Baptist in the sense that he prepares the way for the Neo who portrays Christ. Morpheus decreases so the Neo could increase and this was the foundation of the relationship between John and Christ. In the movie the only way to escape the system was to renew your mind and become fearless. This was exemplified in the scriptures when Christ went to his death willingly and entered the blackness of his grave and rose with his immortal heavenly body. The scriptures says that the dead do not know that they are dead so for many of us when that time comes it might feel like we were only asleep for 3 days, who knows? The only way to escape the oppressor is to renew our minds and live the lives we love fearlessly.