White Rastas - can it happen?

[RAS KANA]

I have trouble some with the idea of white rastas.  do you think there can be true white rastas? 

[natural blacks]

I have a problem with most of them myself, but I believe there CAN be true white rastas yes, but they'd have to be submitting themselves to black consciousness; how many white people are truly ready to do that?

[RAS KANA]

many white people want to have the look of Rastafari and wan fe smoke herbs, but i would say that very few actually want to be black concious. ya know?  Most of them don't really know their own history.  I guess I'll change my question to " what is a white persons role in Rastafari be?  " Should they have as much a role in the Rasta movement as black people?  You can't really have a white person leading Rastafari, there has to be a black voice, for a black movement.  I think , ya know,  if you look at a lot of Reggae shows, and a lot of things that should be primarally for people of colour,   you see mostly white people involved in them.  I know of some very sprituall white people, some all dreaded up and everything.  I just can't help judge them when I see them, but I will try to get to know them, they way I want people to try and get to know me.

[Kai]

True Rasta knows no color..its about the unity and livity amongst Rasta people..I met a Rasta woman the other day (caucasion) and the vibes I got from her was so pure and radiant...some rastas (black) don't give off that vibes..so what is important the color of your skin or the merit of your heart.

[Jendayi]

To all that questions,

I think most people haven't yet realised that rasta has developed and come a long way. It is the fastest growing "religion" in the world, and that's excluding people with just locks (rascals). It shouldn't be suprising that people of other "races" would be interested in the rasta's way of living or ideology. I've met from Russian to even Chinese rastas. And ofcourse there are some white rascals that just have locks and call out Selasse, BUT so do many blacks. As far as the reggae concerts having a lot of whites, bredrin music has no color boundaries at all. ONe thing i do agree on is that everyone, BLACK AND WHITE should know about the black consciousness and struggle.

Leggo of dat babylonian mentality,

Jendayi

[RAS KANA]

Peace Jendayi

I-man overstand where your commin from.  Rastafari is for everyone, but I think those who aren't black or  non-white miss the whole concept of Jah being black.  or if they don't miss it they lessen the importance of it.  I-man appreaciate your reasoning.

bless

Ras Kana

[gman]

In my opinion, no, whites cannot be Rasta, but people classified as "white" can align themselves to those concepts of Rastafari which are universal (natural livity, equal rights and justice for all, etc) and be better people for it, and also possibly allies in the war against babylon. (I say POSSIBLY allies, cos really other than my blood family, I only know ONE white person who I know for a fact (from experience) would be ready to "throw down" longside me when it comes down to it.)
My dad is "white" (welsh), he has reasoned with many Rastas not just his son. He agrees with much of what they say but that doesn't mean he would ever consider himself "Rasta".
Another twist to the question: can middle-class and upper-class people (Black people) be true Rastas? If so, do you think they have to have contact with the ghetto first and learn from ghetto people before they can be considered "true Rastas"?

[RAS KANA]

naw
they don't havfa' be from the ghetto to be rasta.  i think they may have a tougher time seein' they poverty struggle and all.  but yea, for sho' there can be middle-class/ uper-class rastas. 

what do you think

kana

[gman]

I'm upper-middle class when it comes to Guyana, and lower-working class when it comes to UK and USA, so those categories are relative anyway.
On the African-Guyanese (and a pinch of Carib) side of my family, there are people who grew up "middle class", and "straight-up ghetto", and on the borderline between the two.
On the Celtic-Welsh side, it's straight working class people, but "white" though, so with far more privilege than "upper middle class" Black and brown people of Guyana. (Although the Welsh been through they own ish... not nearly as bad as the African though).
So you could say I straddle a lot of things, but I know I always got more wisdom from Black people than white. And I always got more wisdom from "ghetto" people than from "middle to upper class" people.

[afrikanrebel06]

the problem is with bob marley,which he was fraud,to begin with,with that one love thang smoking ganja,
when rastafarism was about being revolutionary,white rastas heavily subscribe to one love,and dope smoking
and they will neva submerge in to blackconsciousness,because they are not ready to un learn their racist behaviour,white people can still cut their locs and geta job in korporate amerika and korporate world and even if some of us,cut our locs we are still blacks no matter white rastas are part of the new age movement,they do everything because it is fashionable,they get into voudoun because it is fashionable and part of new age movement,they get into rastafarism because it is part of the new age movement, it has become like the falungong the chinese movement, new age,most supproter of the dhallai lama,dont know,he was working with the CIA, and thats the new age movement for yall, ands white hippies

[afrikanrebel06]

   whites,rheziku aryans,indo europeans,non melanated peoples,will be consumed by fire and those among
of our own who associates with dem will be burnt in the progress,thats the natural order,cana lion and gazelle live together,cana mouse anda cat live together, cana whale and fish live together,we are the hue manis,and as far as white rastas,they still will use their white skin privellege to get in to college,universities
airports,think about it!

[gman]

YO!!!
WATCH IT when you dissing the Hon. Robert Nesta Marley, man. You should really know whereof you speak. Bob Marley is not a "problem", Bob Marley is a transmitter of an eternal African irit and to many of we in the carry beyond (and elsewhere) when you dis Bob Marley, is like you personally dissing we. Peter is we, Bob is we, Jacob Killa Milla is we, Hugh Mundell is we, Prince Far I is we, Haile I Selassie I JAH RASTAFARI liveth and reigneth in IanIanI.
Dready got a job to do, and he's got to fulfill that mission
To see his hurt, will be their greatest ambition
But we will survive, in this world of competition
Cos no matta what they do, knotty keep on coming through
And no matta what they say, knotty be deh anyway
So ride knotty ride...
All and all you see a gwaan,
is to fight against the rastaman
and so they build their world in great confusion,
to force on us the devil's illusion
but the stone that the builder refuse
shall be the head cornerstone
and no matter what game they play, we got something they could never take away
we got something they could never take away...
and it's the fiya, the fiya
that's burning down everything
feel the fiya, fiya, only the birds have their wings....
no time to be deceived
[sisters and] brothers you should know, and not believe
JAH say this judgemant day could never be with wata,
 no wata can put out this fiya, this fiya...
oh ride knotty ride...
Now the fire's out of control,
panic in the city, wicked weeping for their gold
Everywhere, the fiya is burning,
Destroying and melting their gold
destroying and wasting their souls...
Oh ride knotty ride...
Now the people gather on the beach, and the "leaders" try to make a speech
But de dread again tell dem that it's too late, fiya is burning, man pull your own weight...
Oh ride knotty ride
Riding through the storm
Riding through the calm
(go deh, go deh)
Oh ride knotty ride.
-the Hon. Robert Nesta Marley
Afrikanrebel06, is you from the favelas irmao, if so, just know that Bob represents the favelas of Jamaica and the carry beyond and beyond, and those REAL REVOLUTIONARIES who PERSONALLY KNOW man like Bob Marley (there's a bredren on Rastafari Speaks who knew Bob from Bob was in his early teens) might very well take GREAT OFFENSE at such casual, misinformed and disrespectful mention of the man.
If you look through the posts of Baba Ras Marcus on Rastafari Speaks, you will find an explanation of what is the phrase "One Black Love/ One Love" and what it mean and where it come from.
PS I got your other message, I'll send ya the awol cd in a week or so.

[afrikanrebel06]

 truly gman, i think the wailers as one friend of mine told me here in toronto,built marley, peter tosh was more conscious than bob marley,peter tosh said" mo matter where you from,if you are blackman,you are an afrikan" secondly,i have seena documentary,with bob marley,holding hands with both parties,whereas peter tosh was more hard core,than bob marley,bob marley wasa product of chris blackwell,it was funny watch ythis documentary,because DAVID HINES,from steel pulse,one of the bands that i like never mentioned about PETER TOSH.
the wailers gave him more prominence and taught him,i have talked to people that knew both and walked with both. think why bob marley is more commercialized than peter tosh and why he appeals for white hippies, and why Peter tosh,didnt get much publicity as bob marley did,this is powerful line right here
" no matter where you come from,if you are blackman,you are an afrikan"
do you really thinkgman,that white rastas and white people alike want to hear that,come on now,brother,you know,people want music that says" we are the world,so let start giving" they dont want music that promotes cutlural pride,the thing i see,is that bob marley appeals for all white hippies and peter tosh to the most conscious afrikan people,to have black consciousness,we dont necessarily need to be rastas,like peter tosh said" no matter where you from,if you area blackman,you are an afrikan"

[gman]

Funny how Bob Marley is so popular in places like Trenchtown, Jamaica and Buxton, Guyana. Places where white hippies tend to be notably absent.
Bob Marley wasn't no "fraud". That is a disrespect to one of our great freedom fighters who is in the realm of the ancestors now.
I suggest you read the interview that Mumia Abu-Jamal did with Bob Marley (before Mumia's frame up and incarceration). Google it.

[gman]

PS I have lived in areas with high white hippy populations, and Peter Tosh (RRRRRRRRRRRRRASPEK!!!) was certainly popular amongst them. "LegalIIIIIIIIIIIZe it..." they'll sing along with that every time. Hell, they'll sing along to "I'm an African", word for word (LOF'inL).
Personally, though, while I don't consider every single person who is categorized as a "white hippy" to be the devil incarnate, or a member of an extraterrestrial race, my personal musical tastes are not dictated  by what white hippies may find popular or unpopular, at any given time.
I just like GREAT MUSIC. And what I like even better is GREAT MUSIC with a GREAT MESSAGE. And Peter Tosh, Hugh Mundell, Bob Marley, Prince Far I, Puma Jones, Roland Alphonso, Desmond Dekker and a whole heap ah people who are no longer here physically with us... certainly provided us with both ah those... for which I thankh ALLA DEM.
PS "Bob Marley was a creation of chris blackwell"... PLEASE APOLOGISE FOR THIS STATEMENT ASAP. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.