HAILE SELASSIE’S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JAMAICA Pt 2

              HAILE SELASSIE’S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JAMAICA                                                 By NZINGA NZINGA

♪♪The Lion of Judah shall break every chain

And give us some victory again and again.

The Conquering Lion shall break every chain

And give us some victory again and again.♪♪

PART 2

Where from Rasta?

Jamaica, an island in the Caribbean, ninety miles from Cuba, is the birthplace of Rasta, Rastafarianism and Reggae music. Rastafarians rejected as their monarch, the white monarchy, titular head and beneficiary of European imperialism, slave trade, colonialism, neo-colonialism jimcrowism and apartheid, direct cause of the oppression of black people. The fact that a black-as-tar man occupied Kings House, the British monarch’s Jamaican ‘cottage in the sun’, in their view, was not to be taken seriously. He bore the colonial titles, wore the hot elaborate bodily trappings and was accorded the homage due the post of governor-general. He was the British queen’s representative on the island, her black face card. He was a legacy of Whitehall’s wheeling and dealing, gerrymandering of, and wool-pulling over black people’s eyes for centuries. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all black people all of the time and so it was with Jamaica for this supposed dismantling of colonialism and ‘queendom’ did not fool the Rastas. How could they be when there are conspicuous signs of Buckingham Palace and Whitehall still manipulating the interests of the populace?


Jamaica, governmentally, was being misguided, mis-educated, misled and misinformed by its spiritual (Sadducees), political (Pharisees) and historian/intellectual gurus, including the media (Scribes) who do not read the Bible with understanding of whom they are and were, so they ignored the directives in the Holy Scriptures. They were listening to violins and pipe organs, to Handel and Beethoven and ignoring the ancestral and relevant drumbeat. Meanwhile, over to a certain group of black Jamaican people who were not afraid or ashamed to be black, who were not afraid to identify with Africa and to align themselves with their African kith and kin. Over to the Rastas who were not only feeling the drumbeat but were also beating the drum and reading the divine directive from Deuteronomy 17 quoted above and following God’s command. They chose one of their own, Haile Selassie, an Ethiopian, a bona fide African as their king.   

HIM’s triumphal entry into Jamaica (Jah-mek-ya) was an occasion for tears, for whatever reason, it is alleged, from HIM. HIM had more than ample time, scope and opportunity, not to mention Imperial Authority, to rebuke these undaunted social undesirables who came out in their multitudes everywhere He appeared or was likely to appear. No doubt many suffered great untold hardships just to get there for even a mere glimpse of that beloved countenance and tiny stature, hitherto known to them only through photographs. HIM was not unaware of how difficult it must have been for many of them, especially those who travelled terribly long distances from around the countryside. He had in His Kingdom of Ethiopia, experienced this loyalty and love in folks coming to pay homage in spite of their straitened circumstances. He told us in His Autobiography 1 about those poor Ethiopians who travelled far and wide to attend His father’s funeral rites.  We read again in Selected Speeches, of those who rushed, notwithstanding their poverty, to be with Him and His family when His son, the Duke of Harar, Prince Makonnen, died young. They had travelled, from near and far, from the thirteen regions of Ethiopia. His Majesty understood. Here are His own words:  


“Today, we have again sought to address you on this matter because of the increasing number of grief-stricken people who continue to follow from all the thirteen regions of Our Empire. Apart from those that come by train, bus and planes, there are those others who, situated in remote places, have had to travel by mule, on horseback and on foot. Although we are deeply touched by their expressions of loyalty and love, We are nonetheless concerned about the difficulties that they have had to encounter in reaching Addis Ababa to express their grief”….. Selected Speeches p.647.


So the Rastas journeyed from far and near, from all over the island, from the fourteen parishes of Jamaica, many encountering hardships, in order to greet their God and King. Yet, they never murmured. And not one of them would tarnish or hurt even one button of His immaculate uniform! Tall massive Dreads came to bow and pay tribute to the Conquering Lion of Judah. Elder Dreads and not so elder Dreads, young Dreads and not so young Dreads, toddling dreads and suckling Dreads, expectant Dread mothers with their burgeoning bellies of unborn Dreads, able bodied Dreads and disabled Dreads came to beam and glow in the presence of their King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of Judah, Elect of God and Light of this world. Rastas of every form, shape, size, complexion, altitude, width and depth from the length and breadth of Jamaica made up the multitude who risked being trampled on just to be in the same space, to breathe the same air as their Almighty Jah Rastafari, ever loving, ever living, ever true.  Selassie I!!!! Jah Rastafari!!!!


King David, HIM’s ancestor describes the experience thus in Psalm 34:5:

“They looked unto him and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed!” for: “Thy eyes shall see the King in his beauty …” - Isaiah 33 v 17

To be continued

All images are taken from the Internet and I claim no copyright.