WHEN MOST people think of Rastafari, the colours red, gold and green, Bob Marley or dreadlocks may come to mind. But the Rastafari movement is a deeper, African-centred spiritual and cultural way of life that has shaped Black British identity for decades.
Founded in Jamaica in the 1930s, Rastafari is an Abrahamic religion that reveres His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, the last Emperor of Ethiopia, as the Second Coming of Christ.
Early Rastafari teachings drew heavily on the philosophies of Jamaican Black nationalist Marcus Garvey, focusing on African divinity and liberation.
Dr Shawn Hailemariam Sobers, Professor of Cultural Practice at the University of the West of England and a Rastafarian for 35 years, says the movement’s influence on Black Britain is “huge and significant.”
“The influence of Rastafari goes beyond people that know of and accept His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie as the Second Coming,” he told The Voice.
“There is the cultural impact, as well as a much deeper and more theological impact.”
According to the 2021 Census, around 6,000 people in the UK identified as Rastafari. While not as widespread as in Jamaica or parts of the Caribbean, Dr Sobers argues the movement’s reach far exceeds formal numbers.
“Even the acceptance of the idea of a Black Jesus is now being taken as the norm. Rastafari has had a massive impact on that discourse,” he said.
“Many people today argue that Jesus and the Apostles were Black. They may not call themselves Rasta, but that conversation was often started by Rastafari.”
Special bond
Rastafari’s emphasis on African identity and resistance to Eurocentric norms has left a lasting cultural legacy.
Words like “Babylon,” “Zion,” and the use of familial terms like “King,” “Queen,” “Brother,” and “Sister” have seeped into Black British language and consciousness.
“I think certain concepts, particularly things like Babylon, even repatriation, Zion and thinking of the Motherland in terms of Africa, those sorts of terminologies have seeped much more into the wider understanding,” said Dr Sobers.
He also points to the wider impact of Rastafari’s natural lifestyle and Ital (plant-based) diet, long before veganism became mainstream.
“Rastafari were called crazy for eating Ital food, for talking about health benefits of marijuana, or being self-sufficient,” he said. “Time and time again, these things have been proven true.”
“Rastafari philosophy and way of life was ahead of its time — being close to nature, embracing our hair, loving the African aesthetic of beauty. These things are only hitting the mainstream now,” he added.
“People talk about decolonising now — Rasta has been decolonising since 1930.”
Rastafari’s link to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is also important. Dr Sobers, baptised into the Church in Ethiopia in 2023, says the faith of Emperor Haile Selassie helped bring Rastafari and the Church closer.
“Now the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has a very strong presence in the UK, within both the Ethiopian and Rastafari communities,” he said. “There’s much more communication between them, and that’s what His Majesty wanted.”
One key site of significance is Fairfield House in Bath, the residence of Haile Selassie during his exile from 1936 to 1940. “It’s a very significant site of pilgrimage for Rastafari worldwide,” Dr Sobers noted.
Spiritual Refuge
Legal activist and heritage researcher Sis Sheeba Levi-Stewart, based in south London, says Rastafari was a spiritual refuge for Caribbean families during the Windrush era.
“The Rastafari way of life brought a lot of comfort and strength, and a lot of familiarity for those of us who were born in the Caribbean and came here as youngsters,” she said. “It gave us oneness, togetherness and personal empowerment.”
The idea of repatriation — returning to Africa — is another enduring pillar of the faith.
“There are many Rastas on the continent now,” Levi-Stewart explained. “The influence has come directly from the Caribbean to Africa, but also from people in the UK who migrated there. We’ve always supported schools and projects and embraced our African family.”
Levi-Stewart says Rastafari differs from formal religion in that it’s more spiritual than dogmatic.
“Whereas religion preaches at people and demands something, the Rastafari levity gives strength. It helps one find the inner spiritual strength that we all have but don’t always tune into.”
As a young Jamaican woman, she connected with Rastafari through Black history. “Our natural heritage had been beaten out of us on the plantation,” she said.
Her personal journey reflects the shift in attitudes. “I grew up in Montego Bay. The Rastas were treated as Black heart man — outsiders. My family was Christian and anti-Rasta. But as a teenager I learned more and decided, this is it, this is the way forward.”
Continued relevance of Rastafari
Recent findings from the Black British Voices survey by The Voice and Cambridge University confirm Rastafari’s continued relevance. After Christianity and Islam, it was the third most mentioned faith among over 10,000 respondents.
And despite a past marked by marginalisation and discrimination, Rastafari is now embraced by many in the Black community. “Rastas are more respected now,” said Dr Sobers.
Now with third and fourth generation Rastafari families in Britain, the movement continues to inspire. Its teachings — on African pride, spirituality, environmental consciousness and unity — remain embedded in Black British life.
