Mythical Pasts: Ethiopianism as a Revitalization Movement :: essays papers

Mythical Pasts Ethiopianism as a Revitalization MovementThroughout history, identification with Ethiopian heritage has been a familiar concept to the Jamaicans who have suffered under slavery, colonialism and social oppression. This concept of Ethiopianism includes the appreciation of Ethiopias ancient civilization as well as its profound office in the Bible and world history. It has long been manifested in Jamaican culture as a means to identify with a glorious, righteous, and perhaps the earliest of only human civilization. Anthropologist Anthony F.C. Wallace has focused much of his research on the phenomena of Revitalization Movements throughout social history. He has recognized that such movements are characterized by a consistent process and can be defined as a deliberate, organized, conscious effort by members of a society to construct a more solid culture (Wallace 265). Considering the centuries of severe struggle amongst Jamaican society, from the inhumane conditions of sl avery to modern neocolonialism on the island, it seems evident as to why the revitalization of the Ethiopian homeland would be present in the culture and even accelerated within the Rastafarian Movement. Prominent leaders and the circumstances of the times have allowed Ethiopianism to flourish amongst the oppressed quite a little of Jamaica and gain popular recognition through the lyrics of reggae music. There is no doubt that this identification with historical Ethiopia has served as a Revitalization Movement for Rastafarians within Jamaican culture and society.It would be impossible to understand the Rastafarian connection to Ethiopianism without first exploring at least a brief history of this ancient civilization. This historical stalk in a thriving civilization is especially important to discover as Blacks have unjustifiably been regarded as uncivilized throughout the centuries. I apply that the following will prove that today, Africans all over the world are descendents of what was once a very highly developed civilization in what is straight Ethiopia. However, white populations have attempted throughout history to deny this fact. European scholars of the nineteenth century claimed that those who occupied the area in ancient times were non Negroes but Hamites this attempt was made in hope of scientifically proving that whites are the origin and basis of all civilization (Barrett 70). African descendents have suffered for centuries due to this de-negrification of Blacks and those mistake racial classifications assigned by Whites. The fact that the Ethiopian civilization was indeed a Black one is strongly supported with a quick sixth sense into ancient Hebrew language.