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"Dread philosopher: Leonard P Howell"
by Louis EA Moyston - Jamaica Observer

This article was originally published on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 and is property of the
"Jamaica Observer" dayly newspaper, Kingston, Jamaica, W.I.

If one accepts the philosophical properties of Rastafari, then one must accept its philosopher and the
origin of philosophy. There are many who speak of Rastafari and its philosophy without ever bothering to
recognise the dread philosopher, Leonard P Howell. Many adherents to the Rastafari movement are so lost
in the Bible that they are not aware of this philosopher and the origins of the philosophy. However, the
Rastafari Centralisation Organisation and a few others have been, since lately, expressing new-found
appreciation and honour to this great personality. I say great because Howell's contribution to Jamaica
and world history is of no minor importance.

A few years ago, I was distributing fliers at a football match regarding an Emancipation Day celebrating
the life and times of LP Howell. As I gave one youth, who claims Rastafari, he looked up and said, "A wha
dis? Di man no have di fullness?" I patiently replied, "You are looking at the fullness." It seems to me
that there is a problem in this country, across the board, in having Jamaicans celebrating Jamaica and
things Jamaican. It appears that "the absentee" mentality has not left us even after Emancipation and
Independence. I wonder, if Time magazine and the BBC did not accord Bob Marley with those accolades at the
turn of this new era, I am not sure if those billboards and radio recognitions in this country would have
been in place. It is full time we begin to learn more about ourselves and celebrate our history and culture.

Howell's moment of enlightenment came in the early 1930s. Evidence of this is present in the 1934 treatise
he presented to the court in Morant Bay 1934. According to Howell, the emergence of the doctrine provides
Rastafari with a basis to distinguish between falsehood and the truth. Recognising the wretchedness of the
immediate history and the condition of the 1930s, he preached a doctrine that went beyond the quest for
miraculous solution. In recognising this wretchedness of the ex-slaves' existence, he instructed that solution
to the black man's problem has to come from the black man himself. It was on this basis that he extended his
moment of enlightenment to others in his rural meeting in St Thomas, from east to west. The peasants,
primarily, expressed the desire for this transformation. It was with this dread philosophy that Howell
presented to them as an instrument to debrief the ex-slaves from their wretched existence. This "dreadful"
freedom was embraced by Rastafarians to confront his meaningless existence. The dread philosophy exposed the
loss created by recent slave history and highlights the "nothingness" with regards to being a member of
colonial Jamaica and the British Commonwealth.

By 1934 the "dread" thinking became a way of life, at least in St Thomas. It generated a mood to return to
the past or to the source to redefine the present. The dread philosophy encouraged black man's awareness of
self and his recognition of his authenticity as an equal participant in this global community. When the
"dread" transformation of the peasants began to mushroom, Howell was arrested on a charge of sedition.
He was tried and thrown into prison for doing the right thing.

While in prison the movement grew leaps and bounds. On his return, he led the establishment of the
Ethiopian Salvation Society. The latter was the economic and benevolent framework within which the movement
would develop programmes of self-reliance leading to self-responsibility. It was not about esteem and
miracles; it was about consciousness of self and the operationalisation of this consciousness into
productive endeavours.

SEDITION was a charge developed by white supremacy to protect its legitimacy. It was during my recent research
and study of South Africa that I grasped the full power and meaning of this legal instrument. This law was
often backed up by state terrorism in the real sense against Rastafarians. Yes, the evidence of state
sponsored terrorism against Rastafari in this country is glaring.

It began in 1934, continued throughout the forties and came to a high point in 1954 with the raid that
destroyed Pinnacle and during and after the Coral Gardens incident in the early 1960s. Some speak of the
"Back-o-wall" experience and constant harassment of Rastas up to the 1970s when this approach receded. What
emerged as a street movement in St Thomas in the early thirties has grown into a movement that is universal.
Many in this country celebrate Rasta. Many locals and foreigners write about the subject and fail to recognise
or fail to give proper recognition to this great contribution and significant person.

I find it puzzling that many Jamaicans, across the board, think it difficult to celebrate the idea of Jamaica
and or things Jamaican. Take Emancipation Day, for example, many in the ex-slave society think it is not a
worthy celebration. How do we celebrate Independence and other most important dates? Compare this with
carnival that is not Jamaican, or even Kwaanza and Black History Month. Examine the effort in preparation
for carnival, the pre-shows, the media activities and the excessive passion displayed in the streets. Once
those very same people complained about vulgarity and the dancehall. Now they are out in the street with
much of what is downright nastiness. It is a celebration of the devil. I am not an insular person regarding
other cultures, but I am a Jamaican before anything else. In the past many were satisfied to be second-class
Americans while today we mimic African American, culture as if we are second-class black Americans. During
what is called Black History Month it is ridiculous to watch the "conscious" ones don kente cloth or listen
to them on the radio deep into African American heroes and history as if it belongs to us. It is so hard for
us to be ourselves.

On June 16, we marked another anniversary of Howell's birth. On this occasion, tribute is paid to this son
of Jamaica from Crooked River, Clarendon. He was arrested, abused, vilified and discarded but these obstacles
did not stop the movement from its basic course. We have not begun to examine the relevance and power or
worth of this idea, this movement and the man as they relate to the history of Jamaica and the world. There
is the history of Ethiopia, and the myths and history surrounding the Bible and, yes, there is the history
of Howell and Jamaica. They are most important pillars in understanding and developing an appreciation
for Rastafari. There are so many prophets today, so many high priests and messengers all declaring power
unto themselves as if they are the centre of this idea and movement. It would be unfortunate for some whites
to give recognition to this man we followed with his pictures on the billboards and salutations over the
radio. Now more than ever, we should be thinking and celebrating things Jamaican.

On Saturday, June 16, some members of the Rastafarian community, led by Jah Lion from St Catherine, celebrated
Howell's anniversary at Pinnacle, Sligoville. When I stood on Pinnacle, I understood why Howell went there.
Indeed, the "bird that flies highest sees the farthest".