Jah Kingdom: Rastafarians, Tanzania, and Pan-Africanism in the Age of Decolonization

271 Pages·2017·19.18 MB·English

by  Monique A. Bedasse

Jah Kingdom
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Jah Kingdom
Rastafarians, Tanzania, and Pan- Africanism
in the Age of Decolonization
MONIQUE A. BEDASSE
The University of North Carolina Press Chapel Hill
© 2017 The University of North Carolina Press
All rights reserved
Set in Charis and Lato by Westchester Publishing Ser vices
Manufactured in the United States of Amer i ca
The University of North Carolina Press has been a member
of the Green Press Initiative since 2003.
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Bedasse, Monique A., author.
Title: Jah kingdom : Rastafarians, Tanzania, and pan- Africanism
in the age of decolonization / Monique A. Bedasse.
Description: Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina Press, [2017] |
 Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017004066 | ISBN 9781469633589 (cloth : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781469633596 (pbk : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781469633602 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Rastafarians— Tanzania. | Tanzania— History—1964– |
Blacks— Migrations.
Classification: LCC DT448.2 .B43 2017 | DDC 305.6/996760967809048— dc23
 LC rec ord available at https:// lccn . loc . gov / 2017004066
Cover illustration: Not Far Away by Ras Daniel Heartman, used courtesy of
Ato Roberts/Ras Daniel Heartman Estate.
Portions of this work were previously published in a dif fer ent form as
“To Set- Up Jah Kingdom: Joshua Mkhululi, Rastafarian Repatriation, and the
Black Radical Network in Tanzania,” Journal of Africana Religions 1, no. 3
(2013): 293–323. It is used here with the permission of Pennsylvania State
University Press.
Contents
Acknowl edgments, ix
Introduction, 1
Trodding Diaspora
1 Without Vision the People Perish, 20
The Divine, Regal, and Noble Afrikan Nation
2 Tanzania, 48
Site of Diaspora Aspiration
3 The Wages of Blackness, 78
Rastafari and the Politics of Pan- Africanism after Flag In de pen dence
4 Diasporic Dreams, African Nation- State Realities, 106
5 Sow in Tears, Reap in Joy, 135
Rastafarian Repatriation and the African Liberation Strug gle
6 Strange Bedfellows, 169
Rastafari, C. L. R. James, and the “Africa” in Pan- Africanism
Epilogue, 182
Notes, 191
Bibliography, 225
Index, 245
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Illustrations
Ras Daniel Heartman, Ras Ato Kidani Roberts, and Joshua Mkhululi, 124
Signature Rasta colors, 162
Trinity symbol, 163
Beyond reggae and “peace and love,” 164
Nyabingi drumming, Tanzania, 165
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Acknowl edgments
I could not have written this book without Ras Bupe Karudi, and I must be-
gin by thanking him for trusting me with a history he held sacred. The
stack of documents he so graciously delivered to me at the University of Dar
es Salaam in 2007 provided the foundation for this proj ect. He joined the
ancestors in May 2016 and will not see the published text, but it is my sin-
cere hope that he would have recognized himself and the history he helped
to make in its pages.
Joshua Mkhululi welcomed me into his home in Arusha, shared stories
of his journey, and gave me impor tant documents. I regret that he left this
earth in 2009, shortly after we met. My gratitude and re spect continue to
outlive him.
Special thanks to Ras Ato Kidani Roberts for responding to my numer-
ous calls and text messages whenever I needed to check random details
about his experience and that of his brilliant father, the late Ras Daniel
Heartman. His keen insights and assessment of the journey added rich tex-
ture to this book, and his wit made us fast friends. I also thank Iman Mani
for taking the time to talk to me and for sharing details of a very personal
experience.
Kisembo Karudi’s thoughts pushed me into new analytical spaces and her
unique perspective kept me on my toes. I am indebted to her for meeting
with me and for always responding to my questions about vari ous aspects
of her life. Her razor- sharp sense of humor and warmth quickly blurred the
lines between work and merriment.
My research in Tanzania would have been difficult without the many,
many acts of kindness and support from two special people who have
become good friends: I am indebted to Jotham “Gotta” Warioba and Wende
Mponzi. At the University of Dar es Salaam, I was fortunate to have the sup-
port of Kai Aldin Mutembei and F. E. M. K. Senkoro.
I am grateful to Peter Pinda for his kind spirit and for the ease with which
he spoke to me about his role in the repatriation. Thanks also to Joseph Bu-
tiku for talking to me about Nyerere, Jamaica, and pan- Africanism.