More Than We Know

If you know me well enough, you must have noticed that I’ve never stuck to a certain hairstyle. I’ve gone from buzzcut to Afro, and then Afro to buzzcut!

It’s been about 2 years since my last haircut, since then it has gone through a lot of “awkward” phases. I had completely buzzed it at the beginning to start off fresh and after a couple months my curls began to slowly come back. It was really ugly… Fast forward 10 months, I was rocking a “David Luiz style” besides the six pack, the soccer skills and the facial hair… We can scratch off the facial hair! Luiz wasn’t fooling anyone. Obviously the ladies were going crazy, excuse me, ***are going crazy***. I was young and wild! Fast forward 6 more months and the curls began to get longer and thicker… They slowly transitioned from standing curls to heavy falling locks.

Im a dread. What does it mean to be a dread? What’s a “Rasta”? How does one grow dreads?

My hair is naturally curly and the curls get kind of rough. My hair started dreading on its own, in which I felt was very odd. Soon I understood the responsibilities of having dreads and I don’t mean how to treat them. Having dreads is not just a hairstyle, it’s a lifestyle. Having dreads, being a Rasta, there’s much more to it.

RASTAFARITE

Allow me to explain the meaning of that word. Ras-Tafarite, “Ras” which translates from the Hebrew word Rosh (ראש‎, “head” or “leader”). Tafarite: Tiferet (“Beauty”, Hebrew: תִּפְאֶרֶת). Put it together, comes out “The Head Of Beauty”.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

The few responsibilities consist of no drinking of alcohol, no eating of red meat and of course to be in tune with G-d. I don’t drink, nor do I consume red meat. Doing this consists of keeping my body clean at all times.

Haille Selassie I

The king of Ethiopia Haille Selassie I had built his empire, Crowned prince and regent of the Ethiopian Empire. Representing equal rights amongst everyone in order to only have peace. Some saw him as leader, others thought of him as a prophet.

John F Kennedy’s visitor

October 1, 1963

Kennedy’s in office(not for too long) and is welcomed by the peaceful presence of Haille Selassie I. The two take time to speak about certain aspects on world peace economic progress concerning the African continent, Kennedy had addressed his full support on the problems Africa suffer from.

What is a prophet?

“a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.” That’s according to Wikipedia. As I asked my older brother what his own definition of it, he answered me with “ someone that prophesies something and it comes true, sort of like a messenger from G-d.” Little did I know it would start a loud argument between the rest of my family.

“I and I don’t deal with violence. I and I is peaceful Rasta man. I don’t steal, cheat. That’s it. I man serve—Selassie-I-continually. No matter what the weak heart say—I and I is like a tree plant, by the river of water. Not even the dogs of Babylon—shall escape this judgement. All of the youth shall witness the day that Babylon shall fall.

⁃ Leroy Horsemouth Wallace