Meaning
The Jamaican spiritual movement, born in the 1930s, that reveres Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia as the returned Messiah and Jah made manifest. It teaches Black pride, repatriation to Africa, natural livity and resistance to Babylon, and gave the world reggae as its main voice.
Examples
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Him grow up inna di Rastafari faith.
He grew up in the Rastafari faith.
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Rastafari teach love an African redemption.
Rastafari teaches love and African redemption.
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She a true daughter of Rastafari.
She is a true daughter of Rastafari.
Origin
From 'Ras Tafari Makonnen', the name and title (Ras meaning duke or head) of Haile Selassie I before his 1930 coronation. Followers took his pre-coronation name for the movement built around him.
How it’s used
Many adherents prefer 'Rastafari' over 'Rastafarianism', rejecting the '-ism' as a Babylon label. 'Rasta' is the everyday short form.