Rasta camp rejects ‘Emancipendence’ celebrations

When Jamaicans pause this Saturday to mark 188 years since the abolition of slavery and return next Thursday to celebrate 64 years of political independence from Britain, one community high in the Blue Mountains will stand apart from the national celebrations.
For nearly three decades, members of the Haile Selassie School of Vision have deliberately chosen not to participate in Jamaica’s Emancipation and Independence celebrations, arguing that the milestones do not represent true freedom for black people.
For them, freedom cannot be celebrated while the legacy of slavery remains unresolved.
“I cannot see emancipation without redress,” declared Priest Dermot Fagan, leader of the community located at Middleton, near Irish Town in St Andrew.
“We haven’t gotten an apology yet. We have not gotten any redress. So, how can I celebrate it?”
Perched in the hills above Kingston, the Rastafari community believes the national celebrations have become symbolic ceremonies that fail to address what they describe as centuries of injustice against the descendants of enslaved Africans.
Speaking with THE WEEKEND STAR from the heart of the community, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this October, Fagan argued that emancipation remains incomplete because it was never followed by reparations or a formal apology for the suffering caused by slavery.
“Over the years, my opinion was Independence and Emancipation lack the core actions of its meaning. I can never see Emancipation without getting something after 400 years. Not 40, but 400 years! We have worked in the west and we have not gotten an apology first to recognise the wickedness of enslavement.”
Emancipation Day, observed on August 1, commemorates the end of slavery in Jamaica and other British colonies. The day marks the abolition of slavery in 1834, although enslaved people in the colonies were subjected to a period of apprenticeship before full freedom was achieved in 1838.
But, for Fagan and members of the Haile Selassie School of Vision, the historical milestone represents only part of a larger struggle. They argue that, while legal slavery ended nearly two centuries ago, the economic and social consequences of that system continue to affect generations of black Jamaicans.
Fagan said the historical disadvantages faced by black Jamaicans cannot be separated from the conditions under which different groups arrived on the island.
“The Indians came in contractual agreement; the Chinese came as merchants [and] the white man cracked the whip. One man did the work, which was the African.”
He questioned why descendants of other immigrant groups have been able to advance economically while many black Jamaicans continue to struggle.
“You don’t see why the rest of them have developed? The black man get the gun, him killing himself because he has been operating at a disadvantage.”
The priest also challenged the meaning of Jamaica’s independence, arguing that the country cannot claim complete sovereignty while maintaining ties to the British monarchy.
“When I look at the word independence, to me, it means to be free. So our problem is, how can it be an independent nation while we are still retained by a governor general. The government here has a higher power than the prime minister, and that is the governor general of Jamaica, and he represents King Charles.”
While discussions about Jamaica becoming a republic have continued for years, Fagan said the pace of change has been unacceptable.
“After 400 years why have we not yet gotten anything? How long then shall we wait?” he questioned.
For the community, the decision not to participate in national celebrations is a statement of protest rather than a rejection of Jamaica itself. Instead of joining public festivities, members will continue their usual routine of worship, reflection and Bible study.
“Our people have been duped,” Fagan asserted. “What do you see the people do? Frolicking, enjoying themselves on Emancipation Day, but they have not sat down and scrutinised what Emancipation should mean.”
He said the Rastafari movement has long stood for reparations and repatriation, and insists he will continue to advocate for these things.
“I don’t advocate or encourage violence against any race, but we have not gotten an apology. We have not gotten a cent! We are still in bondage as an African in captivity.”