A group of San Quentin prisoners celebrated the coronation of the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I with a banquet and religious tribute.
Six belief groups called “mansions” from San Quentin’s Rastafari community participated in the March 9 event.“It was a great day, said Christopher Bell, also known as Ras Jahraiel.
“It was a spiritual day of remembrance, for all Rastafari. The celebration of Emperor Selassie’s coronation means so much, and we’re happy we could have it,” he added.
Born a Rastafari, Bell’s mother is from the mansion of Beta Israelites and his father is from Bobo Ashanti.
“Like in any religion or way of life, for instance Judaism, Islam or Christianity, you have many different schools of belief,” he said. “The three most prominent mansions of Rastafari are the Nyahbinghi, the Bobo Ashanti, and the Twelve Tribes of Israel.”
Bell said the Rastafari are a relatively new community. The community started with the assistance of the Jewish Chaplain Carole Hyman.
Haile Selassie I was Emperor of Ethiopia for decades. He was crowned Nov. 2, 1930 and was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. For the Rastafari community, his coronation is a time to reflect on his teachings.
“This a belated coronation celebration,” said Bell a resident of San Quentin for the last three years.
Thomas Blanks Bongo known as Ras Jahzeal Tafari said it has been very pleasing here in San Quentin and the administration here has gone above and beyond to assist them.
Rastafari are governed under the Christian Church because of the bloodline of Haile Selessie ascending from Kind David, according to Ras Jahzeal.
“The whole purpose of why we wear dreadlocks,” said Jahzeal. “Is in accordance with the Nazarene, it’s explained in Numbers 6:5 the King James version in Nazarene.”
Jahzeal said one of the misconceptions about the belief of Rastafari is Bob Marley and smoking weed. That could be no further from the truth.
“Western society has indoctrinated the western hemisphere with the belief that all Rastafari is based on is smoking weed,” Jahzeal said. “Bob Marley was singing about love, peace and basic human rights.”
“We see Haile Selassie I as being principled and noble, worthy of our worship,” said Bell. “Today we look at him as the second advent of the Messiah. For instance, our Christians brothers look at Jesus as the Messiah. We look at Haile Selessie I as the Messiah.”
Many different Rastafari were at San Quentin’s coronation event, Bell said. Some believe in Christianity, and others believe in the Law of Moses.
“The purpose of the Rastafari brethren here at San Quentin is to bring awareness and education in its appropriate frame,” Jahzeal said. “Because Rastafari from creation has been to the glorification to our creator JAH RASTAFARI.”