Sam Brown (Rastafari)
Encyclopedia
Ras Sam Brown was a Jamaica
n Rastafari
elder well known in Kingston
for his politics
after he participated in the election
s of 1961 with his Suffering People's Party. He received fewer than 100 votes, yet by being the first rasta to ever stand for politics his influence has been greater than this statistic suggests, especially as at the time there was generalised feeling in the Rastafarian movement that Rastas do not vote. He had a 21 point plan. Some of his ideas were:
Leonard E Barrett in his 1977 book The Rastafarians includes an interview with Brown, who he describes as "one of the most complex personalities within the Rastafarian movemnt". He also provides extracts from Brown`s election campaign literature . Barrett refers to Brown`s political Party as the Black Man`s Party rather than The Suffering People`s Party, though he also quotes the party`s position that all were free to join regardless of colour. also included in his book is a photograph captioned "rare photograph of a Rastafarian political party symbol", depicting a group od Rastafarians (one of whom may be Brown)standing by a placard advertising Brown`s campaign.
In 1996 he became a roots reggae
singer and poet
with an album called History, Past and Present. Brown died while attending an international trade fair in Barbados
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n Rastafari
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
elder well known in Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
for his politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
after he participated in the election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s of 1961 with his Suffering People's Party. He received fewer than 100 votes, yet by being the first rasta to ever stand for politics his influence has been greater than this statistic suggests, especially as at the time there was generalised feeling in the Rastafarian movement that Rastas do not vote. He had a 21 point plan. Some of his ideas were:
- Members of the Rastafari movementRastafari movementThe Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
are an inseparable part of the black Jamaican people. - As such we cannot and do not proclaim any higher aims than the legitimate aims and aspiration of the black people of Jamaica.
- The Rastafarian Movement stands for freedom to its fullest sense and for the recovery of dignity, self-respect and sovereignty of the black people of Jamaica.
- The Rastafarian movement, for the furtherance of these ends, must have the backing and support to lead a political party of its own.
- The Rastafarian movement has the backing of no political party. We are the subject of persecution and discrimination.
- The Rastafarian movement therefore has decided to actively join the political struggle and create a political movement with the aim of taking power and implement measures for the upliftment of the poor and the oppressed.
- All men, therefore, are free, irrespective of colour to join this political crusade. The only condition is that he must abandon evil.
Leonard E Barrett in his 1977 book The Rastafarians includes an interview with Brown, who he describes as "one of the most complex personalities within the Rastafarian movemnt". He also provides extracts from Brown`s election campaign literature . Barrett refers to Brown`s political Party as the Black Man`s Party rather than The Suffering People`s Party, though he also quotes the party`s position that all were free to join regardless of colour. also included in his book is a photograph captioned "rare photograph of a Rastafarian political party symbol", depicting a group od Rastafarians (one of whom may be Brown)standing by a placard advertising Brown`s campaign.
In 1996 he became a roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
singer and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
with an album called History, Past and Present. Brown died while attending an international trade fair in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...