THE month of February is that time of year when the United States of America and Canada commemorate the accomplishment of persons of African descent through ‘Black History Month’.Here in Guyana, the Rastafarian community believes that this western tradition should be emulated, as it would better help to highlight the history and work of the country’s African ancestors.
“Just as the month of September is acknowledged as Amerindian Heritage Month, then February should be recognised as a month to honour our African Heritage; something should be done to give the same weight to the efforts of our African ancestors,” says General Secretary of the Guyana Rastafari Council, Ras Khafra.
It is in this regard that the Council has sought to host a number of symposia at the University of Guyana, aimed at focusing on African Heritage and the Caribbean Revolution.
The meetings, which began on February 1, are being hosted in collaboration with the African Studies and Research Group of the University of Guyana, and cover topics such as the History of the Caribbean Revolution; the Relevance of Cultural Policy to the Caribbean Revolution; Local Reparations and Implications for Social Cohesion; and Global Marijuana Decriminalisation and Guyana’s Indifference.
Each event features lectures from experts in the different areas, including representatives from the Black Consciousness Movement, the Guyana Rastafari Council, and the University of the West Indies.
THE GENESIS
The idea for having this commemorative event stemmed from a visit from a Jamaican activist who shared with the Council the idea of Reggae Revival, a movement formed by a group of Jamaican artistes aimed at repopularising the genre. “When we heard of the Reggae Revival, the Council saw that African culture seems to have been forgotten throughout the Caribbean by the younger generation; there is a gap. So we decided to have the Symposia under the theme, ‘Reviving Caribbean Revolution in the 21st Century’,” Ras Khafra said.
He noted that culture is one of the most pivotal parts of human life, and that without it, a man cannot find his way. “A man is his culture, and his culture is his identity. And identity is central to a healthy personality.
“Culture deals with every aspect of living, and how it is passed on from one generation to the other provides a link to the past,” he said, adding:
“African people were put in a position where they internalised an inferiority complex; and that is because they were told that they and their ancestors haven’t contributed to civilisation; that they are less than human or not worthy of recognition.
“So, for us, knowing your heritage, which is a part of culture, is important.”
Aspects of culture also provide a medium for helping to deal with day to day difficulties, he believes, and music, craft and other parts of culture within Rastafarianism are seen to have those values as well.
“Rastafarian culture values independence, farming and creativity; and those are values that have positives in this time,” Ras Khafra said.
“With music, that captures our feelings as a people. It is also central to African tradition; it provides hope to people through difficult times; it bridges divides and gaps.
“Craft can do the same thing, so these are the things we want to revitalise for young people,” he added.
MEANS OF WORSHIP
And while these symposia are geared at touching on aspects of African culture on a whole, some focus is still placed on the decriminalisation of marijuana.
The local Rastafarian Community has, for years, advocated for this to be done in Guyana, as marijuana use is considered a means of worship for the Rastafarians.
“The whole process of a Caribbean revolution, which is a cultural revolution, has not been without its opposition,” he said.

“The present context we are operating in is what the UN is calling the International Decade for People of African Descent, where it mandates governments to remove laws and other statutes that exist that create inequality when it comes to the African community.
“This is one such issue, and we feel that the Government of Guyana has not responded favourably to the issue. We managed to obtain public indications of interest to do something about the situation, but we have seen a kind of reneging so far on their part, so we decided to make this year one in which we step up our activism in order to get some response.”
SOME ADVOCACY
He said that the Council is pleased to see some advocacy in some areas, and highlighted the work of Attorney-at-Law, Mr Nigel Hughes and AFC Parliamentarian, Mr Michael Carrington, who have both contributed to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2015, which proposes lighter sentencing  for possession of marijuana.
“We were a bit apprehensive, because we were not consulted in the entire process. We felt that they were just trying to deal with this issue and ignore major stakeholders like the Rastafarian community, so we decided to have that discussion at the symposium,” Ras Khafra said.
He, however, noted that the issue of inequality goes beyond the use of marijuana. “There was a time when African drums were outlawed; different things existed to impede the forward movement of the African community.
“So, even though marijuana speaks to our community, it is broader than that; we represent blackness, and there has always been a fight against that,” he said.

Meanwhile Ras Khafra said that the Rastafarian Community is proud to hold the Symposia in honour of Black History Month, and hopes that the Government signs on to making the observance an official one.
And though the observance of the month has come under criticism for focusing primarily on one race, he believes that as a minority group, focusing on African heritage would always serve as beneficial to the morale of people of African descent.
“I think Black History Month provides an opportunity for us to share with people certain aspects of our culture and history that are not mainstream, because you don’t learn it in school,” he said.