Politics, Dreadlocks And Access to Education

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“Don’t give up the fight, Stand up for your rights.”- Bob Marley

How many of you have ever heard of the country Malawi? Malawi is located in southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and west. The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name of the Nyanja people who first inhabited the area. Recently, Malawi made the news after the courts upheld that Rastafarianism is a religion and ruled that banning dreadlocks, a Rasta religious symbol is unconstitutional. Many Rastafarians believes Selassie was a prophet descended from the biblical King Solomon, sent by God to liberate black Africans from colonialism.  Interestingly, Rastafarianism developed in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1920s and 1930s. This period in history was characterized by great poverty, depression, and racism and class discrimination. During this time the Rastafarians developed a distinctive style of language, hairstyle, art and music, especially through the music of Reggae music. The Rasta message of black pride, freedom from oppression, and the hope of return to the African homeland was gratefully received. Perhaps Bob Marley and the Wailers are Reggae’s most famous ambassadors. This famous reggae group is often referred to as the face of Rastafari in the Jamaica. The Rastafarian belief has been heavily influenced by African tradition and culture as well as the Bible. The Rastafarian movement began with the teachings of Marcus Garvey, who is one of Jamaica’s national heroes (1887-1940), led a "Back to Africa" movement. Garvey taught that Africans are the true Israelites and have been exiled to Jamaica and other parts of the world as divine punishment. Garvey encouraged pride in being black and worked to reverse the mindset of inferiority that centuries of enslavement had ingrained on the minds of blacks. The ban on dreadlocks is widely seen as an attack on black identity and cultural expression.  Despite Rastafarianism's enthusiasm for Africa, it has not always been treated kindly by African governments. Rastas have faced persecution, even in their revered Ethiopia, and their use of marijuana used as a pretext to lock them up. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. The document was drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world. The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948. It should be noted that Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights speaks clearly on the Right to an Education. It states, everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. It is rather interesting that although Jamaica is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and given that Jamaica is also recognized as the birthplace of Rastafarianism children who have sported dreadlocks have had challenges in the past being admitted to school. In fact there is currently a court case involving a primary aged school girl who attends Kensington Primary School in the parish of St. Catherine; her parents were told they would have to remove her dreadlocks before their daughter could begin attending and they refused. The ruling on the matter is anxiously anticipated. Undoubtedly this judgement will have national implications on whether public schools can ban students for having dreadlocks. If it is that the State agrees that education is a human right then all children regardless of their religious beliefs should be allowed in public schools. In the words of Marcus Garvey, emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.  

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com

@WayneCamo



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