Date: Thursday 19^th April 2018

Time: 5pm-8pm

Admission: $25.00

Venue: Old Fire Station, Corner Hart & Abercromby Streets, Port of Spain

While the emergence of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica occurred within the context of British imperial rule, the emergence of Rasta identity in Trinidad and Tobago happened in the post-independence period. The subsequent explosion of Rasta identity came after the initial 1970 Black Power uprising. After the state repression of the uprising, Afro hairstyles began to give way to dreadlocks as Rasta symbols and ideas spread through the Caribbean. Despite state repression and social hostilities, the Rasta movement has made sustained contributions to the environment, indigenous knowledge, Calypso, steelpan and national culture that have largely gone unrecognised. This presentation examines the circumstances of the origins of Trinbagonian Rasta identity, highlighting its unique aspects, towards an appreciation of the movement as an important part of our national and Caribbean heritage.