Honouring Rasta women
ON what could be described as the International Women’s Day for Rastafarians, the Rastafari Youth Initiative Council (RYIC), as it has been doing for the past five years, once again honoured 13 matriarchs of the faith, one posthumously.
The affair, in celebration of Empress Menen’s 129 Earthlight (birthday), was recently held at the Twelve Tribes of Israel Headquarters, 83 Hope Road in St Andrew.
Empress Menen Asfaw, baptismal name Wolete Giyorgis, was the wife of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. They were both crowned on Sunday, November 2, 1930, as King of Kings and Queen of Queens respectively.
The 2012 recipients of the Empress Menen’s Award were Empresses Babara Davis Asher, Ivy ‘Ndambi’ Redwood, Mitzie Tafari, Aisha Marcia Elliot, Joan Makada Kinnana, Black Starliner, Haile Mariam, Ivey Lynn Harris, Herma Wright Zebulun, Lenoria Wolfe, Melinda Williams and Wollete Miriam. Mama Earth, who now lives in Ethiopia, was absent and Irene ‘Sistren’ Belardo, a member of the RYIC who passed away recently, was honoured posthumously.
Her Majesty’s exemplary characteristics inspired the local youth arm of the Rastafari movement to pay tribute to 13 matriarchs on her special day each year. The honourees are empresses from different mansions (Rasta organisations) who have served the Rastafari community for over 30 years.
Empress Barbara Davis Asher is among the pioneers in the Rastafari Community who ran her own restaurant. This she did in the 1970s at the corner of Conrad Lane and North Street until it was raided by the police and the property extensively destroyed in 1974.
Empress Ndambi (Ivy Redwood), graduated from UTech as a baking technologist. She and her kingman (Clive Redwood) currently own and operate Anu Vibes Limited, producing healthy plant-based whole grain products such as vegan burgers, buns and juice-sweetened pastries with no sugar added. The business employs young mothers from the August Town community. Among her charitable works is an ongoing school feeding programme at the Rastafari Ahma Selassie Basic School on Oxford Road in Kingston.
Empress Joan is a midwife and a herbal healer specialising in the healing properties of plants. She makes and distributes her personal line of roots wines and herbal medicines for the digestive system and female reproductive organs.
Empress Black Starliner, born in the parish of St Thomas, is a descendant of Paul Bogle. She is also is a practitioner of natural medicines and tonics which she makes from the Morenga plant, calabash and other herbs. In addition she into skill crafts and makes an array of products including clothes, shoes, slippers, bags and bowls.
Empress Wolete Miriam attended the News Shaw General Hospital Nursing School in Liverpool, England from which she graduated as a practical nurse in 1969. Empress Ivelyn Harris was born in the Windward Maroon Community nestled between the Blue and John Crow mountains. As a maroon she also practices herbal healing and authored the book Healing Herbs of Jamaica. She also co-authored Common Medicinal Plants of Portland. She is mainly responsible for the development of the eco-tourism industry of the Windward Maroons. She is owner/operator of Nanny of the Maroons Traditional Craft and was the co-coordinator of the Mooretown Skill Training Centre which taught in the community to make craft and drums. She has been awarded three times by the Jamaica Business Development Corporation’s Kumba Mi Yabba.
The 2012 recipients of the Empress Menen’s Award were Empresses Babara Davis Asher, Ivy ‘Ndambi’ Redwood, Mitzie Tafari, Aisha Marcia Elliot, Joan Makada Kinnana, Black Starliner, Haile Mariam, Ivey Lynn Harris, Herma Wright Zebulun, Lenoria Wolfe, Melinda Williams and Wollete Miriam. Mama Earth, who now lives in Ethiopia, was absent and Irene ‘Sistren’ Belardo, a member of the RYIC who passed away recently, was honoured posthumously.
