The First Rasta (2011)

This cultural history explores Rastafarianism beyond common perceptions of marijuana, reggae, and dreadlocks, revealing a complex movement and the story of a man who empowered enslaved people to embrace their culture. In the 1920s, Leonard Percival Howell and the First Rastas had a profound realization about the divinity of Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, which became the foundation for Rastafarianism, the 20th century's most influential mystical movement. Despite facing imprisonment, ridicule, and accusations of insanity, Howell, known as the Gong, built a community of 4,500 people and established the first agricultural business dedicated to marijuana production. By the late 1950s, the community had spread Rasta teachings throughout Jamaica's ghettos. A young singer named Bob Marley embraced Howell’s message, and through his music, reggae music gained international prominence.