Coral Gardens incident

Last updated
Coral Gardens incident
Location Jamaica
DateApril 11 – 13, 1963
Target Rastafari followers
DeathsUnknown
VictimsEstimated as up to 150
PerpetratorsJamaican police

The Coral Gardens incident, also known as the Coral Gardens atrocities, the Coral Gardens massacre, the Coral Gardens riot, and Bad Friday refers to a series of events that occurred in Jamaica from April 11-13 1963. Following a violent altercation at a gas station in Montego Bay, Jamaican police and military forces detained Rastafarians throughout Jamaica, killing and torturing many. Exact numbers are not available, but estimates place the number of detained individuals "as high as 150".

Contents

In April 2017, following a legal investigation, the government of Jamaica issued an official apology, and condemned its own actions in the incident. It also established a trust fund to aid survivors harmed in the incident.

Background

The Rastafarian community in Jamaica in the late 1950s

The years prior to the Coral Gardens incident saw the building of tensions between the Rastafarian community and the British colonial government in Jamaica. In 1958, British police engaged in several arrests and evictions of Rastafarians, often bringing to bear charges for the possession of cannabis, which is used as a Rastafarian religious sacrament. Several of these incidents resulted in police killings of Rastafarians, and some of those arrested were reportedly never seen again. Due to alleged violence on the part of the Rastafarians and public discourse which emphasized "anti-social" aspects of the Rastafarian faith, public opinion in Jamaica largely sided with the police against the Rastafarians. [1]

In 1959, a confrontation between a Rastafari security guard and a policeman at Coronation Market resulted in the police beating the security guard, which prompted a violent response from nearby shop owners. The police brought reinforcements, arresting 57 Rastafarians and brutally beating and forcibly shaving the dreadlocks off of some of them. A police car and fire truck were also set on fire during this incident. Later that year, Rastafari leader Reverend Claudius Henry was accused of plotting a revolution and communicating with Fidel Castro. In 1960, Henry's son Reynold was arrested on the grounds of plotting a revolt, and following a declaration of a state of emergency Reynold Henry and his co-conspirators were executed. Following these events, the government began to arbitrarily arrest members of the Rastafari community, under the justification that Rastafarians were involved in orchestrating a communist revolution. [1]

In 1962, Jamaica was granted independence, but anti-Rastafarian sentiment continued to be prevalent in the government and police forces, which increasingly viewed the Rastafarians as a security threat. In police training schools, officers would often train using images of Rastafarians as target practice. This sentiment was echoed in general society as well, with Rastafarians often being beaten by civilians, forcing Rastafarians to avoid public spaces. [1]

The Coral Gardens property and Rudolph Franklyn

Coral Gardens was part of a larger property, the Rose Hall estate (which includes the Rose Hall mansion). This property was the site of both small-scale farming by Rastafarians, as well as the ambitions of landlords and government officials who hoped to convert the area into a tourist destination. The government and landlords saw the Rastafarians as an obstacle to their goal of re-purposing the property for tourism, and frequently sent police to evict the Rastafarians. [2] In one such incident in 1961, police attacked Rudolph Franklyn, shooting him six times in the stomach and leaving him for dead. Franklyn received plastic surgery in a hospital to repair his stomach, but was reportedly told by a doctor that once the plastic "rotted", his wounds would reopen and he would die. Following his surgery, Franklyn was immediately arrested on the grounds of cannabis possession and sentenced to six months in prison. After his release from prison, Franklyn reportedly swore to take revenge against the overseer who had attempted to evict him, Edward Fowler. [1]

The incident

The gas station

Accounts differ as to the specifics of what happened on April 11. According to police reports, a group of Rastafarians armed with spears, hatchets, and machetes set fire to a gas station as part of an attempted robbery. A skirmish resulted between the Rastafarians and the police who arrived at the gas station, resulting in the deaths of three Rastafarians, two policemen, and three civilians also on the scene. [1] A separate account, published in Public Opinion and supported by relatives of Rudolph Franklyn, as well as Syracuse professor Horace Campbell, asserts that the violence at the gas station was the result of previous conflicts between Franklyn and other Rastafarians in the area on one hand, and the police and property owners on the other. [2]

Further repression

Following the skirmish at the gas station, a police manhunt tracked down and killed the other Rastafarians that had been present at the skirmish. Jamaican newspapers such as The Daily Gleaner published many articles demonizing the Rastafarians and demanding armed intervention by the state. [2] Media also originally described the events at Coral Gardens as an "uprising", and were later forced to retract their characterization of the event by the Labour Party-led government. [1]

On 12 April, Good Friday, Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante gave an order to "Bring in all Rastas, dead or alive". [2] Police and military forces entered working class neighborhoods and Rastafari encampments to detain Rastafarians, and forcibly cut the dreadlocks of those who were detained. Many Rastafarians were tortured and killed, and the exact tally is unknown. [3] One estimate suggests that "as many as 150" individuals were detained over the following day. [4]

Legacy

Following the events of April 11-13, two narratives of the incident emerged. One view held that the events of the Good Friday weekend constituted an unlawful uprising by the Rastafarians; this view was supported by contemporary media reports of the events and the statements of government officials at the time. [2] [5] Meanwhile, the Rastafarian community in Jamaica held that the actions of Rudolph Franklyn and his compatriots were a justified reaction to decades of persecution by the government and perceived the mass arrests that followed as an abuse of state powers, a view that has been reflected by more recent academic scholarship. [2]

The event has been commemorated yearly by the Rastafarian community in Jamaica. [6] In 2011, a documentary film about the incident was released, titled Bad Friday: Rastafari After Coral Gardens . [3]

Government investigation and recognition

In 2015, Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry submitted a report to the Parliament of Jamaica detailing an investigation of the Coral Gardens incident, and recommending that the government provide financial reparations for the injuries, abuses and deaths caused by its actions against the Rastafarian community. [1]

In April 2017, the government of Jamaica issued a formal apology for the incident, taking responsibility "without equivocation" and stating that the incident "should never have happened". The government has established a trust fund of J$10 million (~$78,000 USD) for survivors as reparations for the incident. [6] The government also promised to recognize Pinnacle, Saint Catherine Parish, a site with historical relevance to the Rastafarian community, as a protected site under the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rastafari</span> Form of religious movement originated in Jamaica 1930s

Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of the movement and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as Rastafari, Rastafarians, or Rastas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreadlocks</span> Rope-like braiding hairstyle

Dreadlocks, also known as locs or dreads, are rope-like strands of hair formed by locking or braiding hair.

The Bobo Ashanti, also known as the Ethiopian African Black International Congress (EABIC), is a religious group originating in Bull Bay near Kingston, Jamaica. The title of Bobo Ashanti essentially means "Black warrior".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Bustamante</span> Jamaican politician and labour leader

Sir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante was a Jamaican politician and labour leader, who, in 1962, became the first prime minister of Jamaica.

Jamaican culture consists of the religion, norms, values, and lifestyle that define the people of Jamaica. The culture is mixed, with an ethnically diverse society, stemming from a history of inhabitants beginning with the original inhabitants of Jamaica [the tainos] The Spaniards originally brought slavery to Jamaica. Then they were overthrown by the English. Jamaica later gained emancipation on 1 August 1838, and independence from the British on 6 August 1962. Black slaves became the dominant cultural force as they suffered and resisted the harsh conditions of forced labour. After the abolition of slavery, Chinese and Indian migrants were transported to the island as indentured workers, bringing with them ideas from their country.

Leonard Percival Howell, also known as The Gong or G.G. Maragh, was a Jamaican religious figure. According to his biographer Hélène Lee, Howell was born into an Anglican family. He was one of the first preachers of the Rastafari movement, and is known by many as The First Rasta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shashamane</span> City in Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Shashamane is a town in southern Ethiopia. Located in the Oromia Region with a 2007 Census population of 100,454, but with an estimated 208,368 inhabitants in mid 2022; the town is known for its Rastafarian community. The resort of Wondo Genet lies near Shashamane, as does the Senkele Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mortimo St George "Kumi" Planno, was a renowned Rastafari elder, drummer and a follower of the back-to-Africa movement founded in the 1910s by Marcus Garvey. He is best known as the Rasta teacher and friend of Bob Marley, and as the man who commanded the respect of a chaotic crowd during the arrival of Emperor Haile Selassie on his visit to Jamaica in 1966. He is referred to by other Rastas as a teacher and a leader within the context of the faith, given his life's work.

Joseph Owens, S.J. is a Roman Catholic priest, social worker, and educator who has worked for many years in the Caribbean and Central America. He is the author of Dread, The Rastafarians of Jamaica (1974), written from 1970 to 1972 while working and living with members of the Rastafari movement in Kingston, Jamaica, during which period he discussed theological and philosophical issues with them in order to write a book examining their beliefs in relation to Judaism, Christianity and the Bible. In the book he attempts to allow the Rasta to explain their doctrines in their own words, examining all key doctrines in different chapters. The book is a rich and unique source of material about Rastafarian beliefs in the developmental stage of the religion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iyaric</span> Created dialect of English used by the Rastafari movement

Iyaric, also called Dread Talk, is a pseudo-dialect of English consciously created by members of the Rastafari movement. African languages were lost among Africans when they were taken into captivity as part of the slave trade, and adherents of Rastafari teachings believe that English is an imposed colonial language. Their remedy for this situation has been the creation of a modified vocabulary and dialect, reflecting a desire to take language forward and to confront what they see as the confusion of a corrupt and decadent society they call "Babylon". This is accomplished by avoiding sounds and words with negative connotations, such as "back", and changing them to positive ones. Iyaric sometimes also plays a liturgical role among Rastas, in addition to Amharic and Ge'ez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mansions of Rastafari</span>

Mansions of Rastafari is an umbrella term for the various groups of the Rastafari movement. Such groups include the Bobo Ashanti, the Niyabinghi, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and several smaller groups, including African Unity, Covenant Rastafari, Messianic Dreads and the Selassian Church. The term is taken from the Biblical verse in John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many mansions."

Grounation Day is an important Rastafari holy day, second only to Coronation Day. It is celebrated in honour of Haile Selassie's 1966 visit to Jamaica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Agnes Place</span> Demolished street in Kennington, south London

St Agnes Place was a squatted street in Kennington, south London, which resisted eviction orders for more than 30 years. When a number of derelict houses were scheduled for demolition to extend Kennington Park in 1969, squatters occupied the properties and a High Court injunction prevented the demolition. The street was run by a housing cooperative until 2005, when Lambeth London Borough Council obtained an eviction order. Demolition was completed in 2007.

The Rastafari Movement in the United States is the manifestation of the Rastafari Movement, founded in Jamaica, in the United States.

Persecution of members of the Rastafari movement, an Abrahamic religion founded in Jamaica in the early 1930s among Afro-Jamaican communities, has been fairly continuous since the movement began but nowadays is particularly concerning their spiritual use of cannabis.

Abuna Yesehaq, was a leader of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in the Western hemisphere.

Religion in Jamaica, according to the census of 2011, consists of a breakdown of 69% Christian.

Jamaican Ethiopians comprise Jamaican emigrants and expatriates residing in Ethiopia.

The Prohibited and Unlawful Societies and Associations Act, also known as The Dread Act, was a 1974 Dominica law that was designed to combat Rastafariansim.

The Rastafari movement developed out of the legacy of the Atlantic slave trade, in which over ten million Africans were enslaved and transported to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries. Once there, they were sold to European planters and forced to work on the plantations. Around a third of these transported Africans were relocated in the Caribbean, with under 700,000 being settled in Jamaica. In 1834, slavery in Jamaica was abolished after the British government passed the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. Racial prejudice nevertheless remained prevalent across Jamaican society. The overwhelming majority of Jamaica's legislative council was white throughout the 19th century, and those of African descent were treated as second-class citizens.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Rastas beaten, forcibly trimmed of their locks after Coral Gardens". Jamaica Observer . 15 December 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Campbell, Horace G. Coral Gardens 1963: The Rastafari and Jamaican Independence,Social and Economic Studies Archived 2020-10-11 at the Wayback Machine ; Mona Vol. 63, Iss. 1,  (2014): 197-214,234.
  3. 1 2 Hippolyte, Erin. "Bad Friday: Rastafari After Coral Gardens dir. by Deborah A. Thomas, John L. Jackson Jr. (review) Archived 2019-04-18 at the Wayback Machine ." African Studies Review, vol. 58 no. 1, 2015, pp. 279-281. Project MUSE,
  4. 1 2 D, Lena (9 April 2017). "Jamaican Government Issues Apology, Reparations for the 1963 Brutal Attack on Rastas". Atlanta Black Star. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "52 years after Coral Gardens public defender investigates one of Jamaica's bloodiest conflicts". Jamaica Observer . 14 December 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  6. 1 2 Frater, Adrian (29 March 2018). "Rastas To Commemorate Coral Gardens Incident". The Gleaner. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.