Do the Rasta!!!

For diehard Rastafarians, the fall of Babylon means the fall of the New Roman Empire--America--suggesting that greed, corruption and police state will be forced to make way for simplicity, transparency and spiritual awakening from religious indoctrination. With our nation's economics going asunder, along with Bush and other white collar criminals having betrayed their own, it should be obvious we've gone so far out into capitalism--all for self--that there's no other choice now but for us to DO THE RASTA! An entirely different kind of dance that involves going back to the basics and remembering what our grandmothers used to do when trying to get honor and everyday survival to meet--

Sell the bling truck for more metro cards. If you absolutely need to hold on to it out of having more than two children, then do away with the ice hubcaps and other extra fluff;

Do some serious home inventory, and stop spending unnecessary loot on foods that go against our bodies anyway like soda, white sugar, and pork chips;

Do another inventory of more personal habits that got to go too like negative thinking, victim mindset, confusing dancehall music with Reggae, and misogyny;

Take this economic crisis as an opportunity to re-evaluate what you stand for;

Grow your own veges, if at all possible or start a neighborhood vegetable garden;

Take good care of your temple to avoid shady medical insurance policies. That's if you even have med insurance;

Hold on to your gym pass if you can afford it. If not, turn everyday chores into a gym regiment;


Suppot local vendors and Black bookstores;

Take the tap-tap, and if you can get some vans start your own;

When shopping for necessities, focus on the lower shelves (they push the high-priced items on top shelves);

Involve the children in your work, so they can learn skills and the value of self-help;

If you've been blessed with lots of children, try temporarily letting them stay with safe relatives to give you a chance to get it together. And don't be too hard on yourself about separating them. Children can be mad resilient once you sit them down and let them know what's up and for how long;

Start an afterschool or tutoring program;

Put the word out that you know how to repair stuff at a lower price than Home Depot;

Read books that remind you of your inner powers;

Don't feel sorry for yourself. Feel sorry for those who never learned how to turn a sandwich into Thanksgiving;


Offer to walk neighbors' dogs for a cool price, or start a dog sitting biz if you got the space and love;

Rent one of the rooms to a college student or artist;


Teach the children how to create their joy, and leave Toys R Us alone for a min;


Support local or Black-owned businesses;

Skip McDonald's and make your own fast food;








Find out who's good at what in your hood, so everyone can pull together without having to depend on big bizness;

Contact local leaders and tell them you'd be willing to do some neighborhood repairs for decent pay;

Find out what your councilmember is doing to make sure everyone's good;


Check on our elderly and our sick;

Clean out neglected areas, so that folks don't start acting hopeless and careless;



Feel free enough to use the tub as your mini washer;

Sell your arts and crafts;





When you land a gig or a secure job, find a way to bring other brothas in;

Look up grants for under-represented populations. We're an under-represented population;

Go half or more on vending opportunities;

Start a mural, push your incense. Just keep creating;

Focus on what you have to build on, not what you don't have.....yet;

Start a car or van service gig, but keep it as legal as you can;

Become your block's 'free lance' barber, seamstress, taylor, baby-sitter, and no snitching;


Teach the male teens how to fill out a job application, interview know-how, how to report discrimination, and the difference between being a man and hyper-masculinity;

Update your own res;

Find out what your community college club members and their advisors can do to help;

Learn tenants' and homeowners' rights;

Go back to school and choose a major that motivates you;

Attend a trade school to learn a skill that can bring you some quicker money;

Volunteer, beause that's another way of getting a job;

Invest in your personal mission and not somebody else's, for a change;


Avoid using un-natural things (liquor, dope, texting) to get your natural back;

Look out for money scams, cos tis da season to be grimy!!!

Pray for clairity, stamina, guidance, protection, and the ability to recognize a blessing when it comes;

No fear (We cannot die, remember?);

Think us and we, not me and I;

Re-invent yourself!