Haile Selassie I: Emperor of Ethiopia
Ras Tafari Makonnen lived from July 23, 1892, to Aug. 27, 1975. The Rastafari movement was born when political leader Marcus Garvey proclaimed: “Look to Africa for the crowning of a Black king.” A few years later, in 1930, Makonnen was crowned emperor of Ethiopia and took the name Haile Selassie I. Abroad, he was worshiped as a divine figure. In Jamaica, he is still considered by Rastafarians to be the spiritual leader of Black people worldwide.
