“Rastafari is a livity! It’s what governs all the forces within me and is what guides me. Haile Selassie I represents the embodiment of what we should look up to, in order to be our whole self. Jah is always there because Jah is the governing force that lives within all of us.”
Despite its global association, people from outside Jamaican culture would be surprised to know the struggle for acceptance and worthiness that the Rastafari community has faced in the island’s history. In times past, some very myopic and inane limitations were placed on how Rastafarians could function in our society. Though some stereotypes are being overcome, the days of condescension towards them are still not over. Kadiya McDonald began our conversation by unequivocally postulating that there is still a need for more acceptance of Rastafarians in Jamaican society.
“Rastafari gets negatively labeled in many spaces or not fully accepted, but YES – 100%… society has significantly moved forward since the days of Coral Gardens when Rastas would be incarcerated, physically abused, and traumatized regularly. But we are still affected by discrimination.” Kadiya was fearless in denouncing the hypocrisy of some of the nation’s leaders – “Rasta are the people that brought the prestige of ganja to Jamaica. We gave it relevance in mainstream society and to this day, there are no proper rights for Rastas regarding our sacrament of marijuana. The dispensaries owned by well-off or foreign interests reap the profits when, beyond the sacramental rights, Rasta has gained little in terms of economic benefits. Dem a tell we fi go buy a license from the same people who used to lock we up! So yes, there have been improvements and I don’t want to neglect that fact because I don’t want to exist within the negative, but we also need to accept that Rasta is still not fully accepted; rather, used as a commodified image.”
One family that has consistently produced individuals that deny the aforementioned limitations placed on Rastas by society is certainly the McDonald family. Errol and Kerida McDonald have made indelible contributions to Jamaican society through music, philanthropy, and entertainment, but their greatest contributions are easily the self-assured, high-minded individuals their children have become. Kamila, Kimani, Kelissa, and Keznamdi are all thought leaders in their own right, well respected by their peers and colleagues for their talent and fierce intellect.
As the charismatic and pulchritudinous ‘wash belly’ of the McDonald clan, Kadiya is now forging her path in the entertainment arena, and with the incredible track record her family has in the space, it would be remiss of you to doubt her capabilities for one second. As family-oriented as Kadiya is, it’s still imperative that we try and understand her within the context of who she is as an individual. She boldly asserted that “No matter what, within each of us there is a force. None of us are just these random human beings that were arbitrarily created. We are here and we all have a purpose. Our purpose is not outlined in a manuscript or a manual; it exists within us. If you lose access to that voice inside and begin to pay more attention to society and outside expectations, then you are not fulfilling your purpose.”
Living in so many different parts of the world from such a young age allowed Kadiya to develop a sense of mental fortitude, delicately complemented by her beauty. Being traveled and culturally exposed is a cool conversation piece, but many times those experiences can be accompanied by feelings of being misunderstood, alienated, and there was a social incapacity to fit in. It’s impossible to have lived in so many places and think that the process of being socially accepted was always going to be seamless.
“Unlike my siblings, I left Jamaica when I was very young when we went to live in Tanzania, when my mother went to work there for her international post with United Nations. And after that, we went to live in Ethiopia for seven years. Africa has a huge impact on who I am today. While I missed the experience that my siblings had growing up in Jamaica, I had the privilege of connecting with my other roots. Africa has a huge impact on who I am. After Ethiopia, we moved to New York, but I’m grateful for the order it happened. I was able to find my identity in Africa before moving to the US. One thing I have experienced in my world travels is that everywhere you go, people perceive race relations differently, and everywhere I went everybody had a different perception of me. That was so stressful growing up but at the end of the day, when you don’t fit in anywhere you that’s when you fit in everywhere.”
What these experiences did for Kadiya was bolster her confidence and further concretize the idea that her identity in Rastafari isn’t affected by geographical location or skin colour, but the merit of her character. The merit of her transcendent skin and natural allure has already caused world-renowned brands like Hurley to secure her modeling services. Her lead role in Zac Jone$’ official video for “Lonely” has caught the attention of many new fans as well, because of her ease on camera and awe-inspiring beauty. Having recently co-hosted the first Island Stage exclusively streamed by SXSW, you can see a multifaceted and dynamic career-shaping out for Kadiya already, and we are beyond excited to witness how it will all unfold for the young Rasta Queen.
