“ . . . we visited Nigeria frequently . . . . . there was so much colour, beauty and a rich complexity to our heritage, language and customs.” www.yorabaizm.com
The YORUBAIZM Concept
Two sisters in their twenties, both born and raised in the UK by Nigerian parents of Yorùbá extraction, decided to do something about the lack of awareness of their origins as people from Yorùbá-speaking regions of Africa. They created a forum which they called YORÙBÁIZM and organised their maiden event at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, to allow yearning minds examine and discuss issues relating to Yorùbá sociology.
First, the event was planned to coincide with Nigeria’s Independence Day on the 1st of October 2019 for strategic reasons. Second, the choice of SOAS as the venue was significant as the school is a hub for intellectual exchanges on issues related to African socio-cultural ideas.
The sisters, Tùmí, a doctor with the National Health Service (NHS) UK, and Tálè, a budding top London make-up artist in her final year at university, boldly decided to foray into an area which most Africans schooled in Western ways do not particularly countenance. They have identified that most Africans have a very thick veil over their heads when it comes to their culture and ancestry. These sisters had deliberated on the issues around how to create awareness and assist in providing answers to those asking the right questions about their origins, history and who they really are.
On the spur of the moment, they made up their minds to act. They created the concept of YORÙBÁIZM as a vehicle to drive their passion. Their first event took them only eight days to organise! The tickets were sold out on Eventbrite and on the day of the event; many of the attendees were eagerly waiting at the entrance of the venue. Despite the inclement weather on the day, the attendees were not deterred. On seeing the enthusiasm in those young people congregated at the entrance of the room at SOAS, the sisters, for the first time in their planning, got the nervous tinge – can we pull it? Can the expectations of our patrons be met?
Presenting the maiden event
The thrust of the discussion on the day centred around African Spirituality. It dawned on the girls that their chosen theme was not misplaced. It occurred to them that many Africans, particularly in the Diaspora, need to know who they really are. Questions that popped up centred around how does the Yorùbá people who originated from the present colonial geo-political creation called Nigeria view their universe? Does their spirituality make any sense with their current scientific reality? Does the huge Eurocentric media propaganda reflect the truth about Africa?
In the end, the event turned out to be a success beyond the girls’ expectation. Many in the room appealed that this kind of activity should not be one of those flash-in-the-pan affairs. It should be sustained not only to hold the interest of participants, but to continue the campaign of the re-awakening process. The benefit of this initiative can only become evident after a series of discussions have taken place.
As Tumi, the older of the two girls, moderating on the day put it, “it’s time to begin the initiative of knowing who we really are and changing the unsavoury narrative about our culture, especially as it relates to our spirituality”.
The success of the first event has encouraged these young ladies to stage further events. The second took place on the 15th of March 2020 and it was termed NO VERNACULAR. The aim of the event was to encourage participants to sound out their Yorùbá speaking skills. It was really fun as many had the opportunity to clarify the meaning of many expressions and words.
Tale (left) and Tumi (right) moderating at the maiden event
Presenting NO VERNACULAR Event
The young ladies are not to be discouraged by the lockdown brought about by the current unusual climate forced on us globally by the Coronavirus pandemic. To keep the momentum going, they organised their third event online. It was a quiz on Yorùbá/Pan African/Black issues.
Presenting the Online Quiz
The fourth event was another quiz online centred around Afro beats. That was really fun as it resonated well with the young minds. Also, it presented an opportunity to decipher many of the Yorùbá slangs in most of the songs.
Presenting the Afro Beats Quiz
A cross section of the attendees enjoying some refreshments
Guest Speaker Emphasising His Points
The YORÙBÁIZM initiative is yet another evidence that our youths are gradually becoming alive to the need to embark on the proess of re-awakening. To discover one’s heritage and ancestry is a major step towards decolonisation. YORÙBÁIZM has thrown down the gauntlet in the hope that many more youths will take up the challenge. We salute this initiative and hope the momentum will be sustained and to galvanise the coming generation into action.
For more information, please visit www.yorubaiz