General
Photos of US village housing Americans practising Yoruba culture
Africans in South Carolina have found a means to preserve one of Nigeria’s oldest and most popular culture, that of the Yoruba.
This is Oyotunji village in South Carolina.
The community was founded by a black American named Walter Eugene King who was born on October 5, 1928, in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Eugene went to the Cass Technical High School and got fascinated by the African culture.
He also got exposed to the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe at the age of 20 which increased his love for the African culture, particularly that of the Yorubas.
On August 26, 1959, Eugene became the first African born in America to become fully initiated into the Orisa-Vodun African priesthood by African Cubans in Matanzas, Cuba. This marked the beginning of the spread of Yoruba religion and culture among African Americans.
With a few followers, and after the dissolution of the Order of Damballah Hwedo, Eugene founded the Sango Temple in New York and incorporated the African Theological Arch Ministry in 1960.
The Sango Temple was relocated and renamed the Yoruba Temple the same year.
In the fall of 1970, Eugene founded the Yoruba Village of Oyotunji in Beaufort County South Carolina and began the careful reorganization of the Orisa-Vodu Priesthood along traditional Nigerian lines. He was initiated to the Ifa priesthood by the Oluwa of Ijeun at Abeokuta, Nigeria, in August of 1972.
He was named king of Oyotunji community in 1972 with the designation, His Royal Highness Oba (King) Ofuntola Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I, born Baba Adefunmi.
He later died and his son, Adefunmi Adejuyigbe took over as king.
See photos:
-
News24 hours ago
EFCC: Abuja American School to refund Yahaya Bello’s $760k children’s fees
-
News24 hours ago
Nigerian woman breaks GWR for 55-hour marathon interview
-
News21 hours ago
Pathologist interprets MohBad’s toxicology result
-
Entertainment22 hours ago
Tems samples Seyi Sodimu’s classic ‘Love Me Jeje’
-
News19 hours ago
Nollywood veteran Ogunjimi is dead
-
News24 hours ago
Burkina Faso Junta bans BBC, VOA two weeks
-
Metro17 hours ago
Three killed, two injured in Kano building collapse – NEMA
-
Entertainment17 hours ago
Mohbad’s widow gets court summon for DNA test