About Us

Yoruba – An Ancient Culture

The Yorubas are great ancient people. Today, the population of people claiming Yoruba origin or speaking a form of the Yoruba language numbers about 50 million around the globe. And in many of these countries, especially Cuba and Brazil, the ancient Yoruba religion of Ifa is accorded the status of a state religion. In these places, not just in the Yorubaland heartland of Western Nigeria, the old religious traditions of the Yorubas – of Ifa – are preserved. And the ancient Yoruba gods and goddesses – Olokun, Obatala, Sango, Oya, Yemoja and Orunmila – are revered and worshipped. There are also many adherents here in the United States of Ifa, in places like Louisiana where African-American ‘babalawos’ are still known to practice their art.

Yorubas represent the most vibrant and successful ethnic group to come out of Africa since the early 1900’s. Enterprising and intelligent, they dominated the early political and public life of Nigeria on its founding as a nation after the amalgamation by the British in 1914 and Independence in 1960. Yoruba language and culture are well known all over the world. Yoruba made adire (tie-dye) and ‘aso-oke’, which are now part of modern fashion from New York to Paris and London. On the world stage, fellow Yoruba, Wole Soyinka, became the first Nobel Laureate in Literature from Africa in 1986; we also have our first Pulitzer Prize winner (Dele Olojede); and Oscar nominated actors such as David Oyelowo. Yorubas lead other African migrants in western countries such as the United States and Britain in the fields of medicine, science, arts and education.

The goals of the Yoruba Cultural Center are to promote and showcase the literature, arts and culture of the Yorubas. The goal is to place the mythology of the Yorubas in its rightful place among the best the world has to offer in the field of legend. We want our legends and fables on a high pedestal alongside the stories of Achilles and Troy, or of Odin and Thor beloved by many modern readers and movie-goers. Thus, the services education and enlightenment we offer the public in the Dallas Fort Worth area, including our Yoruba language school and the African Drum and Dance lessons are not meant only for men, women and children who are Yorubas, or are of Yoruba origin. They are for people of every race, skin color and nationality, especially African-Americans and people of African descent, who are intrigued by the culture and traditions of a great African people and want to know more. We want to stir the interest of all people in the great and ancient culture of the Yorubas.

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