The African American Research Library and Cultural Center's Kwanzaa Ujima 2024 celebration event is featuring a pres entation by the former senior queen of the Oyotunji African village in low country South Carolina as part of the day long celebration at 12:00 PM.&n bsp\; For full program details and registration see Kwanzaa Family Celebration - Broward County Library. \;
\nHer Royal Grace (HRG) Olori Iya Orite Olasowo -Adefunmi shares the history of the pivotal twenty-five years of the Oyotu nji Village. \; Through her book Seeds of Awakening: The Creation of O yotunji African Kingdom 1970 &ndash\; 1995\, readers experience the prelud e\, birth\, development and proliferation of the Kingdom as a historic lan dmark whose existence greatly influenced African American identity in the latter part of the 20th century. She speaks of the rewards that come with perseverance and dedication to one&rsquo\;s culture and spirituality.
\ nH.R.G. Olori Iya Orite Olasowo-Adefunmi was the senior queen of the Oy otunji African Kingdom located in Sheldon\, South Carolina. The only authe ntic\, traditional African Kingdom in the continental United States\, Oyot unji is a religious center for practitioners of the Yoruba culture. The Iy a Orite (&ldquo\;mother heads throne&rdquo\;)\, Her Royal Grace (the prope r address for a queen) is in essence a &ldquo\;queen mother.&rdquo\; She j oined the founder King Oba Oseijeman Adefunmi I\, as the chief father and mother for followers of the ancient West African traditions of the Yoruba. Their cultural practices are also related to Candomble which is popular i n Brazil where the Queen and the Oba travelled\, and the Lucumi influence in Cuba. \; These played foundational roles in Oyotunji&rsquo\;s early development.
\nA native of Atlantic City\, New Jersey\, Olasowo-Ade funmi attended St. Augustine College as Sheila B. Brown in Raleigh\, North Carolina where she became a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Pre viously\, she enjoyed tenure with the Negro Ensemble Company in New York b efore destiny brought her to Oyotunji. Over time Olasowo-Adefunmi gained e xperience in both matters of state\, as well as skill as a traditional div iner. It became increasingly apparent that soon she would ascend to the po sition of Principal Queen to the Oba in 1990. The practice of polygamy is traditional for the Yoruba and\, over fifty years after Oyotunji&rsquo\;s founding\, Her Grace is talking about the institution &ndash\; its benefit s\, its shortcomings\, its practical place in society whether acknowledged or seen as clandestine affairs\, and the richness of African cultures.
\nDuring her tenure\, Her Grace served as Chief of Protocol\, built Oy otunji&rsquo\;s tourism department from the ground up\, linking the Kingdo m with the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce\, received Chief of the Year award s 1988-1993\, scheduling television news crews and tour groups by the busl oads from across the country for Oyotunji&rsquo\;s many ongoing annual fes tivals\, as well as documentary filmmakers such as Al Santana's Voices of The Gods. Television programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show\, 1988 and Ni ckelodean soon called\, laying a path for Oba Adefunmi II to later broaden the footprint of Oyotunji during his impactful reign of almost twenty-yea rs. Additionally\, Iya Orite achieved the highest position a Yoruba woman can attain by being initiated into the ancient cult of the Bokono (Ifa Pri ests) at Atendehu Hoca in Dahomey (the equivalent to the level of cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church).
\nThe book discussion includes a que stion and answer session with the Queen Mother. Books will be available fo r sale and signed by the author. \; Partial proceeds will be donated t o the Friends of the African American Research Library and Cultural. \ ;
\nThis program will also be live streamed. \;
\nQueen Iy a - Book Talk
\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsoa63IfYeg
\nhttps://www.facebook.com/events/1155888469461572
\nhttps://broward.libn et.info/event/12549360 URL;VALUE=URI:https://broward.libnet.info/event/12549360 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR