Oyotunji
VCU Libraries' Special Collections and Archives is displaying 20 photographs of the African Kingdom of Oyotunji, a village in Sheldon, South Carolina. The images were taken by Dr. Babatunde Lawal of VCU’s School of the Arts during a visit on the occasion of the coronation of a new leader, or Oba.
Oyotunji was founded in 1970 by Oba Oseijeman Adefunmi, formerly Walter Serge King, and embraces the Yoruba way of life. Yoruba communities derive their practices from African religious traditions and trace their roots to Nigeria and the diaspora. The religion can be found in many major cities in the United States, but this small South Carolina village has become a central focus of the movement. Practitioners travel from across the nation to celebrate Yoruba-related observances throughout the year.
To learn more about the Yoruba community, visit http://www.yorubanation.org/.
--Curtis Lyons, Interim Associate University Librarian for Public Services