Fola Akinde (she/they) 24

Jasmine Respess: What's your name? What's your age? And where are you from?

Fola Akinde: Hi, my full name is Fola Shadea Akinde. I am born and raised here in Miami, Florida. And I am 24 years old. 

Jasmine Respess: Where in Miami have you lived? What neighborhoods?

Fola Akinde: I've always lived around Westchester, close to Doral area. So that's always been my life. But in terms of schooling, I've always gone to school like around Little Havana. But then I moved to Doral later in high school. So I still have that connection in terms of like, Little Havana and Little Haiti.

Jasmine Respess: Where your ancestors from? What's like your family lineage that you're connected to?

Fola Akinde: For me, I have a Yoruba background. Both of my parents are Nigerian. In terms of the connections with Ifa or Yoruba, I would say that my family is mostly Yoruba, I would say from the Yoruba tribe. But in terms of Ifa, I would say my dad he has gone through the initiation process. But other than that, most of my family, they're Christians. So also having that connection with the English. And aspects of the Bible kind of having this hold on people in Nigeria. In the sense of  the aftermath of colonialism. There’s not really a divide, but there's sectors of “who practices what” in Nigeria. And also there's like a mixture of Muslim cultures there too. Different branches of religions that branch out in terms of what's there in Nigeria or in Lagos. 

Jasmine Respess: Do you observe the combinations of those different religions in your family?

Fola Akinde: Yeah, I think how I was raised, it was very separate. I didn't have my dad around. My mom, she raised us completely. So we were definitely connected to our maternal side. And that maternal side is deeply connected to Christianity. So I basically was raised underneath that conception of practicing and continuing the work that is connected with the Bible and the Lord and just this idea of God. What is God? What is Jesus? That kind of plays a role. But over time, I think I would say during my time in university, I kind of was searching for this call back to ancestry, and figuring out how to reconnect back to my paternal side. But then it was just like uncovering family secrets in a way or uncovering the trauma that happens when it comes to the abandonment of fatherhood. So through that, I was thinking of how I could contact him and, in a way, he did contact me. 

So we did talk about Ifa. But in terms of that, that was like my only connection in that sense, like just learning the principles, learning the knowledge, learning the cosmology. And through that, it kind of connected back into my art practice, in a way of like reclaiming, I guess, just the history and legacy that has been there, but also has been missing at the same time. It is a mixture of everything in terms of how it's connected to the now.

Jasmine Respess: What is your religion, practice, or spirituality? It sounds like you use this in your art practice a lot. And I guess I'm curious, like, obviously you're talking about quite literally reading and learning, but there sounds like there's also a more ethereal version of this or a thing that's more based in feeling than just learning the cosmology and all of that.

Fola Akinde: I think it was me entering into different stages with it, figuring out how to enter into the research, but also being respectful, knowing that the information is sacred and some of the things tend to be hidden or some of the things are are lost in translation, especially how some of these books and some of these texts do have like this reliance on the West in a way, or considering how it's fitting in the West. So kind of switching away from like this idea of pleasing European standards or just this idea of like meeting white supremacy or masculinity in that sense. So through that, I was also thinking about my own queerness and this idea of expansion within duality. Because a lot of like Yourba cosmology talks about this expansion of duality and this expansion of like two-ness and how the conditions of life kind of blossom through this. I feel like I have to draw my research to kind of act as if it's like four corners, like North, South, East, West, and there's this outlier and this outlier is kind of this in between space that moves between duality. So through that, I was thinking  how can I at least take this folklore or this mythology and kind of connect it back to the storytelling and narrative and actually reflect on those cultural aspects that I'm trying to connect back to, especially with heritage, especially with preservation of the history and how should I see myself in terms of looking into spirituality or religion. Just seeing where those connections come and how it's connected to my work. I think it comes through like an intuitive pathway, especially when it comes to me responding to these questions and to the research that I'm doing, especially when it comes to concepts of water or memory or time and how that's related to the Orishas, the concept of herbology, botany, studying like elements of the earth, elements of the world, and figuring out how that can manifest itself physically in all forms. It could be through looking into archives and making collages out of them or just looking into drawings of how objects or how people were being depicted during those times. Looking into different modes that came out from imperialism and figuring out how I can critique those modes while bringing in that aspect of spirituality and religion as a sense of reclaiming myself and acknowledging the ancestors. 

Jasmine Respess: We all are doing the same work and I actually really love that. It sounds like you're going to have a very close connection to this project. What is your first memory of spirituality?

Fola Akinde: It does connect back to the teachings of the Bible and the aspects of Christianity kind of lingering, especially growing up going in and out of the church in terms of having that experience of Nigerian churches but then also going to a Baptist church too that is not too far from my house. Having those different experiences, I can kind of see where it goes like in terms of Christianity but in terms of spirituality, I don't know. I feel like as a kid, I was kind of aware of things that we can't see and don't always have to be explained fully. There's this question that kind of lingers in the back of my mind, “Not everything has an answer.” But there is this other source that comes to play when it comes to events or what a person goes through. I'm trying to think if there's like a specific moment, maybe just this idea of also reading stories about folklore, about ghosts really that kind of made me connect back to spirituality. The idea of how there is something that's kind of calling somebody back into the present and whether or not it could be an outside force or whether or not it could be an object that's summoning that person, there is this spiritual essence in there that has this like mystique to it.

Jasmine Respess: Who do you consider a mentor, a leader, or a teacher?

Fola Akinde: There have been multiple people that have impacted me in terms of how I approach archives, but then also connecting back to spirituality in a sense of like being respectful with the space, I think l one person that sticks out would be Saidiya Hartman especially with how she's kind of looking to the past and creating imagined narratives as a response to  oral stories or folklore or documents. Also I had a professor when I was in college, she has a connection back to Nigeria as well and she was also looking into Yoruba cosmology and Ifa and within her class in art history she also kind of pushed me into reflecting on the cosmos and the idea of Ifa, the Orishas especially Yamaya and Oshun, those maternal aspects that follow through. It is also words; I see books or poetry really as what pushed me into like looking into this practice. 

Jasmine Respess: As you’re talking about archive, I'm seeing that it is not inherently outside of spiritual practice. There's no reason that an archive  or  resource  is  inherently devoid of  spiritual meaning. For example, the end goal of this project is to provide people with this information and open up their ways of being so that they can figure out what they want to do spiritually, especially Black, Queer people. 

Jasmine Respess: Inside your home, or inside your nuclear family, do you feel like comfortable sharing your interest in spirituality outside of Christianity?

Fola Akinde: I still tiptoe around it because my mom she has her own superstitions on it yeah and I know she has her own connection with Christianity. I guess she understands that the Orishas still play a role in terms of culture and how it's still relevant it's still present in Nigeria, but there is this separation from it, so I do feel as though like I have to tiptoe around the conversations of Orishas. But she still understands that my work is connected through that lens of studying l the history, studying the folklore, how it's manifested itself culturally. Through iconography or through how information has traveled and how these Orishas are being spoken of or being represented through different cultures. I feel like it just depends. I have talked to my sisters about it, but it's not something that they're really familiar with or want to dive deeper into. I think I've realized figuring out my connection with the Orishas and unraveling my own spirituality feel as though it is a personal journey. Trying to reconnect back to yourself, reconnect to how you view yourself, and how you look into the world as a way to guide yourself into how you l see these practices and how you approach it with care.

I remember my mom telling me that she had her own experiences with what Nigerians would consider witchcraft some sort of way. My mom she has stories, so I'm like, “Okay, I believe you. You've seen things conjured up.” My grandma too. My grandma, she's had a difficult life in terms of people trying to attack her and she's been protected her whole life from harm coming on to my family in multiple forms and there's been some sort of like protection over that, so hearing stories from family about, “Be careful what you say and respect your elders because you don't know who you're going to talk to.” Just hearing those cultural aspects being repeated time and time again, that's  what  they  always  remind  you,  that  aspect  of  fear. We acknowledge that this is happening but we are fearful of it because of our own safety. But even then, there's also that aspect of magic being  present. Within Nigeria, or within the culture itself, just even  through prayer too. Prayer does hold this magical element.

Jasmine Respess: Oh absolutely, absolutely. And I think what you mean about being covered, I believe that of myself.  Whether that be from prayer, from  ancestor protection, an overall Christian God, or whatever it doesn't matter. I want to honor that, but I also think it really is the intention of the prayer to you because it's not necessarily like this is our mixed practice you can see this and you can see this but I  think that  kind  of way  of  thinking  or  that way  of  being is something that is  rom our original  spiritual practices.

You spoke before about your dad. You didn't know him, but you knew that he had some kind of connection to Yourba. Is that something that is a family lineage on the paternal side?

Fola Akinde: My mom told me that he was initiated, but I believe his family is still Christian. I'm not sure like in terms of how things change over time or if he just isolated himself out in terms of him being the only one practicing Ifa, but I know for sure he's still practicing it today. 

But you know what's funny, I don't really talk about this this much, but he directs, he writes, and stuff like that. He used to write books. When I was younger, he wrote books just talking about folklore and everything, but within his own writing, he talks about the Ifa culture and the Orishas and deities and I believe I have one of his poetry books.

Yeah, I found it, perfect. This is his writing, talking about how he got initiated.

Jasmine Respess: Oh wow, that's really interesting and something special to have.

Fola Akinde: Yeah, he wrote all of his poetry here talking about different aspects of like this, like with the kingdom, and then just talking about different stuff like the jungle, the wild, t about the spirit, about motherhood, about aspects of Christianity and how that's kind of affected IFA. A lot of stuff, so I've been also looking back into his work and figuring out how I can also connect it back to my own practice.

Jasmine Respess: Right, that's pretty interesting that you have that, that you physically own that, and that he ever did that, because it seems like there's an anticipation of sharing, if you're doing that or if you're collecting that. Did he publish these things? Did he share these outside of a journal or diary. Was it a public facing thing?

Fola Akinde: He has published other books, I have one book but I'm not sure if that's connected to IFA. I mean, nothing's really published like this journal here, it's not published. I think it was just his own personal writing. I remember researching that there was an Orisha church here in Miami. Yeah, I don't know if he also was practicing in that church because I did see some paraphernalia that was also connected when I was younger, but we had to throw everything out, so I wasn't sure. So I think there was probably an audience in terms of him practicing and also putting out his poetry.

Jasmine Respess: I wonder what his intention was with this journal in specific,  if it was a way to work through, or if it was intended to be something like it is now, where you have it and can use it. You know, either way, that's the outcome, so I'm happy that you have that. That's a privilege, that's something that a lot of people don't have. And I think that's something we're trying to provide, but it will never be as personal or as like deep is what your dad wrote. I'm glad you have it though that's probably very helpful in your process, if not following it or integrating it fully at least you have a touchstone for your own thing that you want to do.

Fola Akinde: Yeah, for sure. I've used some of the writing. I actually collaged some of the writing with other illustrations during my undergrad, as a way of  connecting back to my paternal side. So I haven't really gone back into the book, just looking at the poetry, but yeah just the idea of having that response in the future but also in the past. 

Jasmine Respess: That's something I wish my ancestors would do, but honestly, before my grandparents, I don't even think that was possible. I'm not so sure how much they had an education to even do such things. But I feel in the moment, which is interesting because this has to do with colonialism too because I think this is always true, but in the moment they were probably passing this stuff on orally without realizing that it would have been so disrupted at some point, like you wouldn't be allowed to speak your native language, like during chattel slavery. If your culture did not exactly revolve around written word, the way that ours does, why would you be like, “Oh, let me write this down.” You would be like, I'm just going to tell my niece, my daughter, I totally see how it happened. So it's more like, okay, now that that has happened, how do we get people tied back in that deserve to be tied back in?

Jasmine Respess: Do you consider relationship to spirit ancestor work?

Yes, but I would also extend it to memory work as well. This idea of calling back to ancestry or calling back to the land. Whether it's here in Miami, Nigeria itself, or looking at other places that have been impacted by the enslavement of people. Through that connection, I'm trying to bridge everything together.

It connects back to the journey that Black individuals have gone through, and being commodified. How are you participating in the commodification of the sacred text? Is it coming from a point of respect? And where is it coming at the point of like? Are you being an onlooker? Are you just being invasive? Figuring out how to hold yourself accountable and knowing where you're placing yourself within that relationship?