Exploring IFA

When enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas during the 17th and 18th century slave trade, they did not bring just their history and language. They also brought with them spiritual beliefs and practices which have been gaining popularity in the 21st century. We hear about the lived experience of practitioners of one of these traditions, the Ifa or Yoruba spiritual path, which emerged in West Africa. As you’ll hear in this series, many families once followed this spiritual tradition in secret or wove the rituals into Christian practices though, today, some African Americans are openly seeking and practicing spiritual experiences rooted in this vibrant cultural heritage.