By Analyz Pessoa Braz
THE ABAYOMI DOLLS AND THE PRECIOUS (RE)ENCOUNTER WITH THE YORUBA
Abayomi is a Yoruba word. Yoruba refers to a region in West Africa, south of the Niger River. Yoruba is people. Yoruba is an individual belonging to the Nagô people. Yoruba is the Niger-Congo language. The Yoruba have mythical narratives called ìtans, which are orally transmitted and contain teachings about life and the world. These narratives guide humanity toward harmonious coexistence, both individually and collectively, fostering commitment to others and to the environment.
To build a better future, I believe we must first acknowledge and integrate the lessons of the past in order to envision the cities we wish to (re)shape.
Photo 1: Image from personal collection of an Abayomi doll.
Abay means meeting. Omi means precious. I like to start with the name and its meaning to then seek an understanding. Paulo Freire, in the book Pedagogy of Autonomy (1996), teaches that “having meaning” involves a process of awareness and empowerment, an internal discovery driven by reflection on one’s own reality. Whenever I think about this, a passage from a classic book in Brazilian literature comes to mind: Vidas Secas, by Graciliano Ramos.
Yes, surely the precious objects displayed on the church altars and the store shelves had names. They began to discuss the intricate matter. How could men keep so many words? It was impossible; no one could retain such a vast amount of knowledge. Free from names, things became distant and mysterious. They had not been made by people. And those who handled them were acting recklessly. Seen from afar, they were beautiful. Admired and fearful, they spoke in hushed voices so as not to unleash the strange forces that these objects might contain.
This passage depicts the relationship between the characters, two children, and the world around them: a northeastern backlands marked by drought and misery. The boys come across objects and goods they see in the church and stores. These objects represent a world far from their reality and are associated with unknown names, belonging to a world distant from their own reality. These objects carry names unfamiliar to them. The discussion about how men manage to “keep so many words” reflects their struggle to understand and integrate into a literate world that remains inaccessible to them.
The “speaking in hushed voices to avoid unleashing strange forces” demonstrates a mix of admiration and fear in the face of the unknown. The characters recognize the power of the objects but also feel that handling them might bring unpredictable consequences.
In a world of concepts, language can be a tool for integration and understanding, but only after it ceases to be a barrier. Therefore, the first challenge of any attempt at improvement is to reflect, as Paulo Freire proposed, in order to suggest meaningful changes in practice and in people’s daily lives. The first challenge of any attempt at improvement is to reflect, as Paulo Freire proposed, and then propose meaningful movements in practice and in people’s everyday lives.
With this in mind, I chose to start with the meaning of Abayomi, presenting it as a historical symbol of the Black movement and Afro-Brazilian identity. In the late 1980s, Lena Martins, an educator and activist of the Women’s Movement, led an action to make dolls at a time when the Black Movement was organizing the march for the 100th anniversary of the “abolition.”
The dolls are organically made with scraps of fabric without any stitching: they are “just” knots and braids. They carry a dimension of the relationship between Brazil and Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, and the ethnic groups of the African continent, symbolizing, on one hand, resilience and a history of overcoming, and on the other, hope and continuity in the face of adversity. This anti-racist symbol was a creation that spread throughout the entire country in a revolutionary way through workshops and experiences.
Source: Coletivo Abayomi Boneca Preta Brasileira/2020 https://www.bonecaabayomi.com/
The Yoruba people, a rich and complex Society, marked by social and political structures that promote justice, education, and sustainability, serve as an inspiration for the smart cities of the future. Their institutional and cultural practices, such as ecological harmony and sustainable agriculture, embody many of the ideals we aspire to today and serve as a guide for the development of communities that seek to be more just and empathetic.
By reclaiming and integrating these Yoruba approaches into smart cities, we move towards a future where justice, sustainability, and inclusion are not just aspirations, but operational foundations. By reclaiming and integrating these Yoruba approaches into smart cities, we advance towards a future where justice, sustainability, and inclusion cease to be mere aspirations and become operational foundations.
In this column, the Abayomi dolls pay a necessary tribute to the traditions of a silenced people, reinforcing the importance of recognizing and valuing their cultural heritage. In the upcoming editions, the proposal will be to stimulate a continuous dialogue on how these ancestral practices can contribute to the building of conscious citizenship.
Analyz Pessoa Braz is a Public attorney with experience in legal practice and academia. She holds a Bachelor of Law from the State University of Southwest Bahia (2010). Obtained a Master’s degree in Memory: Language and Society (2014), specialized in Public Law (2011), and in Business and Real Estate Law (2025), and is currently a student in the MBA program for Legal Management in Companies at FUNDACE/USP. She has been working at EMBASA (Bahian Water and Sanitation Company) since 2013, where she is also an internal instructor, certified by the Corporate University of the State of Bahia. Her academic contribution is prominent in topics like biopolitics, public security, video surveillance, land regularization, and the right to basic sanitation.
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