In loving memory of artist, writer, and Yoruba priestess Amoké Awele Kubat
How do you even begin to capture the legacy of someone who lived so many lives in one lifetime?
We keep thinking about her stories: the ones that left us laughing, sometimes in disbelief, wondering how one person could have known so many people and experienced so much. The places she had been, the things she had seen and done. She carried so much history and wisdom, and she knew how to tell a story. You could be laughing with her one moment and thinking about something she said long after the conversation ended.
Iya Amoké was part of our Nexus community for many years. We knew her as an artist, educator, organizer, elder, auntie, and friend. She shared her time and knowledge generously, returning as a speaker, storyteller, and someone who helped us hold space for one another. She was part of so many gatherings, conversations, and relationships here. Her place in our community was bigger than any one program.
She cared about people, and she paid attention. She could be tender and encouraging, and she would also tell you what she thought. She had strong convictions and asked questions that made us pause. We are grateful for the care she gave us, including the times she challenged us.
Her creativity showed up in so many ways. She wrote, wove, made dolls, and performed. Her work drew on her experiences, her spiritual practice as a Yoruba priestess, and her connection to the earth. Through art, she explored things that mattered deeply to her: Black life, injustice, healing, and our relationships with ourselves and one another.
Her care for mothers was at the heart of her YO MAMA’S HOUSE Cooperative and YO MAMA’s Art of Mothering Workshops. She understood how much mothers give and how little support they often receive. She wanted them to have somewhere to come together, make art, share what they knew, and have their own needs and dreams taken seriously. She saw mothers as artists, activists, and healers whose work deserved support and recognition for being vital to the strength and power of our communities.
She brought that vision into the second cohort of our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship, where she connected with other Black cooperators and accessed support to grow YO MAMA’S HOUSE. After the fellowship, she kept coming back to share stories, offer guidance, and hold space. We continued learning from her, just as we had before she became a fellow.
In 2023, she joined our Black Community Trust Fund advisory committee and helped give our Open Road Fund its name. She shared the meaning of Ejio Ogbe: an open road leads to the fulfillment of destiny. She also spoke about her belief in what Black people deserve: “It is one’s birthright to live a long life, in good health, and live abundantly.”
Iya Amoké helped shape Nexus in ways we can name and in ways we are still remembering. She helped us tell our story by sharing her own. Her experiences and ideas brought so much to our conversations about cooperation, community, and Black wealth. And there were all the moments in between: checking in with people, sharing a memory, making someone laugh, or saying something that helped us see a situation differently.
We will miss being in a room with her. We will miss her humor, her honesty, her care, and hearing her begin another story.
Our love is with her family, her loved ones, and everyone who is missing her. We are grateful we got to know her and that she shared so much of herself with us.
Thank you, Iya Amoké.
Celebrations of Life
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
- Great is Thy Faithfulness Church, 10 am – 12:30 pm
1115 30th Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026
- Mudluk Pottery, 1-4 pm
2908 Harriet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408
