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Oyewole Sobo, Ph.D. is a 2024 graduate of the PHD Program in Leadership and Change at Antioch University.

Oyewole Sobo at his Dissertation Defense.

From L-R: Dr. Carol Barrett, Committee Member, Dr. Woden Teachout, Committee Member, Dr. Diane Allerdyce, Committee Chair

Dissertation Committee

  • Diane Allerdyce, PhD, Committee Chair
  • Carol Barrett, PhD, Committee Member
  • Woden Teachout, PhD, Committee Member

Keywords

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Lioness of Lisabi, Abeokuta, Yoruba Women, African feminism, Dramaturgy, leadership

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

This creative dissertation highlights the feminist leadership qualities of a social revolutionist, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, a native of Abeokuta, Nigeria. Her struggle for equity and justice profoundly encouraged the empowerment of Indigenous women during her time. The undeniable truth is that black women have played a pivotal role in the fight for equal rights and justice, particularly in the United States. While the social struggles of American black female revolutionaries such as Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Dorothy Height, Ella Baker, and Dorothy Cotton are documented and celebrated, little or nothing is known about their African counterparts. This creative dissertation attempts to fill that gap. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti mobilized Indigenous women to march in protest against unjust tax laws imposed on women by the Indigenous monarchy and the patriarchal agenda of her town between 1946 and 1949. Her social struggle would end the unjust tax laws that made way for Indigenous women’s suffrage, a significant milestone in the history of women’s rights. Funmilayo’s life and achievements rank her as a foremost Yoruba feminist leader and a historical icon; her social struggle is contextualized into a two-act play titled Lioness of Lisabi to encourage and inspire change in postmodern and postcolonial women. The creative process is not an attempt to provide an accurate historical account of the social struggle that Funmilayo led; rather, it is to show how Funmilayo defied the odds and how her life and social struggles deconstruct Western constructs that paint women as weak, domesticated species, and inferior to men. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive (https://aura.antioch.edu/) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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Oyewole Sobo

ORCID: #0009-0004-0926-5416

Oyewole Sobo, PhD, MA, MSW, is a Nigerian American born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Oye holds a bachelor's degree in English and Literature from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria. Upon migration to the United States, he attended Howard University in Washington, DC, and obtained a master’s degree in social work in 2008. Oye continued his education and training at Washington Adventist University, Maryland, graduating with another master’s degree in religious studies in 2012. Oye is passionate about equality and justice. His works focus on gender equality and women empowerment. Oye is also a playwright; he has written, produced, and directed plays that promote faith, hope, and freedom in his local community in Nigeria.

Oye is an ordained prophet and minister of the gospel. He is the Lead Pastor of House of Prayer Watchman Ministries, Maryland, USA. His inspiring commitment to the gospel has led him to minister in several countries, spreading messages of hope, restoration, and empowerment. His international experience allows him to connect with people across cultures, races, and beliefs, making them feel understood and valued. In addition to his professional roles, he is a devoted family man. His life, filled with love and blessings from his marriage and children, reflects his values and balance, reassuring people of his ability to maintain a healthy personal and professional life.

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