Based in Brazil, Fernanda Ferreira is a science writer who covers a range of STEM (and occasionally non-STEM) topics, from textile conservation to vaccine stockpiles.
Written above the door of Funlayo Wood’s office is the Yoruba proverb Iwa l’ewa, “character is beauty.” For those in the Yoruba religion Iwa l’ewa is more than just a proverb, it is their highest goal. Character, particularly gentle character (iwa pele) and good character (iwa rere), is what practitioners seek first.
For Wood, a doctoral candidate in African and African American Studies with an area of study in religion, the words Iwa l’ewa are a constant reminder that character is what makes a person beautiful. “My beauty is in how I treat people, how I relate to people,” Wood explains.
