{"id":10152,"date":"2021-11-24T13:02:58","date_gmt":"2021-11-24T12:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=10152"},"modified":"2021-11-24T14:19:58","modified_gmt":"2021-11-24T13:19:58","slug":"false-yoruba-not-an-official-language-in-brazil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/false-yoruba-not-an-official-language-in-brazil\/","title":{"rendered":"FALSE! Yoruba not an official language in Brazil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Claim: A national newspaper and multiple online platforms claim Brazil has adopted Yoruba as its official language and that the language would be included in primary and secondary schools curriculum.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The claim is false. The content of the article published by these online platforms is not new; it has been recirculated several times and has been debunked.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Text<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A national newspaper and several online platforms, in a similar article which has been shared by many social media users, claimed the Yoruba language has been adopted by Brazil as its official language. It was stated further that the government has introduced the compulsory study of African History and Yoruba language in Brazil\u2019s primary and secondary schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The article was credited to a statement purportedly made by the Brazilian minister of culture, Dr S\u00e9rgio S\u00e1 leit\u00e3o.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Friday, November 12, Independent Newspaper published the article <\/a>with the headline \u201cYoruba Language Goes Global As It\u2019s Now Compulsory In Brazilian Primary, Secondary Schools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A screenshot of Independent Newspaper\u2019s headline<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

EaglesForeSight, an online medium, published the article <\/a>on November 11 with the headline \u201cBreaking: Brazil Adopts Yoruba Speaking As The Country Official Language.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another online platform, AkedeOyo, published the article <\/a>on November 13 with the headline,\u201cBrazil Adopts Yoruba As Its Country Official Speaking Language.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to these articles, the minister who was said to have given a speech at the University of Sao Paulo said: \u201cThe inclusion of African History and Yoruba Language in the curriculum would help bring the closeness of the African Brazilian people to their roots and thus encourage the understandings of the language among other important languages in Brazil apart from Portuguese which is the official language.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Findings by Dubawa revealed that several other online platforms published this article and many social media users have reshared the claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A screenshot showing claim reshared by Facebook users<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
A screenshot showing claim reshared by Twitter users<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Verification <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dubawa first noticed that the articles shared by these online platforms are the same with the majority claiming the information was passed to them in an exclusive interview with \u201cthe Brazilian minister of culture, Dr S\u00e9rgio S\u00e1 leit\u00e3o, at the weekend in Brazil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubawa then conducted a Google search and found that the information is not new and has been circulated several times since 2018 by several online platforms, as seen here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, the AFP Fact Check<\/a>, carried out a report when the claim resurfaced. In the report, Dr S\u00e9rgio S\u00e1 leit\u00e3o was addressed as a former minister of culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubawa searched further to know why that is so and found<\/a> that the ministry of culture was dissolved in January 2019 by the president, Jair Bolsonaro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the report by AFP, a spokesman for Brazil\u2019s special secretary for culture said the former minister had not made such a statement. \u201cThis news item is false,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To further verify this claim, Dubawa reached out to Brazil\u2019s foreign relations ministry via its website but it is still awaiting a response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Brazilian journalist, Pedro Kutney, said Yoruba was never an official language in Brazil and the only official language is Portuguese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further explained that \u201cBrazil is one of the countries which received more African black slaves in the world, about 5.8 million of the 12.5 million ‘trafficked\u2019 from Africa to the Americas. In Brazil black slavery stands from 1535 to 1888, and of course a lot of culture was brought to the country by Africans. One of these is the afro-religions and the Yoruba language in its rituals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEspecially in Bahia, the Brazilian “blackest” state today, many people use Yoruba words and \u2018Candombl\u00e9\u2019 religious leaders speak in Yoruba during the rituals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, Yoruba is part of the historical and cultural heritage of Brazil; it is recognised by law in two large Brazilian cities, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador but was never an official language in Brazil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another journalist, Ka\u00edke Nanne, described the claim as \u201cfake news.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a fake news. There is no possibility that Yoruba can replace Portuguese as the official language. Yoruba is spoken by very few black communities and has some words used in Candombl\u00e9 cults. It’s just that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Brazil\u2019s official language?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Portuguese is the official and national language of Brazil and it’s also the most widely spoken language in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to world population review<\/a>, there are about 228 languages spoken in Brazil which include Portuguese and 11 other foreign or immigrant languages and 217 indigenous languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The claim that Brazil has adopted Yoruba as its official language and that the language will be included in primary and secondary schools curriculum is false. The content of the article published by these online platforms is not new and has been recirculated several times in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researcher produced this fact-check per the Dubawa 2021 Kwame KariKari Fellowship partnership with<\/em><\/strong> The Nigerian Tribune<\/em><\/strong><\/a> to facilitate the ethos of \u201ctruth\u201d in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Claim: A national newspaper and multiple online platforms claim Brazil has adopted Yoruba as its official language and that the language would be included in primary and secondary schools curriculum. The claim is false. The content of the article published by these online platforms is not new; it has been recirculated several times and has been debunked. Full Text A national newspaper and several online platforms, in a similar article which has been shared by many social media users, claimed the Yoruba language has been adopted by Brazil as its official language. It was stated further that the government has introduced the compulsory study of African History and Yoruba language in Brazil\u2019s primary and secondary schools. The article was credited to a statement purportedly made by the Brazilian minister of culture, Dr S\u00e9rgio S\u00e1 leit\u00e3o. On Friday, November 12, Independent Newspaper published the article with the headline \u201cYoruba Language Goes Global As It\u2019s Now Compulsory In Brazilian Primary, Secondary Schools.\u201d EaglesForeSight, an online medium, published the article on November 11 with the headline \u201cBreaking: Brazil Adopts Yoruba Speaking As The Country Official Language.\u201d Another online platform, AkedeOyo, published the article on November 13 with the headline,\u201cBrazil Adopts Yoruba As Its Country Official Speaking Language.\u201d According to these articles, the minister who was said to have given a speech at the University of Sao Paulo said: \u201cThe inclusion of African History and Yoruba Language in the curriculum would help bring the closeness of the African Brazilian people to their roots and thus encourage the understandings of the language among other important languages in Brazil apart from Portuguese which is the official language.\u201d Findings by Dubawa revealed that several other online platforms published this article and many social media users have reshared the claim. Verification  Dubawa first noticed that the articles shared by these online platforms are the same with the majority claiming the information was passed to them in an exclusive interview with \u201cthe Brazilian minister of culture, Dr S\u00e9rgio S\u00e1 leit\u00e3o, at the weekend in Brazil.\u201d Dubawa then conducted a Google search and found that the information is not new and has been circulated several times since 2018 by several online platforms, as seen here. In 2019, the AFP Fact Check, carried out a report when the claim resurfaced. In the report, Dr S\u00e9rgio S\u00e1 leit\u00e3o was addressed as a former minister of culture.\u00a0 Dubawa searched further to know why that is so and found that the ministry of culture was dissolved in January 2019 by the president, Jair Bolsonaro. According to the report by AFP, a spokesman for Brazil\u2019s special secretary for culture said the former minister had not made such a statement. \u201cThis news item is false,\u201d he said. To further verify this claim, Dubawa reached out to Brazil\u2019s foreign relations ministry via its website but it is still awaiting a response.  A Brazilian journalist, Pedro Kutney, said Yoruba was never an official language in Brazil and the only official language is Portuguese. He further explained that \u201cBrazil is one of the countries which received more African black slaves in the world, about 5.8 million of the 12.5 million ‘trafficked\u2019 from Africa to the Americas. In Brazil black slavery stands from 1535 to 1888, and of course a lot of culture was brought to the country by Africans. One of these is the afro-religions and the Yoruba language in its rituals.  \u201cEspecially in Bahia, the Brazilian “blackest” state today, many people use Yoruba words and \u2018Candombl\u00e9\u2019 religious leaders speak in Yoruba during the rituals.  \u201cSo, Yoruba is part of the historical and cultural heritage of Brazil; it is recognised by law in two large Brazilian cities, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador but was never an official language in Brazil.\u201d Another journalist, Ka\u00edke Nanne, described the claim as \u201cfake news.\u201d \u201cThis is a fake news. There is no possibility that Yoruba can replace Portuguese as the official language. Yoruba is spoken by very few black communities and has some words used in Candombl\u00e9 cults. It’s just that,\u201d he said. What is Brazil\u2019s official language? Portuguese is the official and national language of Brazil and it’s also the most widely spoken language in the country. According to world population review, there are about 228 languages spoken in Brazil which include Portuguese and 11 other foreign or immigrant languages and 217 indigenous languages. Conclusion The claim that Brazil has adopted Yoruba as its official language and that the language will be included in primary and secondary schools curriculum is false. The content of the article published by these online platforms is not new and has been recirculated several times in the past. The researcher produced this fact-check per the Dubawa 2021 Kwame KariKari Fellowship partnership with The Nigerian Tribune to facilitate the ethos of \u201ctruth\u201d in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"hannibal_claim_source":"","hannibal_source_label":"","hannibal_card_color":"blue","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1571,4],"tags":[1542,347,2821,1514],"verdict":[],"ppma_author":[1894],"class_list":["post-10152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fact-check","category-featured","tag-brazil","tag-featured","tag-official-language","tag-yoruba"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8R6dE-2DK","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":1894,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"faith-adeoye","display_name":"Faith Adeoye","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0e616648a9d7e25f4831b8eed000d28784e26cb3f56ac71172f2b3d79d69862d?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/8C189AA0-CD1E-4B78-96E8-04B0221AE0E0.jpeg?fit=2304%2C1296&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10152"},{"taxonomy":"verdict","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verdict?post=10152"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=10152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}