Culture · Wimauma · Tampa Bay

Heritage is something we do together.

A welcoming home for heritage, education, and empowerment—rooted in Wimauma and reaching across the Tampa Bay area.

Find your place Meet Ifi

A multigenerational community gathering outdoors

Why Ifi

A place to remember forward.

Heritage

Honor the stories, traditions, and people that shape us.

Education

Make room for curiosity, exchange, and lifelong learning.

Empowerment

Turn shared knowledge into meaningful local action.

Who we are

Culture is not a backdrop. It is a bridge.

Ifi—pronounced “E-Fay,” meaning culture in Zulu—is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to making a positive, meaningful impact in Wimauma and the Tampa Bay area.

Read our story

Hands passing a handmade cultural object between generations

Our history

Heritage in focus.

A cover-photo sequence of people, places, and records that help us remember where community comes from—and carry those stories forward.

Ifi Heritage Center speaker presenting on stage with a microphone and a paper in hand beneath the Heritage Center banner. — 01
An Ifi Heritage Center speaker presenting on stage.

Historic community group gathered outside a weathered wooden building. — 02
A historic community group outside a wooden building.

Supplied historical image showing Bethune School portables in 1961 with text describing the segregated school, its closure in 1966, and Bethune Park opening in 1968. — 03
Bethune School portables, 1961, with the supplied history text: the segregated school ceased to exist in 1966, and Bethune Park opened in 1968.

Historic Sun City movie-theater advertisement with a drawing of the theater and text about Florida’s moving picture center. — 04
A historic Sun City movie-theater advertisement.

Historic photograph of a steam train with passengers and railway workers beside the tracks. — 05
A historic steam train photograph.

Portrait of Ms. Kredelle Petway, identified in the supplied information as a Civil Rights Freedom Rider. — 06
Ms. Kredelle PetwayCivil Rights Freedom Rider.Ms. Kredelle Petway, identified in the supplied information as a Civil Rights Freedom Rider.

The work in motion

A living story, told together.

From a shared stage to a neighborhood table, Ifi’s work grows through the people who show up, speak up, and make room for one another.

Two community members on a stage, one speaking into a microphone and one wearing a patterned outfit. — Community voices share the stage during an Ifi gathering.

Five people pose around a cart stacked with boxes of water inside a community office. — A team gathers with supplies for community outreach.

A man in a light suit holds a microphone while speaking to a gathering. — A speaker addresses the room, making space for connection and conversation.

A worship and performance group sings on a decorated church stage while a man in a red jacket gestures in front. — Music, movement, and worship fill the room as a choir performs together.

People gather at tables beneath string lights inside a decorated event space. — An evening event comes together under warm lights, with tables ready for guests.

Three community members pose together, with the person in the center wearing a patterned cultural garment. — Cultural presentation and connection, captured in patterned dress.

Three people stand together in a studio or public media setting. — A public conversation brings community members together in front of the cameras.

A saxophone player performs beside a woman at an indoor community event. — Live saxophone music brings energy to the gathering.

People gather around a table with papers and supplies during an outdoor outreach event. — Neighbors connect around resources and community outreach.

Performers in colorful patterned clothing play drums in front of red, white, and gold curtains. — Drumming and cultural performance fill the room with rhythm.

A woman stands behind a table displaying small-business guides and resources. — Small-business resources meet neighbors at the table.

A speaker holds a microphone at a Hillsborough County podium. — A speaker shares a message from the Hillsborough County podium.

People sit together at long tables beneath a covered outdoor structure. — A community gathering makes room for conversation and connection.

Two people stand behind a local vendor table filled with boxed products. — A local vendor shares goods and conversation with the community.

Three children smile beside a bright yellow airplane at an outdoor aviation event. — Children enjoy a day of discovery at a community aviation event.

A speaker presents at an Ifi Heritage Center event from behind a lectern. — A speaker presents at an Ifi Heritage Center event.

A speaker presents on a stage beneath an Ifi Heritage Center banner. — A wider view of the same stage presentation.

Two people stand together in a gallery or cultural exhibit space. — Two people together in a gallery or cultural exhibit space.

Historical collage of four civil-rights-era police identification portraits; individual identities are not assigned here.

Architectural presentation rendering showing several proposed views and an aerial plan of the planned Ifi Heritage Center in Wimauma, Florida. — Architectural presentation images for the planned Ifi Heritage Center in Wimauma, Florida—showing Heritage, Education, and Empowerment.

The next chapter

Make room for what’s ahead.

Ifi shares the vision for a future Heritage Center through architectural plans and presentation renderings. These images show the planned building—not a completed facility.

Ifi in motion

Watch with Ifi.

Spend time with Ifi Heritage Center through these two videos. Use the player controls to choose a video and watch at your own pace.

Ways to join in

Bring your whole self.

Start a conversation

Gather with us

Good things take a community.

There are no upcoming events listed right now. Check back soon or reach out to learn how to take part.

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