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Online Author Talk With Dr. Lindsey Stewart

Mermaids, Medicine and 400 Years of Black Women's Magic

Join us online for a chat with Dr. Lindsey Stewart about "The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women's Magic," which tells the stories of the Black women who, in secrecy and subterfuge, courageously and devotedly continued their practices and worship for centuries and passed down their traditions. Adults. Register to get a link. Recorded for later viewing.

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Feminist philosopher Dr. Lindsey Stewart’s book, "The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic," tells the stories of the enslaved healers, the Voodoo queens, the blues women of Reconstruction and the granny midwives and textile weavers of the Jim Crow era. These women, in secrecy and subterfuge, courageously and devotedly continued their practices and worship for centuries and passed down their traditions.

Conjure informs our lives in ways remarkable and ordinary — from traditional medicines that informed the creation of Vicks VapoRub and the rise of Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix, to the original magic of Disney’s "The Little Mermaid" (2023) and the true origins of the all-American classic blue jean.

From the moment enslaved Africans first arrived on these shores, conjure was heavily regulated and even outlawed. Now, Stewart uncovers new contours of American history, sourcing letters from the enslaved, dispatches from the lore of Oshun and other African mystics. "The Conjuring of America" is a love letter to the real magic Black women used, their herbs, food, textiles, song and dance, used to sow rebellion, freedom and hope. Join us to take part in the magic and celebrate the legacy of America’s founding Black women.

Adults. Register to receive a link for viewing this online event.

About the Author: 

Lindsey Stewart is a Black feminist philosopher and an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Memphis. She is the author of "The Politics of Black Joy." Her work has been featured in Blavity, Signs, Hypatia and the British Journal for the History of Philosophy, and she holds a 2021 Michael Beaney Prize. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

This event is part of DBRL's Online Author Series, supported by David Lile honorarium funds. A recording will also be available for later viewing on the author series site.

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