Feminist philosopher Dr. Lindsey Stewart&r
squo\;s book\, \;The Conjuring of America: Mojos\, Mermaids\, Medicine\, a
nd 400 Years of Black Women&rsquo\;s Magic\, tells the stories of
Negro Mammies of slavery\; the Voodoo Queens and Blues Women of Reconstru
ction\; and the Granny Midwives and textile weavers of the Jim Crow era. T
hese women\, in secrecy and subterfuge\, courageously and devotedly contin
ued their practices and worship for centuries and passed down their tradit
ions.
Conjure informs our lives in ways remarkable and ordinary
&mdash\;from traditional medicines that informed the creation of Vicks Vap
oRub and the rise of Aunt Jemima&rsquo\;s Pancake Mix\, to the original ma
gic of Disney&rsquo\;s \;The Little Mermaid (2023)\, \;an
d the true origins of the all-American classic blue jean.
From
the moment enslaved Africans first arrived on these shores\, conjure was h
eavily regulated and even outlawed. Now\, Stewart uncovers new contours of
American history\, sourcing letters from the enslaved\, dispatches from t
he lore of Oshun and other African mystics. \;The Conjuring of America \;is a love letter to the real magic Black women used\, their he
rbs\, food\, textiles\, song\, and dance\, used to sow rebellion\, freedom
\, and hope.
Join us to take part in the magic and celebrate th
e legacy of America&rsquo\;s founding Black women. Register for free today!About the Author:
Lindsey Stewart is a Black feminist philosopher and an Associate Profe
ssor 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 \;B
ritish Journal for the History of Philosophy\, and she holds a 2021 M
ichael Beaney Prize. She lives in Memphis\, Tennessee.
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