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\nFeminist philosoph er Dr. Lindsey Stewart&rsquo\;s book\, \;The Conjuring of America: Moj os\, Mermaids\, Medicine\, and 400 Years of Black Women&rsquo\;s Magic\, t ells the stories of Negro Mammies of slavery\; the Voodoo Queens and Blues Women of Reconstruction\; and the Granny Midwives and textile weavers of the Jim Crow era. These women\, in secrecy and subterfuge\, courageously a nd devotedly continued their practices and worship for centuries and passe d down their traditions. \;
\nConjure informs our lives in ways remarkable and ordinary&mdash\;from traditional medicines that informed th e creation of Vicks VapoRub and the rise of Aunt Jemima&rsquo\;s Pancake M ix\, to the original magic of Disney&rsquo\;s \;The Little Mermaid (20 23)\, \;and the true origins of the all-American classic blue jean.
\nFrom the moment enslaved Africans first arrived on these shores\, co njure was heavily regulated and even outlawed. Now\, Stewart uncovers new contours of American history\, sourcing letters from the enslaved\, dispat ches from the lore of Oshun and other African mystics. \;The Conjuring of America \;is a love letter to the real magic Black women used\, th eir herbs\, food\, textiles\, song\, and dance\, used to sow rebellion\, f reedom\, and hope.
\nJoin us to take part in the magic and celebrate the legacy of America&rsquo\;s founding Black women. Register for free to day!
\nAbout the Author: Lindsey Stewart is a Black feminist philosopher and an Associate Professor of philosophy at the Univ ersity of Memphis. She is the author of \;The Politics of Black Joy. H er work has been featured in \;Blavity\, Signs\, Hypatia\, and the&nbs p\;British Journal for the History of Philosophy\, and she holds a 2021 Mi chael Beaney Prize. She lives in Memphis\, Tennessee.
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