Author Talk: "The Conjuring of America" with Dr. Lindsey Stewart Online
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 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 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.
Register for this virtual Author Talk at LeonCountyLibrary.org/AuthorTalks.
View upcoming Author Talk programs and recordings of past talks at LeonCountyLibrary.org/AuthorTalks.
The Author Talk series is sponsored by the Friends of the Leon County Public Library.
- Date:
- Thursday, February 12, 2026
- Time:
- 2:00pm - 3:00pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- Virtual
- Audience:
- Ages 12-17 Adults Older Adults
- Categories:
- Black History Month
- Online:
- This is an online event. Event URL: https://libraryc.org/leoncountypubliclibrary/107235