The Conjuring of America

The Conjuring of America tells the epic story of conjure women, who, through a mix of spiritual beliefs, herbal rituals, and therapeutic remedies gave rise to the rich tapestry of American culture we see today. Feminist philosopher, Lindsey Stewart, 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.

Emerging first in the American South during slavery, these women were thrust into the heart of national conflicts over generations of African American life. They combined ancestral magic and hyperlocal resources to respond to Black struggles in real time, forging a secret well of health and power hidden to their oppressors. As a result, 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 magic Black women, their herbs, food, textiles, song, and dance, used to sow rebellion, freedom, and hope.

"In The Conjuring of America, Lindsey Stewart offers nothing less than a rethinking of our national culture through the stories of 'conjure women.' When we talk about who and what has made our culture uniquely American, this essential story must be told, and Dr. Stewart does it with wisdom, erudition, and empathy."--Jeff Chang, Ford fellow, historian, journalist and music critic, and author of Can't Stop Won't Stop, Who We Be, and Water Mirror Echo
"Lindsey Stewart's arrival on the scene is not only exciting and powerful, but necessary. Black and feminist history is shamefully incomplete; conjure women are vital parts of our foundation and fabric. I love this book. We need this book! Now more than ever."--Patrisse Cullors, co-founder Black Lives Matter and New York Times bestselling author of When They Call You a Terrorist
"Lindsey Stewart's remarkable commitment and tireless research, combined with the breadth of her keen insight, pride, and understanding of her subject matter, are only part of what makes The Conjuring of America so powerful. This exploration of our shamefully ignored and dismissed history is a compelling and essential standout. Important and altogether unique, this read informs and transports as it ushers a glorious cast of influential Black women to life."--Lucy Anne Hurston, sociologist, niece of Zora Neale Hurston, Speak, So You Can Speak Again
"With The Conjuring of America we welcome Lindsey Stewart to the table of hope, for her work is the deep, courage dive into the sea of lost truths. She recovers the critical treasures from the waters in her breathtaking honest and beautifully rendered new work. And we are the better for it."--asha bandele, New York Times bestselling co-author of When They Call you a Terrorist and author of Daughter and The Prisoner's Wife

Lindsey Stewart is a Black feminist philosopher and an Assistant 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 sheholds a 2021 Michael Beaney Prize. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

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