Emerging on plantations in the American South, enslaved conjure women used magic to treat illnesses by blending ancestral spiritual beliefs from West Africa with local herbal rituals and therapeutic remedies. In The Conjuring of America, Black feminist philosopher Lindsey Stewart reveals how this tradition evolved from slavery through Jim Crow into a legacy that protected civil and reproductive rights and sustained generations of freedom crusaders. Drawing on firsthand accounts of the enslaved, the lore of Oshun, and the wisdom of Black women writers, Lindsey shows how conjure continues to shape our lives in remarkable and ordinary ways, honoring its role in sowing rebellion, freedom, and hope. 

Learn more at Lindsey’s virtual author talk. Register at: https://libraryc.org/salinaspubliclibrary/107167