Dr. Lindsay Stewart on 400 Years of Black Women's Magic
A Friends Speaker Series Virtual Author Talk
2026-02-12 14:00:00
2026-02-12 15:00:00
America/New_York
Dr. Lindsay Stewart on 400 Years of Black Women's Magic
Join us as Dr. Lindsey Stewart celebrates the legacy of America's founding Black women in a discussion about her new book which explores 400 years of magic, medicine, and mysticism.
Reading Public Library -
Thursday, February 12
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Join us as Dr. Lindsey Stewart celebrates the legacy of America's founding Black women in a discussion about her new book which explores 400 years of magic, medicine, and mysticism.
Register now to attend and ask the author questions!
About the book:
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.
About the Author:
Lindsey Stewart is a Black feminist philosopher and an Associate 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 she holds a 2021 Michael Beaney Prize. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee.
This program is brought to you through the generosity of the Friends of the Reading Public Library. Thank you, Friends!
Check out more upcoming virtual author talks and enjoy recordings from past events by exploring our Friends Speaker Series page.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Virtual Event | Friends Sponsored Program | Friends Speaker Series | Author Event |
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