{"product_id":"the-conjuring-of-america-mojos-mermaids-medicine-and-400-years-of-black-womens-magic-1","title":"The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women's Magic","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Lindsey Stewart\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLegacy Lit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7\/28\/2026, paperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSKU: 9781538769515\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e A crucial telling of U.S. history centering the Black women whose magic gave rise to the rich tapestry of American culture, wellness, and spirituality that we see today--from Vicks VapoRub and Aunt Jemima's pancake mix, to the magic of Disney's \u003cem\u003eThe Little Mermaid\u003c\/em\u003e (2023), and the all-American blue jean.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmerging first on plantations in the American South, enslaved conjure women used their magic to treat illnesses. These women combined their ancestral spiritual beliefs from West Africa with local herbal rituals and therapeutic remedies to create conjure, forging a secret well of health and power hidden to their oppressors and many of the modern-day staples we still enjoy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Conjuring of America\u003c\/i\u003e, Black feminist philosopher Lindsey Stewart exposes this vital contour of American history. In the face of slavery, Negro Mammies fashioned a legacy of magic that begat herbal experts, fearsome water bearers, and powerful mojos--roles and traditions that for centuries have been passed down to respond to Black struggles in real time. And when Jim Crow was born, Granny Midwives and textile weavers leveled their techniques to protect our civil and reproductive rights, while Candy Ladies fed a generation of freedom crusaders.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSourcing firsthand accounts the of enslaved, dispatches from the lore of Oshun, and the wisdom of beloved Black women writers, Stewart proves indisputably that conjure informs our lives in ways remarkable and ordinary. Above all, \u003ci\u003eThe Conjuring of America\u003c\/i\u003e is a love letter to the magic Black women used to sow messages of rebellion, freedom, and hope.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"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 \u003ci\u003eThe Conjuring of America\u003c\/i\u003e 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, \u003cem\u003eSpeak, So You Can Speak Again\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"In \u003ci\u003eThe Conjuring of America\u003c\/i\u003e, 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 \u003cem\u003eCan't Stop Won't Stop\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eWho We Be\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eWater Mirror Echo\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"In a culture where Black women are often portrayed as unqualified, uninspiring, and un-American, \u003ci\u003eThe Conjuring of America\u003c\/i\u003e makes clear that their innovations are woven into the very fabric of American identity, and that Black women continue to shape who we are and how we live.\"-- \u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eLindsey Stewart\u003c\/b\u003e is a Black feminist philosopher and an Associate Professor of philosophy at the University of Memphis. She is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Politics of Black Joy\u003c\/i\u003e. Her work has been featured in \u003ci\u003eBlavity, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eSigns\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHypatia, \u003c\/i\u003eand the \u003ci\u003eBritish Journal for the History of Philosophy, and she\u003c\/i\u003eholds a 2021 Michael Beaney Prize. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Burning Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52788547354907,"sku":"Conjuring of America PB","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0466\/5121\/files\/9781538769508.jpg?v=1755022634","url":"https:\/\/burningbooks.com\/products\/the-conjuring-of-america-mojos-mermaids-medicine-and-400-years-of-black-womens-magic-1","provider":"Burning Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}