Diaspora
Diaspora religions preserved African spiritual traditions through migration and slavery. Research on syncretism, adaptation, and heritage survival.
Vodou Spirituality and Practice vs. the Hollywood Zombie
A sugar mill turns in the dark. Six men lean into the capstan bar, walking it in a circle, and their faces do not change. One of them slips and goes into the grinder. Nobody stops.
African Mythology in Netflix Releases: What the Numbers Miss
The subtitle reads the spirit world. The word the actor said was Ọ̀run. Those are not the same thing, and the distance between them is the whole subject of this piece.
Jungian Archetypes in African Myth: A Diaspora Reader's Guide
African myth does not illustrate Jungian archetypes. In several places, it corrects them. That is a large claim to open with, and the rest of this piece is me earning it.
Black Folklore: Why the Teller Keeps Stepping Out of the Story
Before the tale begins, the teller says a strange thing. We do not really mean, we do not really mean, that what we are about to say is true.
Electronic Music Production and the Orishas in Chicago House
The first time I heard a batá phrase come through a Chicago club system, it was not being played on batá.
Afrofusion Cinema: How Netflix Releases Carry African Myth
I ran the first twenty minutes of Anikulapo twice on a Tuesday night. The first pass was ordinary watching.