Created by activist Maulana Karenga in 1966, Kwanzaa honors the roots of the African American diaspora. It’s a perfect time to reflect on the resilience and contributions of the Black community, from descendants of enslaved persons to immigrants and their families. Filled with magic, music, and plenty of food, this week’s Three to Read picks provide fascinating windows into the emergence and evolution of Black culture.
Trigger warning: This article and the books discussed within it contain references to potentially distressing content, including slavery, anti-Black racism, misogynoir, and medical abuse. Please exercise care while reading.
HOT PICK
The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic by Lindsey Stewart
SUMMARY:
What do mermaids and Vicks VapoRub have in common? According to Black feminist philosopher Lindsey Stewart, they’re both examples of Black girl magic. More than a hashtag, those three words encompass centuries of tradition, culture, and survival. The Conjuring of America explores how Black women have historically employed their magic — literally and figuratively — through the archetype of the conjure woman. Combining herbal medicine with West African spiritual practices, conjure women were an indispensable fixture of enslaved communities. As this book demonstrates, however, their legacy and impact extend far beyond the borders of the plantation.
WHY:
Stewart weaves a sprawling, compelling narrative of conjure’s evolution from its roots in Yoruba folklore, tracing its continued adaptation through pivotal moments in Black American history into the present day. In doing so, it pays homage to the quiet ways generations of Black women have empowered themselves, even without formal education. From the voodoo queens of New Orleans to the much-maligned and caricatured Southern mammies and the candy ladies of the Civil Rights era, these often overlooked community pillars embody a particular kind of strength and resilience in the face of oppression. The Conjuring of America offers readers a new window into US history, one that uplifts the caretakers and the unsung heroines of the Black feminist movement.
COFFEE SHOP READ
Ghana to the World: Recipes and Stories That Look Forward While Honoring the Past by Eric Adjepong with Korsha Wilson
SUMMARY:
Top Chef finalist and restaurateur Eric Adjepong teams up with food writer Korsha Wilson to spotlight his Ghanaian heritage in his debut cookbook. Packed with 100 delicious recipes, Ghana to the World introduces readers to the cuisine of Adjepong’s culture, along with his own family memories. This stunning showcase of West African flavors features a variety of crowd-pleasing dishes as well as photographs highlighting life in Ghana.
WHY:
“Sankofa,” the title of Adjepong’s 2023 children’s book, is a Twi word meaning “to retrieve,” emphasizing the importance of looking to the past in order to move forward. It’s a theme prevalent throughout our Three to Read picks for this week, but particularly for this cookbook, which combines family recipes for traditional staples, like jollof rice and bofrot, with original recipes that fuse and reinterpret Adjepong’s various culinary influences. Ghana to the World is both a love letter to West African cuisine and a testament to the universal truth that food does more than sustain us: It connects to our ancestors and, of course, to each other.
DARK HORSE
Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry
SUMMARY:
What’s in a color? In Black in Blues, scholar Imani Perry takes readers through the surprising historical relationship between Blackness and the color blue. As varied in meaning as in hue, blue appears throughout Black history in a multitude of contexts, at once symbolizing joy and melancholy, hope and despair, power and exploitation. Through a series of lyrical vignettes, Perry explores instances of blue in everything from Black music to literature, from the Civil War to the modern day.
WHY:
Winner of the National Book Award for 2022’s South to America, Perry returns with an equally riveting tapestry of Black American history. Black in Blues takes a rather unconventional approach to its subject, using the color blue as a lens to examine what Blackness actually means. Intertwining historical and literary analysis with personal anecdotes, Perry concludes that the link between Blackness and the color blue isn’t just coincidence. It’s a reclamation and assertion of power — one that resonates more strongly now than ever.
That’s it for this week’s Three to Read! Join us next week for more amazing recommendations to add to your TBR.
Click here for three queer historical fiction reads.
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