African American Folk Healing

by Stephanie Y. Mitchem

Book Overview

Cure a nosebleed by holding a silver quarter on the back of the neck. Treat an earache with sweet oil drops. Wear plant roots to keep from catching colds. Within many African American families, these kinds of practices continue today, woven into the fabric of black culture, often communicated through women. Such folk practices shape the concepts about healing that are diffused throughout African American communities and are expressed in myriad...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814757324
• ISBN13: 9780814757321
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: New York University Press
• Length: 189 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The Truth About African American Spirituality

Very few authors have done what Mitchem has accomplished, which is write about African American Folk tradition as a spiritual healing practice. Usually when authors write about African American folk practices it is hyped up with all sorts of sensational myths, which causes many to few practitioners of any Afro-Diaspora tradition to be inhuman, cannibalistic devil worshipers. Mitchem explores all of the influences of African American spirituality, which contrary to popular is not just composed of Christianity, but is a gumbo of various influences. Because of her presentation, she gives the reader an inside look as to why African American spirituality is composed of Christian influences as well as influences from the Nation of Islam, Kamitic tradition, Afro-Caribbean traditions, and even intellectual mental sciences, but for whatever reason returns back to incorporate African American rootwork or hoodoo tradition. I really liked this book because it helped me to see that I was not alone in my spiritual quest. And, that there were others that had gone through similar experiences, which they could not logically explain before finding peace in something that was culturally relevant. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to understanding the spiritual aspects of what Tayannah McQuillar calls African American shamanism (Rootwork).

Traditional Healing, Folk healing, the Truth...

I loved this book and it will remain on my top 10 list...I will have to find her and invite her to do a seminar...she hit the herb right on the flower, everytime!