Voodoo and Power: The Politics of Religion in New Orleans, 1881-1940

Synopsis

The Racialized And Exoticized Cult Of Voodoo Occupies A Central Place In The Popular Image Of The Crescent City. But As Kodi A. Roberts Argues In Voodoo And Power, The Religion Was Not A Monolithic Tradition Handed Down From African Ancestors To Their American-born Descendants. Instead, A Much More Complicated Patchwork Of Influences Created New Orleans Voodoo, Allowing It To Move Across Boundaries Of Race, Class, And Gender. By Employing Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth-century First-hand Accounts Of Voodoo Practitioners And Their Rituals, Roberts Provides A Nuanced Understanding Of Who Practiced Voodoo And Why.--publisher's Description. Voodoo As American Culture -- Laveau And Anderson -- The Legacy And Culture Of Voodoo In New Orleans -- Messin' Around In The Work: The Leafy Anderson Model And New Orleans Voodoo -- The Work -- Dame Zombi Meets Jim Crow: Race And Voodoo In New Orleans -- Yes Ise A Women Fixer: Gender, Sex, And Power Among New Orleans Workers -- The Bisness: The Centrality Of Economics And Local Culture To Business Models In New Orleans Voodoo -- Green Money Means Success -- The Worst Kind Of Religion. Kodi A. Roberts. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.