About the author
Katrina Hazzard-Donald is a scholar known for her research on African American folk religion, particularly Hoodoo. Her book Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System (University of Illinois Press, 2012) offers a scholarly reconsideration of Hoodoo belief and practice, examining African Americans' experience of this herbal, healing folk tradition and tracing its emergence from African traditions into distinct religious and cultural practice in the United States. The book situates Hoodoo within its historical and cultural context rather than presenting it as a how-to guide, addressing its roots, transmission, and continued presence in African American communities. Written from an academic perspective, it is aimed at readers interested in the history and sociology of African American religious and folk-magic traditions, and it remains a widely cited source in scholarship on Hoodoo and related African diasporic practices.
📖 Where to start with Katrina Hazzard-Donald
💬 What our editors say about Katrina Hazzard-Donald's books
“Hazzard-Donald presents a rigorous academic analysis that may alienate casual readers seeking practical spell-casting instructions or mystical anecdotes. The focus on anthropological theory and the 'African Religion Complex'…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System
“This interdisciplinary study offers a vital, scholarly correction to prevailing misconceptions about Hoodoo’s origins and spread. While its meticulous examination of regional enclaves and material culture is impressive, it is not…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System
