voodoo (Mississippi River Valley)

Scope note: Term used to designate the syncretic Afro-Creole religion developed along the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries, most notably New Orleans. The evolution of Voodoo was strongly influenced by Haitian immigration to Southern Louisiana in the early 19th century; the diaspora melded its Vodou practices with elements of neo-African counterculture religions, Native American traditions, and traditional folk healing. Voodoo practitioners centered spirits of the dead, embodied by the almighty God figure Li Grand Zombi. While variations of Voodoo are still practiced today, it is widely understood to be a historical religion that died out by the 1940s due to increased persecution of worshipers. Nonetheless, it continues to be associated with the culture and identity of the Southern Louisiana region. In addition to its usage in the specific context of southern Louisiana, the term 'voodoo' is often used as a racialized and pejorative umbrella term for all Black peoples’ religious and spiritual practices. When used outside the context of the Mississippi River Valley, voodoo represents a colonial misunderstanding of Black religion that ignores the distinct histories of Vodún, Vodou, and Voodoo. For the Afro-Creole religion of Haiti, use "Vodou." For the traditional religion of the Fon and Ewe people in Dahomey (modern-day Benin), use “Vodún.”

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