Skip to main content
Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable contrast.

Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine & 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic

with Dr. Lindsey Stewart
2026-02-12 13:00:00 2026-02-12 14:00:00 America/Chicago Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine & 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic Join us to take part in the magic and celebrate the legacy of America’s founding Black women with award-winning Author and Professor of Philosophy Dr. Lindsey Stewart. Please register. Virtual -

Thursday, February 12
1:00pm - 2:00pm

Add to Calendar 2026-02-12 13:00:00 2026-02-12 14:00:00 America/Chicago Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine & 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic Join us to take part in the magic and celebrate the legacy of America’s founding Black women with award-winning Author and Professor of Philosophy Dr. Lindsey Stewart. Please register. Virtual -

Join us to take part in the magic and celebrate the legacy of America’s founding Black women with award-winning Author and Professor of Philosophy Dr. Lindsey Stewart. Please register.

Feminist philosopher Dr. Lindsey Stewart’s book, The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic, tells the stories of Negro Mammies of slavery; the Voodoo Queens and Blues Women of Reconstruction; and the Granny Midwives and textile weavers of the Jim Crow era. These women, in secrecy and subterfuge, courageously and devotedly continued their practices and worship for centuries and passed down their traditions.

Conjure informs our lives in ways remarkable and ordinary—from traditional medicines that informed the creation of Vicks VapoRub and the rise of Aunt Jemima’s Pancake Mix, to the original magic of Disney’s The Little Mermaid (2023), and the true origins of the all-American classic blue jean.

From the moment enslaved Africans first arrived on these shores, conjure was heavily regulated and even outlawed. Now, Stewart uncovers new contours of American history, sourcing letters from the enslaved, dispatches from the lore of Oshun and other African mystics. The Conjuring of America is a love letter to the real magic Black women used, their herbs, food, textiles, song, and dance, used to sow rebellion, freedom, and hope.

Join us to take part in the magic and celebrate the legacy of America’s founding Black women. Register for free today!


About the Author: Lindsey Stewart is a Black feminist philosopher and an Associate Professor of philosophy at the University of Memphis. She is the author of The Politics of Black Joy. Her work has been featured in Blavity, Signs, Hypatia, and the British Journal for the History of Philosophy, and she holds a 2021 Michael Beaney Prize. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

Please Register for link to program.

Live Virtual Author Talks - This new series through Library Speakers Consortium offers live online talks by bestselling authors of books in a variety of genres. Participants receive a link to the program when they register. Please see https://libraryc.org/gailborden to register and also view recorded videos of past speakers.

AGE GROUP: | Virtual Live | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Virtual | Adult Programs |

TAGS: | |

Virtual
Phone: 847-742-2411
Hours
Skip Open Hours widget

Today's hours

We're open 12:00PM to 5:00PM

Mon, May 11 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Tue, May 12 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Wed, May 13 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Thu, May 14 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Fri, May 15 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, May 16 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sun, May 17 12:00PM to 5:00PM
previous
this week
next
About the Branch

Programs presented virtually through FB, Zoom, YouTube, and other online sources.

Upcoming Events

Skip My new widget widget
Rescheduled
Teen Volunteer Orientation
Sun, May 17, 12:15pm - 12:45pm
New date Sunday, May 31, 12:15pm - 12:45pm
Main Library
This session is a teen volunteer orientation only. We'll go over the program as well as volunteer expectations.
Rescheduled
Teen Volunteer Hour
Sun, May 17, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
New date Sunday, May 31, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Main Library
Complete a hands-on volunteer project that benefits the library or one of our community outreach initiatives. Teen volunteers must attend a teen volunteer orientation before participating.
Read to Rover for K - 8: South Elgin Branch - South Elgin Branch
Sun, May 17, 1:00pm - 1:15pm
South Elgin Branch - South Elgin - Corridor
Practice your reading skills by cuddling up with a good book and reading aloud to a fully trained and certified therapy dog. Registration required. For grades K through 8.
Registration is now closed
Read to Rover for K - 8: South Elgin Branch - South Elgin Branch
Sun, May 17, 1:15pm - 1:30pm
South Elgin Branch - South Elgin - Corridor
Practice your reading skills by cuddling up with a good book and reading aloud to a fully trained and certified therapy dog. Registration required. For grades K through 8.
Registration is now closed
Read to Rover for K - 8: South Elgin Branch - South Elgin Branch
Sun, May 17, 1:30pm - 1:45pm
South Elgin Branch - South Elgin - Corridor
Practice your reading skills by cuddling up with a good book and reading aloud to a fully trained and certified therapy dog. Registration required. For grades K through 8.
Registration is now closed
Read to Rover for K - 8: South Elgin Branch - South Elgin Branch
Sun, May 17, 1:45pm - 2:00pm
South Elgin Branch - South Elgin - Corridor
Practice your reading skills by cuddling up with a good book and reading aloud to a fully trained and certified therapy dog. Registration required. For grades K through 8.
Registration is now closed
Read to Rover for K - 8: South Elgin Branch - South Elgin Branch
Sun, May 17, 2:00pm - 2:15pm
South Elgin Branch - South Elgin - Corridor
Practice your reading skills by cuddling up with a good book and reading aloud to a fully trained and certified therapy dog. Registration required. For grades K through 8.
Registration is now closed
Read to Rover for K - 8: South Elgin Branch - South Elgin Branch
Sun, May 17, 2:15pm - 2:30pm
South Elgin Branch - South Elgin - Corridor
Practice your reading skills by cuddling up with a good book and reading aloud to a fully trained and certified therapy dog. Registration required. For grades K through 8.
Registration is now closed
Read to Rover for K - 8: South Elgin Branch - South Elgin Branch
Sun, May 17, 2:30pm - 2:45pm
South Elgin Branch - South Elgin - Corridor
Practice your reading skills by cuddling up with a good book and reading aloud to a fully trained and certified therapy dog. Registration required. For grades K through 8.
Registration is now closed
Read to Rover for K - 8: South Elgin Branch - South Elgin Branch
Sun, May 17, 2:45pm - 3:00pm
South Elgin Branch - South Elgin - Corridor
Practice your reading skills by cuddling up with a good book and reading aloud to a fully trained and certified therapy dog. Registration required. For grades K through 8.
Registration is now closed
Earth Matters: Rethink the Future Exhibition
Mon, May 18, 9:00am - 9:00pm
Main Library
Explore our changing planet through a different lens, immerse yourself in incredible ecosystems and learn how the smallest of actions can have a big impact on our natural world.
Piano Performance - Jeremy Cassidy
Mon, May 18, 10:00am - 11:00am
Main Library - Lobby - Piano
Piano performance in the lobby by volunteer community members.
Storytime Amigos - Bilingual Storytime
Mon, May 18, 10:00am - 10:30am
Main Library - Sally Lee Fox & Eagle Rooms
Invitamos a todas las familias a compartir cuentos,y actividades musicales en nuestra hora de cuentos interactivos bilingües. Para las edades 0-6 acompañado de un adulto. No requiere resgistro previo.
Monday Movies - No Shushing Event
Mon, May 18, 10:00am - 12:00pm
South Elgin Branch - South Elgin - Hoffer Meeting Room
Everyone is welcome to join us. May 4 - Star Wars (1977) May 11 - Wicked (2024) May 18 - Night at the Museum (2006)
Singer Featherweight Friends
Mon, May 18, 11:30am - 4:30pm
Main Library - Sally Lee Fox & Eagle Rooms
Come sew with fellow Singer Featherweight machine users, make new friends, learn new tips and tricks. Please bring your own machine and supplies. Ideas & suggestions offered Registration Recommended
Rakow Reader's Book Club
Mon, May 18, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Rakow Branch - Rakow - Shales Living Room
Drop by the Shales Living Room at the Rakow Branch. Join us to discuss I See You've Called in Dead, By John Kenney in May and Three Days in June, by Anne Tyler, in June in the Shales Living Room.
Tech Mobile Stop: Rivers Landing
Mon, May 18, 3:00pm - 3:45pm
Mobile Services
3 Times Square Rd, Elgin, IL 60120
Bookmobile Stop: Willow Bay Park
Mon, May 18, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Mobile Services
1075 Annandale Dr. Elgin
Earth Matters Ribbon Cutting - Main Library Lobby
Mon, May 18, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Main Library
Celebrate the Earth Matters kickoff with a ribbon cutting, giveaways and more as you become one of the first to discover this incredible new interactive exhibit.
Bookmobile Stop: College Green Park
Mon, May 18, 4:45pm - 5:45pm
Mobile Services
1900 College Green Dr. Elgin
Evening Chess Club
Mon, May 18, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Main Library - 2nd Floor - Behind Elevators
Join fellow chess players of all ages and skill levels on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month for this open play program! Chess sets will be provided.
Bookmobile Stop: Millenium Park
Mon, May 18, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Mobile Services
725 Red Barn Ln. Elgin
MS PowerPoint Series
Mon, May 18, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Main Library - Computer Training Room
In this series, learn how to use Microsoft PowerPoint to create, design, and edit presentations. Sponsored by Comcast Internet Essentials.
Registration is now closed
Contemporary Book Group - Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Mon, May 18, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Main Library - Elgin Room
The Contemporary Book Group meets monthly to discuss current, interesting books in assorted genres. Meetings are held the third Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
See all events