Afroindigenization: A Theory of Grassroots Cultural Practice

In Afroindigenization, Catherine A. John addresses the underbelly of spiritual resilience shaping a range of African diasporic institutions, traditions, and practices. John argues that repressed forms of indigenous African knowledge systems manifest in a myriad of culturally embodied ways in African diaspora spaces and places. From mermaid lore in rural Jamaica to hip-hop trance-induced dance in Los Angeles to the stories of two debaters-turned-social-media-influencers, John shows how the descendants of enslaved Africans express the signs and substance of their afroindigenous power through collective creativity. Drawing from scholars such as Vèvè Clark, Hortense Spillers, Dianne M. Stewart, and Sylvia Wynter, Afroindigenization exposes the cultural and spiritual ancestries that lie at the heart of modern Black identities and practices.

Author: Catherine A. John
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Duke University Press
Published: 08/25/2026
Series: Religious Cultures of African and African Diaspora People
Pages: 244
Weight: 0.74lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.56d
ISBN: 9781478038986