An essential and critical exploration of the concept of ‘Juju’ – a term used in a derogatory manner, similar to the word ‘Obeah’ in the Caribbean, to distort understanding of and cause fear of African sacred practices.
It will cover Juju as a notion of force or expression not merely limited to the realm of the sacred, but also as a means of dispossessing Africans of their cultural capital, cultural-production processes and systems.
Topics to be covered include:
Régine Romain – what is juju? what are the positive and negative aspects of juju? How do practitioners use amulets or talisman for juju?
Dalian Adofo – what is ‘white juju’? African puberty rites as boys scouts and girl guides movements and African Fractals as European Avant-garde Art.
Special Guest:
Régine Romain is a multilingual Haitian-American artist, educator, racial justice strategist and public speaker. As a community-based visual anthropologist and cultural producer, she delves into all of her projects with a passion to heal historic wounds.
With 25+ years of teaching, training, and supporting intergenerational communities, she uses photography/film/podcasting as mixed-media educational tools to nurture awareness, respect, justice and collective engagement in addressing issues of race, representation and culture through participatory and reflective learning practices. Through an extensive global network, she produces transformative curricula, workshops, salons, performances, forums, exhibits/festivals, and tours.
A 2022 Brooklyn Public Library Heritage Ambassador and NYSCA filmmaking grant recipient – her work bridges storytelling as cultural recovery, while creating spaces to deepen critical and curative consciousness.Régine holds a BS | Bowie State University and a MA | Goldsmiths, University of London, and is pursuing a PhD in Cultural Studies.
While living in Benin, West Africa (2016–2018), Régine founded the WaWaWa Diaspora Centre to address historical wounds from the Transatlantic Slave Trade through intergenerational arts, education, and exchange programs. She directed an award-winning short film and podcast – Brooklyn to Benin: A Vodou Pilgrimage (2016) and Vodou Roots: A Love Story Musical (2018).
Her photographic work appears in MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora (2017) and the Photoville exhibit “Altar: Prayer, Ritual, Offerings,” and lesson plan “Ritual as Remembrance” (2018 | Brooklyn). As MoCADA’s Director of Education, she edited Diaspora Diaries (2009) and she also authored Nou Pap Bliye: A Haitian Coloring Book (2020) to honor Haiti’s 2010 earthquake victims.