Harriet Tubman, Conjure, and Hoodoo: Pathways to Contemporary African American Healing

Harriet Tubman is widely known as a conductor of the Underground Railroad, but her lesser-known identity as a spiritual healer, diviner, and practitioner of Hoodoo is equally vital. Tubman's life and legacy are deeply rooted in African spiritual traditions, particularly conjure and Hoodoo, which she used not only as tools for liberation but also as spiritual protection and healing.

Understanding Tubman through this lens reveals a deeper, sacred layer to African American resistance—one that interweaves mysticism, ancestral wisdom, and political action.

Hoodoo, also known as rootwork or conjure, is a syncretic spiritual tradition that blends West African spirituality with Indigenous American and Christian elements. It was a source of resilience for enslaved Africans in the Americas, offering rituals, herbs, charms, and prayers to protect, heal, and empower. Tubman relied on dreams, visions, and signs—hallmarks of conjure—to guide her missions. Oral histories recount her use of protective amulets, spiritual baths, and prayers to ward off danger. Her faith was active and embodied, her spiritual knowledge inseparable from her political courage.

In a contemporary context, reclaiming Hoodoo as a healing practice can offer African Americans a form of cultural and spiritual restoration. Modern mental health struggles often stem from generational trauma, systemic oppression, and disconnection from ancestral roots. Hoodoo provides rituals for cleansing, protection, grief, and empowerment that resonate deeply with Black cultural memory. When seen not merely as superstition but as an ancestral technology of resilience, Hoodoo offers a path to holistic healing—emotionally, spiritually, and communally.

By revisiting Harriet Tubman not just as a hero of abolition but as a conjure woman, we reframe the narrative of Black freedom through a spiritual lens. Her example invites African Americans to reconnect with ancestral practices not just for historical pride but for present-day transformation. In a world seeking justice and wholeness, Tubman’s legacy reminds us that freedom is not only a destination, but a sacred path walked with spirit, herbs, and unwavering faith.