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It sounds like a joke but that’s their original purpose. The hatian voodoo doll was based off African healing dolls. You would do nice things to the doll so that you would attract nice things into your life. The fabric stuffed dolls that people stab was corrupted by colonizers.
Voodoo is often viewed as something “evil” and “creepy” when removed from the sophisticated and rich spirituality of its actual cultural context, and then misunderstood. But the biggest concern of Voodoo centers around healing. Healing the individual or healing an entire village.
Back in the 18th century, Haiti was governed by the French, but a revolution on the island overthrew its oppressors, marking the one and only time in history a colony of slaves revolted and gained their independence as a free state.
At the time, French propaganda claimed the Haitians made a pact with the Devil to overthrow their oppressors, and the misconception that this was the case remains prevalent today. They made “black magic” look evil and caused us to be easily spooked of our own divinity.
Historically, the magic and practices of those of color, brown and black people, have been demonized for centuries while magic performed by white people are seen as some kind of fairy tale, quirky, beautiful, sipping tea by a potted plant, aesthetic.
That’s why so many movies and books featuring magic as the villain who usually practices “black” magic has darker features, dark skin, dark eyes, dark hair, while the good characters practice white magic and as such represent purity with their fair skin and hair etc.
What’s even worst about this centering of whiteness is that they love to take the practices of people of color and mash them into theirs and then claim it as their own. Not only that but whiteness is then centered as the one and only way to participate in these interests.
