Journal Entry for FLIES
Reading about Geechee and Gullah culture in the Carolinas I realized that there is an entire realm of Caribbean, Latinx, and African slave culture that I haven’t thought about yet!
How can I, as a Caribbean woman, forget this!
Female slaves from the Carolinas with clear heritage to Africa and the Caribbean were not only othered by white folk but also by the black population. During reconstruction, they became established in the black neighborhoods for keeping a “tether” to black and African culture to these displaced peoples.
Funny enough, I had this thought with playing around on Twitter with the #HowCaribbeanAreYou hashtag – a lot of the superstitions of black and Caribbean culture come from the reconstruction period. (Not putting your pocketbook on the floor or your money will fly out/ Painting your porch blue to keep out ghosts/ Sweeping salt into the corner of the room when a visitor leaves)
Maybe Julius can know of these things, not believe them, but know that they are fetishist and non-Western enough to freak out John and Annie.
Notice how these things – magic, tall tales (griot), fables, – all link back to African culture and tradition and how it alienates yet elevates the black character.
Here’s my links: (I’ll be using these more in my next moves)
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https://ir.library.louisville.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2351&context=etd — (superstitions in inscription!)