Danielle N. Boaz
Lawyer and historian who researches the persecution and prosecution of Africana religions; author of Voodoo: The History of a Racial Slur (Oxford University Press, 2023) and an advocate for religious freedom and devotees' human rights.
Best podcasts with Danielle N. Boaz
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Feb 1, 2026 • 1h 2min
Danielle N. Boaz, "Voodoo: The History of a Racial Slur" (Oxford UP, 2023)
Danielle N. Boaz, a lawyer-historian who studies persecution of Africana religions, examines how the anglicized term "voodoo" became a racial slur. She traces its 1860s U.S. origins, links to empire and migration policy, and how media used it to denigrate Black religion and politics. She urges care with the word and centers devotees' own identities.
Feb 1, 2026 • 1h 2min
Danielle N. Boaz, "Voodoo: The History of a Racial Slur" (Oxford UP, 2023)
Danielle N. Boaz, an Africana studies scholar-lawyer who researches persecution of Africana religions, traces how the English term "voodoo" became a racial slur. She outlines its Civil War roots in New Orleans and uses across Reconstruction, Haiti, Cuba, migration debates, and trafficking narratives. She calls for stopping casual use of the word and clarifying distinct sacred practices.
