Lead story

A painting showing people, mostly dressed in white with hands folded in prayer, standing in a circle around a man performing a ritual in the center.

How the word ‘voodoo’ became a racial slur

Editor's note:

Many of us tend to use the word “voodoo” when referring to bogus claims or anything that might seem idiotic. It’s not uncommon to see phrases such as “voodoo science,” “voodoo economics” or “voodoo medicine” appear in headlines or in popular culture. But few are aware of the racist history of the term, which goes back to the time of European colonialism.

Africana studies scholar Danielle N. Boaz explains that the French first used a version of the term – “vaudou” or “vaudoux” – to refer to African spiritual practices in their colonies. The term later evolved into “voodoo.” Practitioners of Haitian Vodou in particular – a religion that honors the ancestors and other spirits – were denounced as “devil worshippers” in the Anglophone world, a prejudice that continues today.

In making a casual remark such as, “That just sounds like some ‘voodoo’ to me,” Boaz argues, individuals might be inadvertently “co-signing the long racist history of the term and promoting the idea that religions from Africa are primitive, evil and barbaric.”

A portrait of Kalpana Jain, Senior Religion & Ethics Editor at the Conversation U.S. and Director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative.

Subscribe to This Week in Religion

Religion News

Religious but not spiritual? Meet the skeptics favoring ritual over the supernatural

Ten percent of Americans can be categorized as religious but not spiritual, according to a December 2023 study from Pew Research Center. By Kathryn Post/Religion News Service

In India’s new Ram temple, some American Hindus see a new beginning

For many Hindus in the diaspora, the temple opening signifies a new beginning — one that has the power to strengthen the roots of the global Hindu ecosystem. By Richa Karmarkar/Religion News Service

New member of Mormon church leadership says it must do better to help sex abuse victims heal

The newest member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ top governing body said every faith — including his — must do more to protect victims of sexual abuse and help facilitate a healing process. By Deepa Bharath/The Associated Press

Ruth Winkelmann, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, looks out of a window.

Almost 80 years after the Holocaust, 245,000 Jewish survivors are still alive

Almost 80 years after the Holocaust, about 245,000 Jewish survivors are still living, according to a new report. Nearly half are in Israel; most of the others are divided among the U.S., Western Europe and the former Soviet Union. By Kirsten Grieshaber/The Associated Press

A pastor and a small Ohio city tussle over the legality of his 24/7 homeless ministry

A Christian church in Ohio files federal lawsuit after its pastor was charged with violating city ordinances when he opened up the sanctuary around the clock for homeless people and others to find shelter. By Patrick Orsagos and Mark Scolforo/The Associated Press

Commentary and Analysis

Nicaragua released imprisoned priests, but repression is unlikely to relent – and the Catholic Church remains a target

When President Daniel Ortega returned to power in 2006, church figures supported him. Violent repression after the 2018 protests has soured the relationship and made clergy targets for intimidation. By Kai M. Thaler for The Conversation

Latin America’s colonial period was far less Catholic than it might seem − despite the Inquisition’s attempts to police religion

Conversion was often a violent affair, but that doesn't mean it was 100% successful. Colonial Latin America was home to many different spiritual traditions from Indigenous, African and Asian cultures. By Diego Javier Luis for The Conversation

What are the principles of civilian immunity in war? A scholar of justice in war explains

Just-war theory insists that civilians are not legitimate targets. However, civilian immunity does not provide blanket protection from harm. By J. Toby Reiner for The Conversation

The Bible suggests even God gets lonely. Why don’t religious people talk more about it?

There is much to be learned from loneliness: prophecy, solidarity, fun, freedom — even creativity. By Dwight Lee Wolter/Religion News Service

A man on horseback rides over a bonfire.

Photos of the Week: Iowa caucuses; Orthodox Epiphany

A man rides a horse through a bonfire as part of a ritual in honor of Saint Anthony the Abbot, the patron saint of domestic animals, in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. On the eve of Saint Anthony's Day, dozens ride their horses through the narrow cobblestone streets of the small village of San Bartolome during the "Luminarias," a tradition that dates back 500 years and is meant to purify the animals with the smoke of the bonfires and protect them for the year to come. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Did a friend or colleague forward this to you? Click here to subscribe.

About the Global Religion Journalism Initiative

This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
The Associated Press Newsletter Hub
Religion News Service newsletter sign-up page
The Conversation U.S.'s daily and weekly newsletters