Imaginary Worlds Sinners Gives Hoodoo Its Due
Feb 11, 2026
Kenitra Brooks, scholar of conjure women exploring personal genealogy. Yvonne Chireau, expert on African-derived spiritual traditions who consulted on the film. They discuss hoodoo’s portrayal on screen, co-creating Annie’s practices and movements, ancestral time and music, props and historical choices, and how conjure functions as social power in 1930s Mississippi.
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Consultant Reluctance Turned Collaboration
- Yvonne Chireau initially refused because she dislikes horror and worries about exploitative portrayals.
- She agreed after Ryan Coogler described the film as an original story and involved her closely.
Personal Connection To Annie
- Kenitra Brooks recognized Annie as an iteration of her great-grandmother, a conjure woman, which made the character personal.
- She was surprised and moved to see that likeness onscreen and in the filmed cabin location.
Conjure Women As Community Pillars
- Conjure women served as healers, midwives, and informal community leaders across centuries.
- Kenitra Brooks emphasizes their medical, social and political roles beneath mainstream religious visibility.
