Summary

In Part 1, Chapter 3, Jerkins writes about a spiritual system called “roots,” (50), which is prevalent among certain Black communities in the Lowcountry. Root work often involves rituals that incorporate natural materials, with the goal of manifesting certain effects in the world. Rootwork is derived from African spiritual traditions. Among slaves in the South, rootwork often coexisted or even intermingled with Christian practices. When former slaves migrated to the North, many of them began to eschew practices like rootwork in favor of more of an emphasis on Christianity. Jerkins examines suspicions that Black Americans in the North often hold towards spiritual practices like rootwork. Jerkins then considers the ways in which rootwork and naturalism are compatible with Christianity. Jerkins visited Daufuskie Island in South Carolina, which has a substantial Gullah Geechee population. Corporations and wealthy individuals have made various failed efforts to buy...