--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that voodoo as a spiritual…" description: "\"I think that voodoo as a spiritual tradition has been demonized for so long in popular culture. I wanted to write against that and write a character wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/jesmyn-ward-1426_character_i-think-that-voodoo-as-a-spiritual-tradi_8120.png" --- # I think that voodoo as a spiritual tradition has been… ![“I think that voodoo as a spiritual tradition has been demonized for so long in popular culture. I wanted to write against that and write a character who practiced that spiritual tradition who was not evil and intent on creating zombies or causing pain through voodoo dolls or whatever.” quote by Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/jesmyn-ward-1426_character_i-think-that-voodoo-as-a-spiritual-tradi_8120.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/jesmyn-ward-1426_character_i-think-that-voodoo-as-a-spiritual-tradi_8120.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/jesmyn-ward-1426_character_i-think-that-voodoo-as-a-spiritual-tradi_8120.png) > “I think that voodoo as a spiritual tradition has been demonized for so long in popular culture. I wanted to write against that and write a character who practiced that spiritual tradition who was not evil and intent on creating zombies or causing pain through voodoo dolls or whatever.” [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author challenges the stereotypical portrayal of voodoo as malevolent, seeking to depict it as a legitimate spiritual practice through a compassionate character. **In simple terms:** Reclaiming voodoo's image Key Takeaway Challenge cultural demonization Themes cultural representation spiritual diversity stereotype subversion authorial intent media influence Mood defiant thoughtful empathetic Type explanatory advocacy When to use this quote - writing a novel - creating a screenplay - developing a game character - designing a comic - educational workshop Key Concepts religious authenticity character empathy narrative counterpoint Practical Applications - cultural critique - character development Questions to Reflect On - How does media shape our view of minority religions? - What responsibilities do creators have when portraying misunderstood traditions? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Popular culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular-culture/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Voodoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voodoo/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zombie/) ## Related quotes > [“Why is it when folks talk about herbs and such, folks think voodoo?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinitra-brooks/why-is-it-when-folks-talk-about-herbs-and-such-folks-think-voodoo/) Kinitra Brooks > [My understanding of voodoo is that it was important to the people who practiced it because it helped them survive. There are practical ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/my-understanding-of-voodoo-is-that-it-was-important-to-the-people-who/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [There's also the tradition of voodoo, the Haitian magic arts, in New Orleans. And because New Orleans is below sea level, when they bury…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-trammell/there-s-also-the-tradition-of-voodoo-the-haitian-magic-arts-in-new/) [Sam Trammell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-trammell/) > [I have two curiosity cabinets at home filled with finds from jumble sales, markets and my travels. My favourite piece is a voodoo mask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-connor/i-have-two-curiosity-cabinets-at-home-filled-with-finds-from-jumble/) [Erin O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-connor/) > [People who have power, who think negatively of others and seek to injure them, are practicing a kind of voodoo, a lower sorcery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/people-who-have-power-who-think-negatively-of-others-and-seek-to/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Because that was some kind of voodoo, and I did not believe in magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-love/because-that-was-some-kind-of-voodoo-and-i-did-not-believe-in-magic/) Bella Love > [Too bad you can't buy a voodoo globe so that you could make the earth spin real fast and freak everybody out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/too-bad-you-can-t-buy-a-voodoo-globe-so-that-you-could-make-the-earth/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [And if you dolled up, I got the voodoo for you b-tches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/and-if-you-dolled-up-i-got-the-voodoo-for-you-b-tches/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I can no longer believe in any voodoo spell or laboratory virus. This is something deeper, darker. This comes from the cosmos, from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/i-can-no-longer-believe-in-any-voodoo-spell-or-laboratory-virus-this/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [“voodoo is an actual religion, while hoodoo is a system of folk magic blending pagan traditions with ancient practices and European religion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-harper/voodoo-is-an-actual-religion-while-hoodoo-is-a-system-of-folk-magic/) [Juliette Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-harper/) > [If science ever gets to the bottom of Voodoo in Haiti and Africa, it will be found that some important medical secrets, still unknown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/if-science-ever-gets-to-the-bottom-of-voodoo-in-haiti-and-africa-it/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-jackson/why-not-just-tell-people-i-m-an-alien-from-mars-tell-them-i-eat-live/) [Michael J. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-jackson/) > [I noticed that all the prayers I used to offer to God, and all the prayers I now offer to Joe Pesci, are being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-noticed-that-all-the-prayers-i-used-to-offer-to-god-and-all-the/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“So I figured I might as well see if I could find something Gaspard didnt already know about. Like an herb or potion or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-plum/so-i-figured-i-might-as-well-see-if-i-could-find-something-gaspard/) [Amy Plum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-plum/) ## More by Jesmyn Ward > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [There's so much I love about home, but then there's a lot that I can acknowledge that I dislike about home. And acknowledging that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/there-s-so-much-i-love-about-home-but-then-there-s-a-lot-that-i-can/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“The dream of her was the glow of a spent fire on a cold night: warm and welcoming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/the-dream-of-her-was-the-glow-of-a-spent-fire-on-a-cold-night-warm/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [The first writer that I think of immediately that I studied with at Michigan is Peter Ho Davies. He was really important to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/the-first-writer-that-i-think-of-immediately-that-i-studied-with-at/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I feel like so much of what happened in the Delta over the decades since slavery was abolished seems much closer in the Delta,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-feel-like-so-much-of-what-happened-in-the-delta-over-the-decades/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“Vines catch my arms, my head; we tear through until we break out into the clearing before the fence, the field, the barn, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/vines-catch-my-arms-my-head-we-tear-through-until-we-break-out-into/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“Before all the little mean things she told me gathered and gathered and lodged like grit in a skinned knee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/before-all-the-little-mean-things-she-told-me-gathered-and-gathered/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [People give the South a bad rap. It's often stereotyped as backwards and close-minded and dogmatic, and all of those things have been true.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/people-give-the-south-a-bad-rap-it-s-often-stereotyped-as-backwards/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [By the time I wrote my memoir, 'Men We Reaped,' I had been running from writing it for a long time. When the events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/by-the-time-i-wrote-my-memoir-men-we-reaped-i-had-been-running-from/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When I was a teenager, I was the only black girl at a small, private Episcopal school, where my tuition was paid by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/when-i-was-a-teenager-i-was-the-only-black-girl-at-a-small-private/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [She was the murderous mother who cut us to the bone but left us alive, left us naked and bewildered as wrinkled newborn babies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/she-was-the-murderous-mother-who-cut-us-to-the-bone-but-left-us-alive/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I hope people who read my books feel empathy for us and really see us as complicated people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-hope-people-who-read-my-books-feel-empathy-for-us-and-really-see-us/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When I was writing my first novel, 'Where the Line Bleeds,' which had young black men as its main characters, I was very invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/when-i-was-writing-my-first-novel-where-the-line-bleeds-which-had/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“Lot of folks was in there for stealing food because everybody was poor and starving, and even though White people couldn’t get your work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/lot-of-folks-was-in-there-for-stealing-food-because-everybody-was/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I've also never written about home in this way before. I guess a lot of it is subconscious and I am intuitively making these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-ve-also-never-written-about-home-in-this-way-before-i-guess-a-lot/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) [Explore all 242 Jesmyn Ward quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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