African American Herbalism, Part 3: Resources and Further Learning

By Rose Swartz March 25, 2023 52 mins read 72 Views

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African American Herbalism: A Blog Series

History : Ethnobotany: Traditional Healers & Practices : Resources

Marc Williams wrote this article

3 Resources & Further Learning

There are many resources available to anyone interested in African American herbalism. Here are some lists from various media. These lists include books, conferences and Facebook groups. Although this is only a small selection of the items available in this field, it will help you get started if you are just beginning to explore this area.

ACCESSING BOOKS We recommend buying from small, BIPOC-owned bookstores whenever you can. This is a list of Black owned bookstores. Many of these have an online shop. Because these books are published by smaller publishing houses, they may be harder to find or more expensive. Our Herbal Books hub offers tips for getting books at a reasonable price.

*Titles of BIPOC authors (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) are written using purple.

Books about African American Herbs and Healers

Stephanie Mitchem, African American Folk Healing

This is a great study on African American healing. It sheds light upon a variety of folk practices (herbs rituals and charms).

Michele E. Lee, Working the Roots: More than 400 Years of Traditional African American Medicine

This book is a great way to learn about many of the plants in the African American pharmacopeia. You will also find a variety of write-ups on interviews with modern herbalists.

Mother Wisdom and Mother Wit: John Lee - An African American Herbal Healer By John Lee and Arvilla Penny-Jackson

This article is a great resource about the materia medica, healing practices and other aspects of herbalists in the Piedmont of North Carolina.

Handbook of African Medicinal Plants Maurice M. Iwu

This amazing review includes more than 2,000 plants used in Indigenous African medicine. It also contains full-color photos and references from over 1000 publications.

Rootwork: Using Black America's Folk Magick for Love, Money, and Success by Tayannah McQuillar

This is a succinct and clear treatment of the African American folk-magic tradition.

Hoodoo Medicine by Faith Mitchell

This brief article will discuss the materia medica, and herbal traditions of Gullah Geechee in the Sea Islands of Georgia.

Healing Grove: African Tree Remedies for the Body and Spirit Stephanie Rose Bird

This article is a thorough and comprehensive overview of important African and African American herbs traditions, and the many ways they can be used for healing and health.

Baobab trees, Adansonia Digitata, and Acacia trees in Tarangire Nationalpark (Tanzania). Photo credit: Yoky/ Wikicommons.

Historic Afrobotany Books

African American Midwifery Practice in the South: Conversations of Birth, Race, Memory Gertrude Jacinta Fraser

This book provides a comprehensive overview of midwifery in southern America.

African American Slave Medicine - Herbal and Non-Herbal Treatments Herbert C. Covey

This is one of the most important texts about slavery and healing in South.

Robert Voeks and John Rashford edited African Ethnobotany in the Americas

This academic text contains a number of articles on the botany and culture of Black people throughout the Americas, from the Caribbean to the north.

Delivered By Midwives: African American Midwifery, Twentieth Century South Jenny M. Luke

This is a modern summary of midwifery practice and the challenges and tribulations that were associated with racism and regulations in 1900s.

Ethnobotany of the Black Americans By William Ed Grime

This book is one of the most complete on the subject in terms of the number of plants that were treated. However, the text accompanying it is dated.

In The Shadow of Slavery. Africa's Botanical Legacy within the Atlantic World Judith Carney, Richard Nicholas Rosomoff

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about the biological transfer and traditional ecological knowledge of plant material from Africa to the Americas, and vice versa.

Maroon Society: Rebel Slave Communities In the Americas Richard Price

This comprehensive overview focuses on the Maroon communities in the African diaspora.

Medicinal Plants of West Africa Edward S. Ayensu

This book is one of the most important books on the medicinal plants in the region where many people were enslaved.

Slavery and Medicine: Health Care and Diseases of Blacks in Antebellum Virginia By Todd L. Savitt

This powerful case study shows the dire situation of enslaved persons in Virginia in relation to their health care during bondage.

Secret Doctors: Ethnomedicine for African Americans by Wonda Fontenot

This is a very important text that can be difficult to find and it can also be quite expensive, even if used.

Sharla Fett: Working Cures: Healing, Health and Power on Southern Slave Plantations

A look at the dynamics of medical care in the South from plantations.

BIPOC-Led Conferences

Afrobotany Conference at Costa Rica
Gullah Geoechee Herbal Gatherings in South Carolina
Hoodoo Heritage Festival, California
Nola Herb Gathering Conference
Sacred Waters Retreat at Tennessee
Spiritual Herbalism Conference at New York City

Facebook Accounts and Groups

Afroecology, DC
BlackForager
Black Midwives Unite!
Black Permaculture Network
National Black Midwives Alliance
SE Farmers of Color
Southeastern African American Farmers Network
Woke Foods

BIPOC Herbal Teachers & Herbal Schools/Organizations

These are some of the modern African American herbal schools and healers:

Alyson Morgan
Amanda David, and The People's Medicine School
Brandon Ruiz, who also manages the Charlotte Herbal Accessibility Project
Claudia J. Ford
Ellenie Cruz
Geoffrey Edwards
Harriet's Apothecary
Karen Culpepper
Karen Rose
Michele Lee
Natasha G. Mangum
Nikki Crlowney
Monticue Connally
Olatokunboh Obasi
Roxi Thiam
Sade Musa
Selima Harleston–Lust
Sobande Greer
Stephanie Rose Bird
Yeye Luisah Teish
Yuma Bellomee
List 175+ Black Healers, and Wellness Spaces starting at @69herbs

Are you looking for more articles on African American herbalism?

Marc Williams, our friend, has created this series in three parts for Blog Castanea. You can click below to view the rest of the articles.

Part 1: African American Herbalism
Medicinal Resilience: African Plant Knowledge through Bondage and Beyond

Part 2 of African American Herbalism:
North American Black Herbalism

Meet Our Contributor

MARC WILLIAMS, an ethnobiologist. MARC WILLIAMS is an ethnobiologist. He has spent a lot of time studying the interconnection between people, plants, mushrooms, and microbes. He also learned how to use botanicals and other life forms as food, medicine, and beauty in order to regeneratively employ them. He holds a Bachelor's in Environmental Studies with a focus in Sustainable Agriculture and a minor of Business from Warren Wilson College, and a Master in Appalachian Studies with a concentration in Sustainable Development and a minor or Geography and Planning at Appalachian State University. Over two decades, he has worked at numerous restaurants and farms. He has also traveled to 30 countries in Central/North/South America, Europe, and all 50 US states. Marc has taken thousands of photos of plants and other entities and visited more than 200 botanical gardens. He has taught hundreds of classes to thousands of students about the marvelous world of people and their interface with other organisms while working with over 100 organizations and particularly as a Board of Directors member of the United Plant Savers and online at www.botanyeveryday.com. Marc hopes that this effort will help to improve the current global ecological crisis.

Are you interested in contributing?

(c) Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, chestnutherbs.com. 2011-2021. It is strictly forbidden to use or duplicate this material without the express written permission of its author. Excerpts or links can be used provided that Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine is given full credit and chestnutherbs.com is referred to with the appropriate direction to the original content.

Do you want to learn more about medicinal herbs and how they are used?

Our 1,000-hour Online Herbal Immersion Course is The best-designed online herbal course, covering botany and foraging, as well as herb cultivation, medicine making and therapeutics.

Are you ready to create your own botanical bookshelf

Visit our Favorite Herbalism Books hub. Seven special reading lists highlight our top picks. There are options for all levels of plant enthusiasts: foragers and medicine makers as well as beginning and advanced herbalists.

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The post African American Herbalism Part 3: Resources & Further Learning appeared first at Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is basil good for kidneys?

The answer is yes. Basil is an excellent food for kidney health. It contains potassium which helps reduce high blood pressure. It also contains vitamin K, which is essential for bone strength. As well as this, it is rich in antioxidants which help protect against heart disease.

Basil is great for digestion too. It contains digestive enzymes that break down protein and carbohydrates. This makes it easier to absorb nutrients from your meals.

Basil is a wonderful addition to any diet. Try sprinkling some over pasta dishes, salads, soups, and sandwiches. Or add little stir-fried vegetables, chicken, fish, meat, and tofu.

It's delicious in pesto sauce and fresh in salad dressings. You'll find many recipes online where you can learn how to cook with basil.

Try making basil oil by adding a few drops of pure olive oil to a jar filled with chopped basil leaves. Let it steep overnight, and then strain out the leaves. Use the oil as a massage oil or rub it onto your skin.

It will leave your skin soft and smooth.

What are the disadvantages of using herbs?

Herbs are a great way to keep your body healthy because they contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, amino acids, phytonutrients, polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenes, essential oils, carotenoids, sterols, and sterolins. Some even contain cannabinoids.

But there are also lots of side effects associated with herbal remedies. For example, taking too much herb could cause liver damage or even death. Herbal supplements may interact with prescription drugs, which means that they might affect how well the drug works.

Some herbs can interfere with blood clotting, while others may increase bleeding when taken with anticoagulants (blood thinners).

There are also safety concerns for pregnant women and children.

The bottom line is that herbs aren't safe for everyone. If you're considering trying them out, do your homework. Look up each product's side effects and warnings and read reviews online.

Is eating raw basil good for you?

I'm sure everyone knows that fresh herbs are great for cooking but did you know that you could eat them too? Raw, uncooked herbs are packed full of nutrients and vitamins that we normally have to cook.

They contain more antioxidants than any fruit or vegetable. And they also help our immune systems stay strong and healthy.

The best way to enjoy these delicious little green gems is to eat them raw from the garden. But there's nothing wrong with enjoying them cooked, either. They taste even better when sautéed in olive oil and served alongside pasta or rice.

There are lots of ways to incorporate raw herbs into recipes. Add them to salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps, omelets, stir-fries, and pesto.

Just make sure you wash them well first!

Is it okay to use dried herbs instead of fresh ones?

It is best to pick up fresh herbs whenever possible when using herbs.

Although dried herbs are convenient, they don’t provide the same benefits as fresh herbs.

Fresh herbs contain essential oils that give your food a unique flavor. These oils help preserve the nutrients within the herb.

Dried herbs lose all their flavor after drying, so they cannot replace fresh herbs.

You should only use dried herbs if you absolutely must. Otherwise, you should get your fresh herbs from the market.

How do you make medicinal herbs?

There are many different methods to make herbs into medicinal products. The most common method is to dry the herbs in a warm, dark location before grinding them into a powder or extracting their essential oils. This can be accomplished by hanging herbs upside down in bunches, laying herbs on a drying screen, or using a food dehydrator.

Once dried and ground, herbs can be stored in airtight containers for future use. Other herbs may require special preparation, such as infusing herbs into oil or vinegar, making tinctures with alcohol, or distilling herbs to create essential oils.

Learning the correct techniques for preparing herbs can help ensure that they retain their medicinal properties and potency for optimal health benefits. Using fresh herbs is usually best, but herbs can also be grown in a pot or garden and harvested when they are mature. Herbs can be purchased at health food stores, online retailers, and specialty shops.

No matter where herbs come from, the preparation techniques remain the same; drying herbs in a warm location followed by grinding or extracting the essential oils. You can make your medicinal herbs with the right herbs and preparation techniques.

When making herbal preparations, it is essential to remember that herbs can vary in potency, so always dilute herbs before use or follow the directions on any product label. Additionally, herbs are best used fresh, as many of their beneficial components degrade over time.

Following safety guidelines and paying attention to the potency of herbs can help ensure that you get the most benefit from your herbs. With a bit of practice and preparation, anyone can make therapeutic herbs with medicinal properties. Remember that herbs should never replace any medical advice or treatments prescribed by a doctor. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional before using herbs medicinally.

What spices assist in recovery?

The use of spices to aid in healing is an ancient practice dating back centuries. Many spices have been used for their medicinal properties, including ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and garlic. Each of these spices has unique benefits that can help with various health issues.

Ginger is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and can help reduce inflammation in the body. It can also be used to soothe an upset stomach or relieve nausea.

Cinnamon has been found to have a wide range of medicinal properties, including antiseptic, antifungal, antimicrobial, and antioxidant agents. It is even believed to help regulate blood sugar levels, making it beneficial in helping prevent diabetes.

Cayenne pepper has been used for centuries as a natural pain reliever and anti-inflammatory agent. It is also thought to increase circulation and metabolism, which can help the body heal more quickly.

Turmeric is an herb that contains curcumin, a powerful antioxidant. Curcumin is beneficial in treating various conditions, from arthritis and neurological disorders to cancer.

Garlic is packed with nutrients and has many health benefits. It can help reduce inflammation, act as antibiotic, lower cholesterol levels, and even boost the immune system.

These spices are all-natural ways to help the body heal and improve overall health. They can all be easily incorporated into food or taken in supplement form for convenience. While spices alone won't cure any ailments, they can play an essential role in aiding healing.

In addition to spices, there are also other natural remedies for healing, such as herbs, essential oils, and homeopathy. Research has shown that many of these remedies can be effective in treating a variety of conditions. If you're looking for an alternative to conventional medicine, consider incorporating some of these natural remedies into your health routine.

Statistics

The global herbs market is expected to reach more than $125 billion by the end of 2025.
Herbs are among the most popular and widely used medicinal remedies. According to a survey conducted by the National Institutes of Health, herbs were used by over 38% of adults in the United States.

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How To

How to Use Herbs and Spices in Cooking?

Herbs and spices are a great way to add flavor without adding calories. If you've been cooking for years, you already know how easy it is to make even bland foods taste delicious. Try these tips to add more flair to your dishes.

Herbs and spices are essential ingredients in any kitchen. In addition to making food taste better, they also help keep food fresh longer. From enhancing the flavors of soups and sauces to infusing drinks with exotic tastes, herbs and spices go far beyond traditional cooking.

The most important thing to remember when using herbs and spices is to use them sparingly. Even though they may seem like powerful ingredients, they have a strong scent. So, sprinkle them on top instead of piling them onto a dish.

You'll find that the best herbs and spices come in small containers. This makes them easier to measure out, so there won't be any waste. Plus, you'll save money because you won't have to buy large amounts.

Another tip is to avoid placing herbs and spices directly on hot pans. Heat will quickly dry out the herbs and spices, leaving a bitter aftertaste. Instead, place them on paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

Use herbs and spices liberally in recipes where they naturally complement each other. For example, cinnamon pairs well with apples, while garlic complements tomatoes. Once you learn how to combine flavors, you'll be able to create your signature dishes.

Try experimenting with different herbs and spices to spice up meals. For instance, mix thyme, rosemary, oregano, and basil in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then toss the mixture with pasta, chicken, or fish.

After the meal, store leftover herbs and spices in airtight jars. This will prevent them from drying out. Also, wrap unused herbs and spices tightly in plastic wrap. They should stay fresh for at least three months.

If you're looking for ways to improve your diet, consider trying new herbs and spices. You can experiment with different blends until you discover your favorite combination. The possibilities are endless!