Spirits Come from Water: The Return of Us

• In Event: African Spiritualities across waters

Description for Program

This paper explores the multifaceted relationship between Black people and water, examining its historical, cultural, and spiritual significance within the African diaspora. Water has served as both a site of trauma and profound transformation, symbolizing displacement and loss during the transatlantic slave trade while also embodying resilience, healing, and spiritual renewal. Drawing on the intersections of performance, spirituality, art, and culture, this research highlights how Black communities have historically engaged with water as a powerful force of cultural identity and spiritual connection. Central to the paper is the understanding of water as a sacred element in African spiritual traditions, where rivers, oceans, lagoons, and rain are deeply tied to divinities like Olokun, Osun, Yemoja, and Mami Wata. These figures serve as cultural bridges, connecting diasporic communities to their African roots and offering pathways for healing and transformation. The paper delves into how these spiritual connections manifest through rituals, storytelling, and artistic expressions that honor water as a source of life and creativity. Additionally, this work addresses the historical trauma of water, from the Middle Passage to its present-day implications in environmental racism and climate change, exploring how these histories shape collective memory and identity. Despite this trauma, water remains a site of reclamation and empowerment. The paper considers spirituals performances, visual art, and cultural practices that reframe water as a space for Black liberation, joy, and renewal. By weaving together historical analysis, spiritual frameworks, and artistic interpretations, this research illuminates the duality of water as both a site of pain and a catalyst for healing. It underscores the transformative potential of engaging with water to foster cultural continuity, resilience, and spiritual awakening within the African diaspora. Through this lens, water emerges not just as an element but as a profound symbol of Black life and liberation.

Author

• Ehime Ora