BY CONTRIBUTION
Ancestral Recovery: West Africa & The Diaspora
A Series on Culture, Land, and Healing
with Shantrelle P. Lewis, Lin Lucas, and Adeyinka Mendes
Our Invitation
Whether your people have migrated voluntarily, were forcibly taken elsewhere, or have remained for generations in ancestral homelands; whether they suffered from colonialist aggressions, got entangled in human war, or endured invasions at home. No matter the specifics, the ancestors and their legacies reverberate and call for care and attention in the present. This is as true for those of diverse West African origins as for any other humans.
This collaborative teaching and ritual will center ancestral reconnection and healing as it relates to the world’s 500+ million West Africans, both those in the 16 nations of West Africa and those of West African descent in the Diaspora. Our time will explore ways that ancestral healing and reconnection practices can benefit those with an investment in the region, whether it be through ancestry, family, love, culture, vocation, or geography. All are welcome.
Daniel Foor, Director at Ancestral Medicine, will briefly introduce the gathering before yielding the floor to our three esteemed guests: Shantrelle P. Lewis, Lin Lucas, and Adeyinka Mendes.
We’ll explore topics like:
- How can ancestral reconnection support decolonization and generational repair?
- What are tangible ways to draw closer to ancestral support, love, and guidance?
- In what ways does ancestral reconnection align with Earth healing and natural cycles?
Our time will include:
- A panel conversation from three esteemed guest presenters
- An inclusive experiential practice
- Live Q&A where you’ll have the opportunity to interact in real time with our panelists
All teachings in this series will be rooted in an anti-racist, decolonialist ethic that respects historical legacies and ongoing realities of systemic oppression.
This offering is the second in a regionally focused series on ancestry, identity, and belonging. All are welcome, and a recording of this session will be shared afterward with all who register.
This session will also touch on themes we’ll explore much more deeply in our most popular offering, Ancestral Lineage Healing, which begins on May 15. This 12-week course focuses on ritual skills for healing ourselves, our family lines, and our interconnected culture.
Ancestral Lineage Healing is also a prerequisite for our Eighth Cohort of Ancestral Healing Practitioner Training. This immersive training program is appropriate for those in ritual and healing arts who wish to expand their offerings to include culturally mindful ancestral healing services. Learn more about our Practitioner Training program here.
We also encourage you to visit the offerings of our guests; see their bios and websites below.
When cultural legacies are harmful, engaging with wise and healed lineage ancestors can be a potent form of correction.
About the Presenters
Shantrelle P. Lewis
Shantrelle P. Lewis is a multi-hyphen creative and scholar who accesses multiple disciplines to help elucidate African Diasporic history, aesthetics, culture and spirituality. After premiering at BlackStar Film Festival, her critically acclaimed directorial debut, In Our Mother’s Gardens was released on Netflix via Ava Duvernay’s ARRAY. Her book, Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style, was published by Aperture in 2017. Her work has been featured in The NY Times, LA Times, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, NPR, BBC and more. She, along with her husband and fellow Howard alum, Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson, co-founded SHOPPE BLACK. She’s an initiated Lukumi Sango Priest, hoodooist and New Orleans native. Learn More
Lin Lucas
Lin Lucas is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in ritual practices. An ordained lay student of the Buddha Jewel Monastery, he holds space for others at the crossroads where creativity, culture, and a passion for liberation converge. Lin’s ancestral healing practice, which centers the reactivation of intuition, is an extension of his interest in the Japanese art of butoh. Lin is the founder of Earthseed Rising, a Tucson, Arizona based network of creatives, animists, and healers who seek to reclaim the transformative role of artists in community. Lin’s ancestral roots trace a path through Nigeria, Ghana, and the Southeastern region of the United States.est Africa. Learn More
Adeyinka Mendes
Imam Mendes was raised in Ohio, Nigeria, and Texas, respecting diverse religions and cultures as a core value. After a life-changing journey to Jerusalem, he embraced Islam and traveled the world studying Classical Arabic, theology, sacred jurisprudence, contemplative arts, and the science of spiritual illumination from living masters in Syria, Sudan, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, and Senegal. He is the founder of The Nibras Foundation, the Bilal Spiritual Center for Peace and the Arts, and co-founder of the African-American Healing, Ancestry, and Development (AHAD) Collective. Adeyinka speaks on Quranic spirituality, rites of passage, peace-building, and the healing wisdom of Black Muslim cultures and civilizations. Learn more
