From Fetish Dolls to Whitewashed Christ: How Magic and Art Fueled Racism
This post traces how ancient European image magick, like Druid curse dolls, laid early foundations for demonizing other peoples. It shows how symbolic power over enemies evolved into racial prejudice under the guise of “ancestral magic.” It then contrasts Vodoun’s protective and healing spirit rituals with colonial propaganda that recast Black spiritual practices as proof of “savagery.” This twisted narrative justified enslavement and dehumanization. Next, it examines how Renaissance masters painted Christ with European features. By giving Jesus pale skin and local traits, artists—and later Jesuit missionaries—whitewashed a central figure of Christianity to reflect their own lineage rather than Semitic history. Finally, it describes how this visual theology bolstered white supremacy worldwide. Portraying the divine as European made non-Europeans seem lesser and reinforced racist ideologies across empires.
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