The Thing About Witch Hunts

Give to Gain: Raising Voices for Women Accused of Witchcraft in Nigeria

In honor of International Women's Day 2026, End Witch Hunts hosted a powerful panel discussion bringing together advocates, legal experts, journalists, and survivors to raise awareness about witchcraft accusations targeting women in Nigeria and across Africa. This conversation is part of the global "Give to Gain" initiative — the theme of International Women's Day 2026 — calling on individuals, organizations, and governments to give resources, empathy, legal support, and voice so that women accused of witchcraft can gain justice, safety, and dignity.Witchcraft accusations disproportionately target women, especially those who are poor, widowed, elderly, or otherwise vulnerable. Accusation can mean social ostracism, physical violence, displacement, imprisonment, and even death. Our panelists shared firsthand experience, legal expertise, and on-the-ground advocacy work illuminating what is happening in Nigeria today and what all of us can do about it.How witchcraft accusations specifically harm women and compound existing inequalityThe psychological toll of accusation, including self-doubt and mental health impactsLegal protections that exist in Nigeria and why they are not being usedHow women can seek justice through courts, NGOs, and community channels even without financial resourcesThe role of patriarchy, poverty, and community silence in perpetuating accusationWhy empowerment and financial independence are protective factorsHow diaspora communities outside Nigeria are funding witchcraft accusations back homeWhat governments, international organizations, media, and individuals can give to create real changeThe critical importance of reaching rural communities in local languagesDr. Leo Igwe is the director of Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), an initiative working to end witch hunts in Africa by 2030, and the Critical Thinking Social Empowerment Foundation. A board member of Humanist International and the Humanist Association of Nigeria, Dr. Igwe earned his doctoral degree from the University of Bayreuth, Germany, where he wrote his thesis on witchcraft accusations.Chief Magistrate Safiya Musa Salihu is a Chief Magistrate in Bauchi State, Nigeria, and Vice Chairman of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Bauchi branch. She has trained paralegals across multiple communities and works fearlessly to ensure that accused women have access to justice.Hauwa Mundi is a broadcast journalist with Radio Nigeria — the largest radio network in Africa with over 40 million listeners — a social media influencer, and a member of Advocacy for Alleged Witches. She uses her platform to challenge belief in witchcraft and amplify the stories of the accused.Maimunat Mohammed is an Information Officer at a university in Minna and representative of the Niger State Branch of Advocacy for Alleged Witches. She shared her own experience of being accused alongside her mother following her father's death, and her years of advocating for her family in the face of community hostility.Dr. Barrister is the National President of the Association of Women against Gender-Based Violence and founder of the ADI Foundation in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, working for justice and security for vulnerable persons.Article by Dr. Leo Igwe Give to Gain: Justice for Women Accused of Witchcraft in Africa Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) End Witch HuntsInternational Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Association of Women against Gender-Based Violence Radio NigeriaUN Human Rights Council Resolution 47/8

Salem Witch Trials: Tituba in Two Centuries of Literature with Samaine Lockwood

What does American literature reveal about how a society imagines justice, belonging, and the power of women? Samaine Lockwood, Associate Professor of English at George Mason University and the 2026 Fenwick Fellow, has spent years tracing that question through one of the most enduring stories in American culture: the Salem witch trials. Her fellowship project, Tituba Indian: The History of an American Cultural Figure  follows Tituba Indian from the historical record of 1692 through two centuries of novels, plays, and reimaginings to ask what her story has been made to carry and why.In This EpisodeHow the Salem witch trials became one of the most reimagined episodes in American literary historyWhy Tituba Indian sits at the center of debates about race, gender, and civic belonging across two centuries of American cultureHow culture reuses the pastHow Ann Petry's Tituba of Salem Village broke from literary tradition decades before most readers noticedWhy Arthur Miller's The Crucible remains complicated and how teachers are beginning to challenge it in the classroomThe real significance of the witch as a figure in literature, from colonial revival to contemporary young adult fictionWhere to find the vast archive of Salem witch trial literature that predates copyright, freely available onlineAbout Samaine Lockwood Samaine Lockwood is an Associate Professor of English at George Mason University, specializing in 19th century American literature and gender and sexuality studies. She is the 2026 Fenwick Fellow, a research fellowship funded by the George Mason Fenwick Library supporting her book in progress, Tituba Indian and the History of an American Cultural Figure. Her previous book, Archives of Desire: the Queer Historical Work of New England Regionalism, was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2015.Authors and Works Mentioned in This EpisodeAnn Petry: Tituba of Salem Village; The Narrows; Biography of Harriet Tubman. First black woman to write a bestselling novel in the United States.Maryse Conde: I, Tituba: Black Witch of SalemHenry William Herbert: The Fair Puritan (written 1850s, published 1870s)Elizabeth Gaskell: Lois the WitchCharlotte Perkins Gilman (with Grace Ellery Channing): Untitled Salem play, 1890, held at the Schlesinger Library, HarvardPauline Elizabeth Hopkins: Fiction writer, first Black woman editor of a magazine, key figure in the Boston African American community at the turn of the 20th centuryArthur Miller: The CrucibleMarian Starkey: The Devil in MassachusettsMatilda Joslyn Gage: Woman, Church, and State (1890s)Saidiya Hartman: Venus in Two ActsGretchen Adams: The Specter of SalemHenry James: The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost StoriesKimberly Bellflower: John Proctor is the Villain (Broadway, 2024)Samaine Lockwood: Archives of Desire: the Queer Historical Work of New England Regionalism Keith Clark: The Radical Fiction of Ann PetryWhere to Find These Works Most works published before 1923 are in the public domain and freely available through Open Library and Internet Archive. For titles still in print, support this podcast and End Witch Hunts by purchasing through our Bookshop.org storefront: bookshop.org/shop/endwitchhuntsEvery purchase (of any title) through Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores and helps fund the work of End Witch Hunts when you purchase through our affiliate link.LinksPublications by Samaine LockwoodUniversity Libraries has named Samaine Lockwood, associate professor of English, the 2026 Fenwick FellowBuy Books Mentioned in Today's Episode Sign the Petition to Exonerate the Boston 8 The History of Witch Trial Exonerations in Massachusetts About the MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectPurchase a MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Memorial Pin

Salem Witch Trials on Stage: Nicole Brooks on Obeah Opera

Most people meet Tituba through Arthur Miller. Nicole Brooks met her differently. The Canadian artist, producer, composer, and performer spent over a decade creating Obeah Opera, a fully sung a cappella theatrical work that centers Tituba and the other women of Salem as healers, wise women, and people who loved and were loved. In this conversation Nicole opens up about the research, the music, the controversy, and the story she believes America is ready to hear.What You Will LearnWho Tituba was beyond The CrucibleWhy Nicole positions every woman in the story as a healerHow the word Obeah appears in Puritan records and what that tells usThe love story at the heart of Obeah OperaHow the girls who made accusations were themselves silenced and powerlessWhat Tituba's name means in YorubaWhy an all-female cast changes how the story landsHow music makes the heaviest history bearableGuest Nicole Brooks, creator of Obeah OperaResources and Links Sign the Petition to Exonerate the Boston 8The History of Witch Trial Exonerations in MassachusettsAbout the MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectPurchase a MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Memorial Pin

Witches, Rakes, and Rogues: Unearthing Boston's Hidden History with D. Brenton Simons

About This EpisodeWhat if Boston's colonial past held witch trial stories just as gripping as Salem's but almost entirely overlooked? This week, Sarah and Josh sit down with D. Brenton Simons, President Emeritus and former CEO of American Ancestors (New England Historic Genealogical Society), to uncover the witches, criminals, and scandal-makers that Boston's official history left out.D. Brenton Simons spent 18 years leading American Ancestors, one of the world's foremost genealogical organizations with over 500,000 members in 139 countries. He is the author of Witches, Rakes, and Rogues, a collection of true Boston stories spanning 1630 to 1741, and was honored by King Charles III for his contributions to Anglo-American history.Boston had a witchcraft period spanning over a century, and the stories from it look nothing like what popular culture has taught us. Brenton walks us through cases that defy every stereotype, including a wealthy, well-connected woman whose "disagreeable" personality made her a target after her husband's death, an Irish Catholic servant whose foreign language and customs terrified a Puritan community, and women whose only real crime was practicing folk medicine and refusing to be pushed around.The research behind this book took five years and required digging through court records, personal diaries, and archives. The result is a portrait of real people navigating a world where the devil felt as immediate and dangerous as a neighbor's grudge.The woman who appears as a background character in The Scarlet Letter and the real, devastating story behind her nameHow the Goodwin children's afflictions during the Goody Glover case reveal something very human about fear and attentionThe connection between Mercy Short's post-traumatic experiences and the Salem trialsWhy the discovery of a black cat may have saved Boston from a second wave of witch huntingWhat happened to accusations that never became trials, and why those stories matter just as muchFor descendants of Boston and Connecticut witch trial victims, this episode is essential listening. Brenton discusses his research connecting Mary Hale, Winifred Benham Sr., and the Benham family line across generations and colonies. If you have colonial New England ancestry, you may have more connections to these stories than you realize.American Ancestors / New England Historic Genealogical SocietyAmerican Ancestors on YouTubeWitches, Rakes, and Rogues by D. Brenton Simons End Witch HuntsThe Thing About Witch Hunts is produced by End Witch Hunts, the only U.S. nonprofit dedicated to witchcraft accusation awareness. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with anyone who loves colonial history, genealogy, or untold American stories.

The Deadly Exorcism of Arely Procter: Spiritual and Ritual Abuse Happens Right Here in the U.S.

What happens when spiritual beliefs are used to justify harm against children in the United States? In this episode, Josh Hutchinson, Sarah Jack, and guest host Mary Bingham explore Spiritual and Ritual Abuse, known as SARA, and why it remains a largely unrecognized crisis in American communities. The team examines how belief-driven violence crosses every demographic and faith background, discusses the landmark case of 3-year-old Arely Procter, and raises critical questions about accountability when religious freedom is invoked as a legal defense.What Spiritual and Ritual Abuse (SARA) is and how international bodies define itHow SARA manifests in the United States across faiths, communities, and demographicsWhy cases of belief-driven child abuse often go unrecognized or are prosecuted without acknowledging the spiritual motivations behind themHow familiar cases like Elizabeth Smart and Ruby Franke fall under the SARA umbrellaThe story of Arely Procter and the ongoing legal proceedings in Santa Clara County, CaliforniaWhat the Racial Justice Act of 2020 is and how it is being used in Arely's caseWhy the United States lacks a centralized system for monitoring spiritual abuse-and what End Witch Hunts is doing about itWhat research tells us about the prevalence of supernatural beliefs in AmericaMary Bingham is a director of End Witch Hunts and a researcher focused on spiritual and ritual abuse cases spanning historical witch trials through present-day prosecutions. Her case research and victim profiles are available on the Sarah Wildes 1692 YouTube channel, including a dedicated playlist for World Day Against Witch Hunts 2025.SARA (Spiritual and Ritual Abuse): Abuse where an offender uses spiritual, superstitious, or traditional beliefs to justify harming others, or uses a victim's own beliefs to manipulate and control them.Harmful Traditional Practices: The United Nations' terminology for practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks, reported in at least 60 nations.Racial Justice Act of 2020 (California): Legislation ensuring that racial, ethnic, or national origin does not influence criminal investigations intentionally or unintentionally.National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)National Deaf Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 855-812-1001 or text START to 88788.Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: Call or text 800-422-4453.If you are experiencing spiritual or ritual abuse in the home, trained advocates are available around the clock.Hosts: Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack Guest Host: Mary Bingham Produced by: End Witch Hunts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationNew episodes weekly. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. The Thing About Witch Hunts has been heard in 100+ countries worldwide.LinksEnd Witch Hunts Project: End Spiritual and Ritual Abuse SARA Cases YouTube Playlist National Domestic Violence Hotline Podcast Episode: Jordan Alexander Discusses Spiritual and Ritual Abuse Podcast Episode: Witchcraft Beliefs Around the World with Boris Gershman Article by Mary Bingham: Witch Hunting from Salem to San Jose: Dorothy Good and Arely Proctor Article by Mary Bingham: The Psychology Behind Witchcraft AccusationsLaw & Crime Network YouTube Video on Arely Proctor Racial Justice Act Defense https://youtu.be/4DJnPgnRVmY?si=8zSMLDGpT0hLw-YL