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Beyoncé at the Grammys and Books on African Goddesses

Beyoncé has been channeling African goddesses for a while now. Notably, she has appeared in the likeness of Oshun, a Yoruba deity that takes on many representations of a supreme being or god. In her performance last night, Katie Mettler of  The Washington Post said that she welded several goddesses together blending a cultural trifecta of the divine. In Beyoncé’s groundbreaking visual album, Lemonade, she served us a cornucopia of African goddesses. Kamaria Roberts and Kenya Downs gave a brilliant breakdown of the ways Beyoncé highlighted the African diaspora as well as specific African goddesses in  her videos. Here’s a reading list highlighting some unsung goddesses, and if you have some reading recommendations to add, please share!

Mami Wata: Africa’s Ancient God/dess Unveiled by Mama Zogbé (Vivian Hunter-Hindrew M. Ed.) 

The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts

Osun Across the Waters : A Yoruba Goddess by Joseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei Sanford 

The Sacred Ifa Oracle by Afolabi A. Epega , Philip John Neimark , and  Dr. Afolabi Epega