Reclamation In Black Podcast

Episode Overview

In this episode, Sara Ziglar and Octavia Washington continue their exploration of Reclamation Dramaturgy, applying the framework directly to Tracy Deonn’s novel Legendborn. In direct conversation with Christina Sharpe’s conceptualization of “the wake,” the hosts map out the locations of Black being, the afterlives of slavery, and the specific activities of reclamation embedded within the narrative world of Legendborn.

Defining “Locations of Black Being” & “The Wake”

* 00:02:24 – Christina Sharpe’s Framework: Sara defines the wake as the trail behind a ship or projectile, the ritual performance of grief, and the awakening to Black identity in the aftermath of chattel slavery.

* 00:07:10 – The “Hold” vs. “The Beyond”:

2. The Ancestral “Underneath” & Hoodoo Traditions

* 00:11:52 – Resonance Time & “Underneath”: Octavia highlights scenes where ancestors speak to Bree from beneath the earth. Sara ties this to Sharpe’s conversation about “resonance time”—the idea that physical traces of ancestors remain in soil and water to exert ongoing influence.

* 00:15:03 – Hoodoo and Christianity: The hosts contrast the naturalistic, ancestral grounding of Hoodoo (which inspired the magic system of Root) with Christianity’s institutionalized hierarchies.

* 00:22:45 – The Three Epicenters: Sara outlines the historical evolution of Hoodoo, originating from three distinct geographic epicenters—the East Coast/Gullah corridor, Louisiana/New Orleans, and Virginia—before merging during the Great Migration.

3. Structural Tropes: The Crossroads & Matrilineal Lines

* 00:25:25 – The Crossroads as Narrative Architecture:

* 00:33:22 – Matrilineal Reclamation: Accessing selfhood and heritage is tied to mother-child relationships:

4. Afterlives of Slavery & Eugenics in the Order

* 00:40:12 – Control of Bodies: The Order’s focus on purity, bloodlines, and reproduction reflects historical eugenics and patriarchy.

* 00:45:02 – Rules of Survival: Nick and Bree agree that to survive Bree must follow four main rules— these rules mirror generational survival strategies born out of oppressive conditions.

* 00:45:28 – Institutional Artifacts: The Merlin manacles (shackles) and paintings of colonial founders highlight how the Order built its infrastructure to preserve power.

5. Primary Pursuits & Activities of Reclamation

* 00:55:23 – Everyday Rituals: Minor acts, such as the effort Bree puts into restoring her hair after violent encounters, serve as personal restoration rituals.

* 00:55:53 – Reclaiming the Body: Bree’s core journey requires integrating her split identity (”Bree” and “After Bree”) and taking back ownership over her physical self.

* 00:59:45 – Harnessing the Spirit: Realizing that wielding power effectively requires first mastering one’s own spirit and selfhood.

Notable Quotes

* 00:11:07 – “Part of reclamation is the ability to conjure pieces of The Beyond, even if they are temporary.” — Sara Ziglar

* 00:38:46 – “Sel’s indentured servitude is through his mother. And also this lie that he’s been told about his inhumanity is through his mother.” — Octavia Washington

* 00:59:58 – “In order to wield the power, she has to wield her spirit. And she’s only going to get so far in learning how to control her power if she doesn’t learn how to control herself.” — Sara Ziglar

Show Notes: Reclamation in Black

Episode: Unpacking Reclamation Dramaturgy & Legendborn

Hosts: Sara Ziglar (Host) & Octavia Washington (Co-Host)

Episode Summary

In this episode, host Sara Ziglar and co-host Octavia Washington explore the foundational concept of Reclamation Dramaturgy—a framework centered on recovering, restoring, and reasserting the relationship between Black people, their humanity, and their cultural heritage through storytelling.

Using Tracy Deonn’s hit YA fantasy novel Legendborn as a main text, Sara and Octavia discuss how Black art serves as a vehicle for internal reckonings, ancestral connection, and stepping into “the Beyond.” Along the way, they reflect on personal artistic awakenings, hair as armor, and how racial dynamics disrupt traditional Hero’s Journey tropes.

Key Topics

* Introduction & Defining Reclamation Dramaturgy

Sara welcomes Octavia and defines Reclamation Dramaturgy, highlighting the core “R” words driving the conversation: recover, restore, revive, reveal, revision, and reckoning.

* Seeing Yourself in Art: Personal Reckonings

* Octavia’s Reflection: Early media visibility (That’s So Raven) versus her first profound artistic reckoning watching Jackie Sibblies Drury’s play Fairview in London.

* Sara’s Reflection: Seeing Keshia Knight Pulliam in Debbie Allen’s Polly, and later confronting internal self-perception through George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum (”The Hair Piece”).

* Theoretical Framework: Christina Sharpe’s In the Wake

Sara outlines how Christina Sharpe’s book In the Wake: On Blackness and Being inspired her dramaturgical framework—examining Black life in the wake of historical trauma, the “weather” of systemic oppression, and navigating spaces between the “wake” and the “beyond.”

* Chrono-Normativity & The Beyond

A discussion on breaking out of rigid life timelines, using imagination as a bridge to “the Beyond,” and how ancestral connection transcends physical death.

* Legendborn Analysis: Bree’s Reclamation Arc

An in-depth breakdown of Bree Matthews’ character arc:

* Grief & Stolen Memory: The story begins in the middle of unacknowledged grief and altered memories.

* The Interrupted Hero’s Journey: Unlike the traditional call to adventure, Bree’s journey is full of starts, stops and interruptions. Many of which are imposed by her world’s power systems.

* Dual Systems of Magic & Mentorship: Sara and Octavia compare the way that mentorship and knowledge sharing are treated within the two magic systems in Legendborn. Rootcraft and The Order of the Roundtable.

* Bree’s Hidden Quest: After discovering the truth about her mother’s death, Bree learns there’s still more work to do. Work that will ask her to reclaim her full maternal lineage and inheritance.

References & Media Mentioned

* Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

* In the Wake: On Blackness and Being by Christina Sharpe

* Fairview (Play) by Jackie Sibblies Drury

* Polly (1989 Film) directed by Debbie Allen

* The Colored Museum (Play) by George C. Wolfe

* That’s So Raven (TV Series)