Peggy Chan Professor Emerita of Black Studies and Professor Emerita of Religion Yvonne Chireau served as a historical consultant for Sinners, the hit Ryan Coogler film set in 1930s Mississippi. Written and directed by Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, the film premiered April 18 and set box office records in its second weekend.

An expert on Black American religion, Chireau provided guidance on religion and spirituality in the film, especially regarding Hoodoo, Christianity, rootwork, and conjure.

Chireau advised the filmmakers about Hoodoo, Vodou, and other spiritual traditions in the film. She ensured the accuracy of references to Ancestral Time, where the ancestral world’s nonlinear continuum surfaces in the present, and Mojo bags, pouches that have spiritual properties in conjure practices.

The above interview is included in the home entertainment release of the film.