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Ritual

How Did Black Graveyards Become Battlegrounds of Resistance?

Season 1 Episode 1 | 11m 56s

A proper burial is a ceremony that many of us take for granted, but that was not the case for African Americans for much of U.S. history. From a man honoring his duty as caretaker for his ancestors’ cemetery to a woman fighting to protect the sacred burial sites of her enslaved ancestors, we learn how taking care of the dead became an act of resilience in the American South.

Aired: 02/13/23
Funding for RITUAL is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Extras
Watch • 14:29
Ritual
Inside One of the South’s Oldest Rituals
Tank Ball meets duck hunters and reexamines one of humanity’s oldest rituals - the hunt.
Episode: S1 E8 | 14:29
Watch • 11:01
Ritual
Inside the Revival of an Ancient Indigenous Ritual
Tank Ball learns about the sacred Green Corn Ceremony practiced by Indigenous communities.
Episode: S1 E7 | 11:01
Watch • 12:55
Ritual
Border Ballads: The Revolutionary History of Tejano Corridos
Tank Ball explores the musical tradition of corridos at the U.S. - Mexico Border.
Episode: S1 E6 | 12:55
Watch • 14:27
Ritual
How River Baptisms Shaped Black Musical Tradition
Tank Ball discovers the significance of river baptisms for the Black community.
Episode: S1 E5 | 14:27
Watch • 12:07
Ritual
Uncovering the Power of Hoodoo: An Ancestral Journey
Tank Ball explores the spiritual practice of Hoodoo and the ritual of ancestral worship.
Episode: S1 E4 | 12:07
Watch • 13:31
Ritual
Inside Black New Orleans' Most Sacred Ritual
Tank Ball explores the Super Sunday ritual of Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans.
Episode: S1 E3 | 13:31
Watch • 12:48
Ritual
Why Does This Soup Symbolize Freedom for Haitians?
Join Tank Ball as she explores the Haitian Independence Day ritual of making soup joumou.
Episode: S1 E2 | 12:48
Latest Episodes
Watch • 14:29
Ritual
Inside One of the South’s Oldest Rituals
Tank Ball meets duck hunters and reexamines one of humanity’s oldest rituals - the hunt.
Episode: S1 E8 | 14:29
Watch • 11:01
Ritual
Inside the Revival of an Ancient Indigenous Ritual
Tank Ball learns about the sacred Green Corn Ceremony practiced by Indigenous communities.
Episode: S1 E7 | 11:01
Watch • 12:55
Ritual
Border Ballads: The Revolutionary History of Tejano Corridos
Tank Ball explores the musical tradition of corridos at the U.S. - Mexico Border.
Episode: S1 E6 | 12:55
Watch • 14:27
Ritual
How River Baptisms Shaped Black Musical Tradition
Tank Ball discovers the significance of river baptisms for the Black community.
Episode: S1 E5 | 14:27
Watch • 12:07
Ritual
Uncovering the Power of Hoodoo: An Ancestral Journey
Tank Ball explores the spiritual practice of Hoodoo and the ritual of ancestral worship.
Episode: S1 E4 | 12:07
Watch • 13:31
Ritual
Inside Black New Orleans' Most Sacred Ritual
Tank Ball explores the Super Sunday ritual of Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans.
Episode: S1 E3 | 13:31
Watch • 12:48
Ritual
Why Does This Soup Symbolize Freedom for Haitians?
Join Tank Ball as she explores the Haitian Independence Day ritual of making soup joumou.
Episode: S1 E2 | 12:48