Witches, Civil Rights and October

I love October. I have a birthday this month and of course Halloween is coming up! There’s something special about the changing of the seasons and moments of reflection that I associate with October - and of course, that includes witches and magic!

I love to dress up as a witch for Halloween! Don’t you? I love to partake in seasonal traditions that have pagan roots and folk magic.

Of course, along with the fun of modern witchcraft, folk magic and dress-up witches, we also remember that not all witch hunts are over and that not all modern-day witches are experiencing the civic rights that all human beings should be entitled to, but don’t always have.

The middle school civics students (including some who identify as modern-day witches) who are interviewed in THE LAST WITCH describe issues like bullying, the stress of mental health afflictions, women’s rights and other attacks on democratic rights that they connect to Elizabeth Johnson Jr’s journey to exoneration.

The students’ passion and tenacity show us why the connection between witches then and now cannot be disconnected from civic education, a theme that is prominent in THE LAST WITCH. That is one treat that we never want to give up!