Black Horror Journal

The Black Exorcist Drama: Abby Deserved Better

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:40:00 GMT

In this episode, we explore the legal drama that derailed "The Black Exorcist" and caused it to fall into obscurity until it resurfaced as "Abby," the story of a Christian woman possessed by a demon that ironically frees her, for a brief moment, from her life of being everything for everyone, possession through a patriarchal lens, and more.

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Abby 1974, The Black Exorcist, William Marshall, The Exorcist, Eshu

Research

"Abby" Full Movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvSwjBAYpp0&t=20s

Eshu - Yoruba Orisha

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eshu

https://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/26/archives/screen-abby-about-a-black-family-and-exorcism.htm

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/28/movies/carol-speed-dead.html?searchResultPosition=1

https://filmbunnies.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/abby-hoed-william-girdlers-abby-1974/

https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/521122/abby-is-not-your-rip-off-of-the-exorcist/

Sugar Hill: Supernatural Payback x A Brief History Of Voodoo

https://share.alivepodcastnetwork.com/sugar-hill-supernatural-payback-x-a-brief-history-of-voodoo

Mantan Moreland: The First Black Person To Die In A Horror Movie

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:46:00 GMT

In this episode, we take a look at Mantan Moreland, who became the first Black person to die in a modern mainstream horror movie. Moreland has a complicated legacy rooted in vaudeville and as the poster child for Black stereotypes in cinema, but his death in 1968's "Spider Baby," was symbolic of Hollywood's, and by extension, the world's troubling relationship with Black Lives in real life, and on film. We also explore how the erosion of censorship under the Hays Code and the end of the Civil Rights Era played roles in his career as well.

Black Horror Journal On Instagram

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Mantan Moreland, Bamboozled, Spider Baby, Duane Jones, Night of the Living Dead, Vaudville, Spook, Coon, Minstrel, Horror Movies, Black Horror, Black Guy Dies First, Horror Movie Tropes, Black History, Cinema History, Hays Code, Censorship

Research

On The Film That Introduced the Trope Of The Black Guy Dying First

The Hays Code

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Fought to Keep 'I Love Lucy' on Air Throughout Her Pregnancy

Spider Baby

Horror Noir: Blacks In American Horror From The 1890s To Present

10 Horror Movies That Shaped Black Horror History

Mantan the Funny Man: The Life and Times of Mantan Moreland

The Black Guy Dies First

5 Horror Movies We're Looking Forward To In 2026

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 21:26:00 GMT

The five movies and/or TV/serieses that we're looking forward to watching this year include, "They Will Kill You," "Ratchet," "Night Patrol," and more.

How Emmett Till's Lynching Inspired "The Twilight Zone"

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 01:16:00 GMT

Emmett Till takes a quick dive into how the lynching of Emmett Till in 1955 inspired then rising talent Rod Serling to create his iconic tv show, "The Twilight Zone."

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Emmett Till, The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling, Civil Rights Era

Research

https://www.history.com/articles/emmett-till

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/early-run-censors-led-rod-serling-twilight-zone-180971837/

https://www.ithaca.edu/node/45197#:~:text=Born%20in%20Syracuse%2C%20New%20York,the%20golden%20age%20of%20television.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/26/arts/television/jordan-peele-twilight-zone.html

https://leaguewriters.blogspot.com/2010/09/censorship-and-twilight-zone.html

When Cicely Tyson Was Ebenita Scrooge

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 22:32:00 GMT

How "A Christmas Carol," the classic Charles Dickens Christmas ghost story spawned remakes and reimaginings in unexpected ways, including a version that starred Cicely Tyson as the first Black woman to play Scrooge.

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A Christmas Carol, Cicely Tyson, Ebenita Scrooge, Ebony Scrooge, Vanessa L. Williams, A Diva's Christmas Carol

Research

https://www.history.com/articles/christmas-tradition-ghost-stories

https://www.jezebel.com/bah-herbug-a-history-of-female-scrooges-1793853705

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0694082/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270317/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130883/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0642719/

https://www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk/about/news/why-do-we-tell-ghost-stories-at-christmas/

https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/12/27/for-enslaved-people-the-holiday-season-was-a-time-for-revelry-and-a-brief-window-to-fight-back/

https://variety.com/1997/tv/reviews/ms-scrooge-1117329571/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9C4aaPDoYY

Robert Johnson: The First Member Of The Illuminati?

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:45:00 GMT

In this episode, we delve into the story of real-life Mississippi Delta blues legend Robert Johnson. He was a man whose life was shrouded in mystery and folklore that alleges he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for extraordinary music skills. He also inspired the character, "Sammie," from Ryan Couglar's "Sinners."

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Robert Johnson, Devil at the Crossroads, Blues, Blues History, Sinners, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi Delta Blues

Black Horror Journal Episode 2

10 Moments That Shaped Black Horror History

Research

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Johnson-American-musician

https://magnoliatribune.com/2023/07/13/robert-johnson-the-man-myth-legend-and-legacy/

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/06/music-monday-blues-robert-johnson-honeyboy-edwards/

https://www.americanbluesscene.com/robert-johnson-death-certificate/

Welcome to Haintland

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 13:00:00 GMT

In this episode, I interview author and editor Margeaux Weston. Margeaux has written several history books, and she recently launched Haintland on Substack, where she writes spooky tales rooted in the Southern Gothic. Here, we chat about her plans for making Haintland a place where other speculative authors and speculative enthusiasts can contribute to the community, how to write a good scary story, what the heck a haint is, anyway, and more.

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@BlackHorrorJournal on Instagram

@Starr_Rocque on Threads

@AuthorMargeaux on Threads

Haintland.Substack.com

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Haint, Voodoo, Hoodoo, Black Horror, Jordan Peele, American Horror Story, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Horror Writing

Sugar Hill: Supernatural Payback x A Brief History Of Voodoo

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 13:00:00 GMT

In this episode, we explore the cult classic Blaxploitation horror, "Sugar Hill" (1974), its depictions of voodoo, and a quick history of hoodoo vs voodoo.

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@BlackHorrorJournal on Instagram

@Starr_Rocque on Threads

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Available on all major podcast platforms.

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SEO Keywords

Sugar Hill 1974, Marki Bey, Richard Lawson, Voodoo, Vodun, Hoodoo, Zora Neale Hurston, Blaxploitation, Black Horror, Jordan Peele, Blaxploitation Horror, Blaxploitation music.

Research

https://www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/multicultural/traditions/voodoo/

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/claiming-space-when-happened-when-zora-neale-hurston-studied-voodoo-haiti/

https://womenscenter.umbc.edu/post/92522/

https://people.duke.edu/~ldbaker/classes/gradtheory/Hurston-HoodooAmerica-1931.pdf

Meet MultiMind

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 05:01:00 GMT

MultiMind is a self-published author whose latest book "The Harlequin" is a YA horror-themed book that explores themes of manipulation in romantic relationships, reimagines Tulsa, Oklahoma, and more. In addition to the book, she also chats queer representation in horror, grants for creatives, and more.

The Him Episode

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Did the demons in "HIM" give anyone else carnival and/or BAM DanceAfrica vibes? Anyway, this is my review of the movie. The Jordan Peele-produced, Justin Tipping-directed, and written movie is an allegory for what people are willing to sacrifice to become greats.

10 Moments That Shaped Black Horror History

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:00:17 GMT

In this episode, we explore Black Horror History 101 by breaking down 10 moments in TV/Film history that shaped the genre. We look at stereotypes, tropes, triumphs in storytelling, and more.

Octavia Butler Knew

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

In this inaugural episode of Black Horror Journal, host Starr Rocque discusses the brilliance of author Octavia Butler, how she predicted the chaotic times we are living in, and what listeners can expect on future episodes of Black Horror Journal.