Haunts and Haints is my personal archive of Black stories, rooted in Black oral history, memory, and folklore that I am elated to share with you. Inspired by The Great Zora Neale Hurston and her work on Mules and Men, I travel to Black cities and communities collecting what we carry — the stories we tell, and the ones that follow us.
EVERY STORY
HAS A ROOT
Where memory, myth, and the dead speak freely.
The Watermelon Fields of Oxblood, now called Lenox
The key to the Maxwell Fortune
Portrait of The Dustfinger Sisters (allegedly)
Leo Putz “Tanzende schwarze Frauen”
I’m an avid folklorist, and Professor and Lover of Black American history.
I came to Stantonville, this time, for my cousin's wedding. The City's historical archive gave me reason to stay even though…
Anyway, Stantonville is the kind of place that doesn’t just preserve history — it breathes it. I was here every summer as a child, and I even teach at SSU as an adjunct professor, but it’s different now. Now, it was less about summer break and teaching, and more about exploring the history and lore of the city, which was inspired by what happened at my cousin's wedding…
The first night, after the rehearsal dinner at the McCall Brooks Legacy Club, I swung back into the banquet room to grab my blazer.
Hear the Rest of the Story
Hi, I'm Gio
1
LISTEN NOW!
Haunts and Haints started
as a research project.
It’s become a record — of what we inherit, of what we bury, and of what refuses to stay quiet. During this podcast, you will hear directly from Stantonville residents. These aren’t just ghost stories. They’re warnings. Lineage. Living folklore.And I’m still trying to figure out what’s following me.
Molasson¹ - According to the Stantonville Historical Society
MOLASSON
Troubler
Parties, repasts, birthdays, brunch…any place of joy is where you may find the Molasson. Always just after the celebration peaks — The Molasson moves like memory: charming, familiar, out of step.
It pretends to be human to the joyful. He offers sweetness — always offered when your guard is down. A second slice of cake. One last dance. A sweeter goodbye.
But what he gives always spoils. Joy curdles. Plants wilt. Luck turns bitter. And sometimes, those you love begin to wither too. His curse spreads slowly. The more you try to reclaim joy, the more it slips away.
He especially favors those who are newly in love, freshly healed, or finally starting to feel whole again.
Signs it’s near: Burnt sugar in the air/vanilla and tobacco A second helping you didn’t ask for. A shadow two-stepping just out of sync
Warning: Never accept seconds at a sacred table unless you know who served you.
and the foolhardy
a word to the wise...
EPISODE ZERO
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WATCH YA MOUF
EPISODES
please
call me back
HAG
DO YOU, BOO
Do You, BooHag
written and directed by Jewel Marin Terry
CAST
Lotte
Jewel Marin Terry
Ife
Samantha Maxwell
Auntie
Nikki Thompson
Ammara
JL Woodson
Dani
Jae Gilyard
Friend
Teneal Boone
A young woman must learn to love the skin she’s in.
nah.
Sleep paralysis?
see with your eyes, not your hands
See with Your Eyes, Not Your Hands
written and directed by Joe Hernandez
CAST
Martin
Jamison Moore
Lauren
Ishtar El
Old Man Brandon
Emre Fakioglu
Emily
Alex Lamar
When an out-of-town pianist and his wife have to crash at a local hotel, he's tempted to break the only house rule, which costs him the things he loves most.
DON'T CALL ME no more
who all gon be there?
october in stantonville
October in Stantonville
Who All Gon Be There
written and directed by Jae Gilyard
CAST
Gio
Deon Releford Lee
You're not, but I've got you covered! While the entire state of Stantonville celebrates in various ways, I've highlighted some of my favorite events. Hope to see you out there, and remember.
Respect the season.
best experienced in headphones
something to cry fo'
Something to Cry Fo'
written and directed by Victoria M. Medina
CAST
Annalise/Young Annalise
Samantha Maxwell
Clifford/Skreech
Rashad Ahmad
Cade
Robert Banks, Jr.
A young girl spends the summer with her estranged grandfather on his secluded farm, where family folktales and night terrors begin to bleed into her waking world.
GIO'S STORY
DEARLY BELOVED
Dearly Beloved, Gio's Story
written & directed by Jae Gilyard
CAST
Gio
Deon Releford Lee
When Gio returns to Stantonville for his cousin’s wedding, he expects family, food, and a little too much line dancing—not a haint story. But joy has a way of calling old spirits home. At the McCall Brooks Legacy Club, a second slice of cake appears on his plate...one nobody served.
That night, the scent of burnt sugar and tobacco follows him into his dreams. A haint drawn to celebration and sweetness that sticks shows up uninvited. Some things in Stantonville don’t bring death.
They bring desire—and that can be far worse.
best experienced in headphones
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
Caught Red-Handed
written and directed by Madison Nicole
CAST
Kaleigh/Young Kaleigh
Jewel Marin Terry
Mama Blackberry
Peace Bakwega
Layton
Alycia Baldwin
Mary
Jae Gilyard
Momma
Genesis Graves
One unruly night changes everything for Kaleigh and her two sisters, Mary and Layton, when their father wins a blind goat at the Harold & Fell Circus.
Best experienced in Headphones 🎧
HAINT WHAT IT SEEMS...
Haint What It Seems...
written and directed by Maya Duckett
& Jewel Marin Terry
CAST
Harriet/Young and College Harriet
Monica Lomas
Mom/Shuri/Ancestors
Tracey Lenhardt
Taylor
JL Woodson
When a respected Afro-folklore anthropologist shares her family’s haunting encounters with ancestral spirits, Taylor uncovers a chilling truth—their guest may not she says she is.
tell the truth,
shame the devil
Tell the Truth,
Shame the Devil
written by Sierra Lawson
directed by Jae Gilyard
CAST
Sami/May/Dustfinger Sister 2
JL Woodson
Dustfinger Sister 1
Jae Gilyard
A descendant of The Poppy Family, one of Stantonville's founding families, is here to set the record straight, especially about them damn Maxwells.
wade in the water
trouble the water
Trouble the Water
written and directed by Nina Isotrope
CAST
Fanuke
Jarius Jones
Fatou
Alycia Baldwin
Gaia
Ishtar El
Job/
Rashad Ahmad
When an out-of-town pianist and his wife has to crash at a local hotel, he's tempted to break the only house rule, which costs him the thing he loves most.
a hit dog will holler
A Hit Dog Will Holler
written and directed by Patience Rozier
CAST
Tian
JL Woodson
A young woman comes to terms with the disappearance of her childhood best friend following a spiritual encounter.
play stupid games
Play Stupid Games
written and directed by Kalani Washington
CAST
Trey/Young Trey
Robert Damisch
Girl/Agnes
Kalani Washington
Mom
Nikki Thompson
A young girl spends the summer with her estranged grandfather on his secluded farm, where family folktales and night terrors begin to bleed into her waking world.
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