Heritage of Power is the first book to establish the civil-rights legacy of Mary Ellen Pleasant, called "The Mother of Civil Rights in California." Did this daring woman of mystery really aid the abolitionist John Brown and study with New Orleans' most famous Voodoo queen, Marie LaVeaux? Did Pleasant receive a "Heritage of Power" from LaVeaux, and if so, what was it and how did it come about? This updated and expanded work captures the latest research to answer these questions and to unravel Mary Ellen Pleasant's story. It also demystifies LaVeaux's life and faith, Vodou/voodoo -- the unique, traditional religion that inspired the civil-rights accomplishments of both women.