Jackson, Julia (fl. 19th c.)
Jackson, Julia (fl. 19th c.)
Voodoo woman of New Orleans. Flourished in the 19th century.
In 19th-century New Orleans, Julia Jackson was one of the most notorious practitioners of voodoo, a form of animism involving sorcery, fetishes, and trances. A resident of the city's red-light district known as Storyville, Jackson reportedly stood six feet tall, was cross-eyed, and possessed incredible skills, including the ability to cause spontaneous pregnancies or abortions. New Orleans' prostitutes feared her most, however, for her alleged "sealing power," the voodoo to induce a case of venereal disease that could put a lady of the night out of business. The Storyville prostitutes, known for their in-fighting, would often taunt a rival with threats to hire Jackson to "close her up."