Origin - Roots
Mahalia Jackson's roots: A family history
Mahalia Jackson, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, came from a humble background and had deep family roots that stretched back to slavery. Her life was marked by loss, hardship, and the search for comfort and recognition through her extraordinary voice.
Parents and birth
Mahalia Jackson's mother was Charity Clark, who died of a chronic illness when Mahalia was five years old. Her father was Johnny Jackson, a dock worker, barber, and preacher. Her parents were not married and lived apart. Johnny Jackson was a largely absent father who had another family. The Jackson family initially kept their distance from Mahalia until her singing made her famous. While most sources describe her parents as African American, one source describes her mother as Creole and her father as Native American.
Mahalia was born with bow legs and an eye infection, which earned her the nickname "Fishhooks." Despite her physical limitations, she was active in sports. The family lived in poverty, and Mahalia's education was interrupted because she had to start working at an early age. She often felt lonely and uprooted and found solace in singing.
Siblings and half-siblings
Mahalia had an older half-brother on her mother's side, Roosevelt "Peter" Hunter, and a younger brother, William, who also lived with Aunt Duke. Her father had other children with other women, including Johnny Jackson, Yvonne, Pearl, and Wilmon.
Grandparents and ancestors
Both sets of Mahalia's grandparents were born into slavery. Her maternal grandparents, Paul Clark and Celia Clark (née Fiendley), were field workers on the Gumstump cotton plantation in Louisiana. After their emancipation, they remained on the land as sharecroppers. Paul Clark's father was the coachman and his mother was the cook on the plantation. Her paternal grandparents were slaves on a rice plantation. Her grandfather Andrew Jackson was a part-time pastor and recognized Mahalia's singing talent early on. After the Civil War, they moved to New Orleans. Her paternal great-grandmother, Sarah Lemore, lived to be 104 years old.
Childhood and living situation
After her mother's death, Mahalia was taken in by her aunt Mahala "Duke" Paul (Aunt Duke) and her husband Emanuel Paul. Aunt Duke, the matriarch of the family, ruled over an often crowded three-room house on Water Street in New Orleans, where up to 13 people lived at times. Mahalia had to help with household chores such as scrubbing, washing, and ironing from an early age and look after her cousins' children. She grew up under Aunt Duke's strict discipline, whose harshness often crossed the line.
Mahalia grew up listening to jazz and blues, hearing artists such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. Her paternal cousins were entertainers who toured with Ma Rainey and invited Mahalia to join them, but her aunt Duke forbade it.
Other family members
The "seven sisters" of Charity Clark, including Aunt Duke, Isabelle ("Bell"), Hannah, Alice ("Big Alice"), Rhoda, and Bessie, played a formative role in Mahalia's life. Mahalia later supported many family members financially.
©Thilo Plaesser