Millie Jackson: A Priestess of Black Vulgarity and Pleasure

Abstract: Through a biographical sketch of multi-genre artist Mildred “Millie” Jackson using her vinyl album artwork and performances, this article explores the ways that overt vulgarity renegotiates the politics of respectability—a common point of tension in Black feminist and hip-hop feminist scholarship on sex and sexuality. I argue that Millie Jackson collapses the Black axiom “a lady in the streets and a freak in the sheets” into performances of vulgarity for mixed audiences and adult listening, wherein she crafts erotic play possibilities for her listeners. Her erotic play and straight talk embolden listeners to find pleasure and enjoy sex.