The word "Hoodoo" is a term commonly used by the African diaspora, to refer to various forms of African-based systems of magic, spiritual and medicinal healing, and "hexing," via the use of primarily roots and herbs.
It originally was one of several perjorative lables used by whites to refer to all African Traditional Religions originating out of Africa; particularly the ancient ancestral Vodoun traditions of the West Coastal Africans. It eventually came into popular usage in America to refer to a specific system of ethnobotanical "root" magic and foklore practiced laregly by the African, Native American and Latino diaspora.
The Ancient African Origins of "Hoodoo" is actually derived from a complete, highly developed, and very powerful system of magico-herbal knowledge and spiritual mastery, intimately connected with the Spirits (Vodou), and carved images used to represent them, and the human Se (soul) known as "Bochio". This knowledge was particularly mastered by most Africans who inhabited what has been commonly known as the Guinea Coast, all the way to Nigeria and the Bight of Benin (Ghana, Ivory Coast,Togo, Angola Senegal etc.) It is from these African populations in particular (Fon, Ewe, Yoruba, Kongo(Angola) based groups) who carried this knowledge and tradition with them during their forced migration to the New World.