It is said those who threw the first brick on And just as there's that education, there's also the education on whiteness. Invite students to study Warhols portrait of Marsha and learn about the, Invite students to learn more about the Stonewall Inn uprising by exploring the, A few days before her death, Marsha gave an interview in which she joked about the recent installment of a monument outside the Stonewall Inn. At her funeral, hundreds of people showed up at the church; it was so crowded that people stood on the street. We have to be having a holistic conversation on violence that not only talks about state violence but it also talks about the violence in our own homes, in our communities. Honey, I promise you, I'm not. Today, a look at how racism and transphobia have pushed Black trans women to the fringe of the gay rights movement and the movement for Black lives, and what's being done to change that. Johnson became known as much for her activism as for her attention-grabbing wardrobe, often complete with red plastic heels, colorful wigs and flowers and fruit in her hair. One morning, they returned to the truck just as it was pulling away with STAR residents sleeping inside. A decade later, Sylvia lost her battle to cancer. It was not easy to live on the margins. The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. The Historic New Orleans Collection, acc. 2022. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson. I just recently had a really hard conversation with my brother. As they watched their kids jump from a moving truck, Marsha and Sylvia realized they needed a real home. Once, she was even shot. Young trans women like Marsha were particularly vocal that night because they felt they had nothing to left to lose. Marsha P. Johnson Trymaine Lee: Last month, in the middle of Pride, thousands of people gathered in Brooklyn, New York for a rally for Black trans lives. The story of a transgender activist who participated in the Stonewall Uprising and fought for equal rights. According to NYC Mayor, Bill de Blasio, "putting up statues doesn't change everything, but it starts to change hearts and mindswe want to honor them because they lived their truth and they made history.[4] In addition to the monuments, Marsha P. Johnson State Park (previously East River State Park) in Brooklyn, NY has become the first state park in the state of New York to be dedicated to an LGBTQ person and a Trans woman of color. Together, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera continue to inspire the fight for justice that has not been won. When a Warhol screen-print of Marsha went on display in a Greenwich Village store, Marsha took some friends to see it. I mean, I think things have definitely shifted in the last few years of my career. As he entered activism, community organizing, and politics, Milk became known as a champion of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, minorities, immigrants, women, and children. She spoke publicly about her diagnosis and how people should not be afraid of those with the disease in a June 26, 1992 interview. Willis: First of all, anytime a celebrity tweets, I'm like, "How you got time for this?" Police are treating her death as a homicide. Diana Davies/Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library, By Alexandra Burgos for NPS Cultural Landscapes Program, [1] Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender woman, was a central figure in the gay liberation movement Are you Black first? Marsha P. Johnson at the First Christopher Street Liberation Day March, 1970. And it's not just Black trans women. On July 6, 1992, Marshas body was found floating in the Hudson River. Though her life was cut tragically short, Marsha's legacy remains an inspiration to us all. She asked Marsha to help her create a place where they could feel safe, unite, and fight for their rights. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Marsha P. Johnson I was involved with that.. And whatever I can do to use the bit of access I might have, or privilege, or platform to push the dignity of Black trans people, I'm gonna do it. Marsha taught Sylvia how to apply makeup, live on the street, and look out for trouble. 2022. I think when you're close to people it does hurt in a particular way. A performance artist who typically dresses up like a woman for entertainment purposes. In 2012, the New York Police Department reopened the case into Johnsons death. 1989-1990. Rivera later said of Johnson, she was like a mother to me. As Johnson had done for herself, she encouraged Rivera to love herself and her identity. And it's just a reminder that we've been here and it's a reminder we're gonna be here. We paid the rent. Although only 19, Rivera became a mother to many of the residents of STAR House. Rivera was born in New York City in 1951 to a father from Puerto Rico and a mother from Venezuela. You know, when I had this recent conversation with my brother, I left the conversation, you know, I was angry and I was tearful 'cause it does hurt. For me, I found joy in having a chance to connect with the people closest to me in new ways, in deeper ways, reminding myself to take a walk not only for exercise but for the fresh air. What opportunities did she find? Lee: Marsha P. Johnson was one of those women. But in the 1950s and 1960s, LGBTQ peoples rights were strictly limited. As the officers began to arrest people for violating various discriminatory laws, the patrons of the Stonewall fought back. She grabbed the microphone anyway, telling the spectators and other marchers, If it wasnt for the drag queen, there would be no gay liberation movement. That interview originally appeared on his show, Making Gay History. There are plenty of cis women who don't check off a lot of criterias that are considered womanhood. And from those earliest days, people had concerns about Black folks, brown folks, people who are incarcerated, and of course trans people because we were seen as not in line with some of the assimilationist goals of many of those early movement figures. New-York Historical Society Library. Marsha is one of many Black Trans What is it, do you think? The case involving Marshas death remained closed for decades. Rights for LGBTQ+ people were limited and sometimes ignored completely. Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor: Culinary Anthropologist, Dr. Wangari Maathai: The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Towards Hawaiian Sovereignty: Legacy of Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, Chronicles of American Women: Your History Makers, Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project, We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC, Learning Resources on Women's Political Participation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38099161, https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-sylvia-rivera, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/nyregion/sylvia-rivera-50-figure-in-birth-of-the-gay-liberation-movement.html, https://npg.si.edu/blog/welcome-collection-sylvia-rivera, https://ag.ny.gov/civil-rights/sonda-brochure, https://www.nps.gov/people/sylvia-rivera.htm, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/forgotten-latina-trailblazer-lgbt-activist-sylvia-rivera-n438586, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/, https://www.villagevoice.com/2002/02/26/a-woman-for-her-time/, https://www.out.com/pride/2019/5/21/how-sylvia-rivera-created-blueprint-transgender-organizing. Apr 21, 2023. I feel like what fuels a lot of the violence that may happen from Black men towards Black women comes from an innate feeling of not being man enough for whatever reason. Rivera frequently experienced homelessness and had problems with substance abuse. Sylvia Rivera, National Park Service,https://www.nps.gov/people/sylvia-rivera.htm. You know, we need the community organizers, and activists, and all those types of stories as well, and we don't often get that. Assigned male at birth, Johnson grew upin an African American, working-class family. Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson - Women & the American Marsha P. Johnson was a proud and outspoken member of the LGBTQ+ community before it was popular to be so. Wells, Anna Julia Cooper were sidelined as Black women. On multiple occasions, clients pulled guns on Marsha. Crowd: Black trans lives matter. Steve Lickteig is executive producer of audio. You know, I think about how more work needs to be done at our colleges and universities, in our Greek organizations, in our professional organizations, in the Congressional Black Caucus. As we celebrate Earth Day this year, may we reflect on the wise words of environmentalists, climate activists, faith leaders, lovers of nature, and the youth of the world. says peoples pronouns should You say Marsha P. Johnson, and people who don't know, she was so about it, right, and so about the work. Silvia Rivera died of liver cancer in St. Vincents Manhattan Hospital in 2002 at the age of 50. And that's just not okay. The riots had already started. There are many competing stories about what Johnson did during the raid on the Stonewall Inn, but it is clear she was on the front lines. (LAUGH) I almost don't--, Lee: Right. WebMarsha P. Search streaming video, audio, and text content for academic, public, and K-12 institutions. She started Transy House, modeled off STAR House, in 1997 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. But in this moment, in the fight for trans equality, is it more important to grow allies in the Black community or allies with other women? reinc: The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. We lose a lot of nuance there. Original music by Hannis Brown. Transcript: Into Black Trans Liberation - MSNBC.com We can educate you, learn the history. Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera - National Park Service Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992), Women & the American Story, New-York Historical Society. Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it. In another, she climbed a lamppost and dropped a heavy purse onto a police car, shattering the windshield. But the impact of STAR had already been felt by many. Oportunidades Iguales Para Las Mujeres En El Trabajo y La Educaccion, Womens Strike for Equality, New York, Fifth Avenue, 1970, Eugene Gordon photograph collection, 1970-1990. I don't relish in these ideas of being the first, or being a token, or being an only. Well, I know how to handle them. In 2021, New York City will unveil a monument to Rivera and Johnson. Marsha P. Johnson was a proud and outspoken member of the LGBTQ+ community before it was popular to be so. The first Gay Pride Parade took place in 1970 and a series of gay rights groupsincluding the Gay Liberation Front, a more radical organization, and the Gay Activist Alliance, a more moderate and focused spin-off groupemerged. She was often abused by clients and arrested by the police. Episode The Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA), New York State Office of the Attorney General,https://ag.ny.gov/civil-rights/sonda-brochure. And we were all out there. Darling, I want my gay rights now. We kept the building going. We don't really talk about how we have our own conceptions of which victims are worthy of our empathy. [5]Brooklyns East River State Park renamed in honor of late LGBTQ activist and trans icon Marsha P. Johnson, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, "From the Vault: Sylvia Rivera & Marsha P. Johnson, 1970," Making Gay History Podcast, Marsha P. Johnsons Activism Matters Now More Than Ever, Site Renderings for Marsha P. Johnson State Park, LGBTQ America: A Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History, "These transgender icons will be the first to get statues in the US", "'The Death And Life Of Marsha P. Johnson' Shows Fight For Social Justice Isn't Finished", "Two Transgender Activists Are Getting a Monument in New York", Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender woman, was a central figure in the gay liberation movement, Two Transgender Activists Are Getting a Monument in New York, These transgender icons will be the first to get statues in the US, The transgender women at Stonewall were pushed out of the gay rights movement. There's only one thing they want to get up your dress. CNN She also reconciled with the gay rights movement that was now expanding to embrace the LGBTQ+ community. Is there a confluence there? And I think that we have to be able to hold that. To celebrate Pride month and to honor the current protests in our country, here are nine of Marsha P. Johnson's most timeless quotes. A heads up: some of the fan-made artwork is available for purchase and goes towards a good cause. RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU "I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville, until I became a drag queen." It was written, directed, and produced by Tourmaline and Sasha Hey, Marsha. To make ends meet, she became a sex worker often getting arrested, losing count after the 100th incident. The best email in your inbox.Filled with the days best good news. Willis: I definitely think that names like Marsha P. Johnson were forgotten intentionally. Subscribers get each new issue of the Goodnewspaper mailed to their home, get exclusive discounts for do-good brands, fill the world with more good news, and more. So it has been intentional, and it is still intentional today. Currently, LGTBQ+ monuments are not among the Citys public statues. Mostly white cisgender gay men, but also cisgender lesbians as well. We know that homophobia and transphobia knows no bounds. Transpeople were more likely to be homeless and targeted by police. Marshas whole life seemed to be a balance between popularity and exclusion. Meilan Solly, New York City Monument Will Honor Transgender Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Smithsonian Magazine, June 3, 2019, Hugh Ryan, Power to the People: Exploring Marsha P. Johnsons Queer Liberation,. The Stonewall Inn uprising was also a turning point in the visibility of the gay rights movement. The new monuments and dedicated state park mark powerful steps toward recognizing and amplifying the voices of people who have changed history in their fight for equality, but much remains to be done.
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