And then the last thing I'll say is, you know, you brought up the contours of womanhood. But I don't know if we'll even completely know we're in a revolution probably until maybe it's almost over, right? She wanted to protect young transpeople living on the street by giving them a home. You know, we need the community organizers, and activists, and all those types of stories as well, and we don't often get that. WebMARSHA P JOHNSON SAVES BOY Randolfe Wicker 633 views 10 years ago Trans Women of Color and the Stonewall Riots Rachel Simon 1.7K views 7 years ago Darling, I want my gay rights now. The monuments are dedicated to their legacy and to share their stories for generations to come. How have Indigenous people exercised sovereignty and self-determination in the modern world? Willis: I don't think so. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. In the 1970s, Johnson experienced a series of mental health breakdowns and spent time in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Date accessed. Marsha P. Johnsons Best Friend Was A Fellow Pioneer,Vogue UK, June 13, 2020,https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-sylvia-rivera. 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? Marsha P. Johnson at the First Christopher Street Liberation Day March, 1970. Something went wrong while submitting the form. I just recently had a really hard conversation with my brother. Lee: Raquel, thank you so much for joining me. WebIn 1963, Rivera met Marsha P. Johnson and it changed her life. That interview originally appeared on his show, Making Gay History. 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. She actively spoke out about the transphobia in the early gay rights movement. The LGBTQ community was furious the police did not investigate her death. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. Shes said that the town had zero tolerance for LGBTQ people and as a Marsha P. Johnson was an African-American, activist from New Jersey, whose work in the 1960's and 70's had a huge impact on the LGBTQ+ community. Willis: The way that I navigate these spaces shifts. Johnsons father worked on the General Motors Assembly Line in Linden, NJ and her mother was a housekeeper. On July 6, 1992, Marshas body was found floating in the Hudson River. Oh, there was a lot of little chants we used to do in those days. But in the 1950s and 1960s, LGBTQ peoples rights were strictly limited. Note: Marshas life story includes a large amount of vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to teachers and students. Lee: And I don't want to necessarily use the word hurt. She used she/her pronouns. Marsha was part of a growing community of LGBTQ youth who sought acceptance in New York City. But in the 1950s and 1960s, LGBTQ peoples rights were strictly limited. For example, dancing with a person of the same sex as well as cross-dressing were illegal. It will be the citysand according to New York City, the worldsfirst monument dedicated to transgender individuals. So you can't really say that womanhood is based in the ability to procreate as a woman. Their tireless efforts continue to resonate as issues surrounding the health, safety, and autonomy of Black, Brown, and Indigenous Trans women are still challenged. It is said those who threw the first brick on While there are many conflicting stories about the uprisings start, it is clear that Marsha was on the front lines. Lee: We're in this moment here where there is so much energy around the Black Lives Matter movement. She was an advocate Emma Rothberg, Sylvia Rivera, National Womens History Museum, 2021. Marsha P I mean, I think things have definitely shifted in the last few years of my career. Cemetery Name: Marsha P. Johnson grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with her mother. There's this idea that because we are openly gender nonconforming or having an openly different gender experience that we deserve the abuse that we may receive, and that's just not okay. I mean, I wish I could say yes, but Black cis folks are not doing enough. So, I mean, there are so many ways in which the argument against trans women being women also erases swaths of cisgender women who don't have those particular experiences. When the organizers of the gay pride parade tried to ban STAR, they showed up anyway. (CHEERING). As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music. Hope y'all enjoy the long holiday weekend. Willis: I think a lot of it is proximity. Gertrude Kasebier (photographer), Zitkala Sa, Sioux Indian and activist, c. 1898. New York State still persecuted gay people and frequently criminalized their activities and presence. At the time, 1992 was the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ violence according to the New York Anti-Violence Project. She also encouraged Sylvia to love herself and her identity. How did Marsha feel about this? Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. However, Johnson also found a community in the city, especially after meeting Latina drag queen Sylvia Rivera. Though she struggled with mental health issues, Johnson was beloved for her charismatic persona. A monument dedicated to Marsha P Johnson, the late African-American transgender activist and pioneer, will be unveiled in New York in 2021. Dunlap, David W., Sylvia Rivera, 50, Figure in Birth of the Gay Liberation Movement,New York Times, February 20, 2002,https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/nyregion/sylvia-rivera-50-figure-in-birth-of-the-gay-liberation-movement.html. Her friend Johnson brought her to the hospital and helped her get healthy again. I never do it seriously. Marsha P. Johnson, We have to be visible. Trymaine Lee: Last month, in the middle of Pride, thousands of people gathered in Brooklyn, New York for a rally for Black trans lives. So thank you very much for your time. Quiz Bowl 2023 - 1A Sacred Heart vs. Norfork - PBS 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." Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera - National Park Service In 2019, New York City announced that Marsha P. Johnson, along with Rivera, would be the subject of a monument commissioned by the Public Arts Campaign She Built NYC. The monument will be the first in NYC to honor transgender women. It wasnt commonly used until the 1990s. And that fearless attitude exemplifies how the Black transgender activist lived her life, leading the charge for LGBTQ+ rights every step of the way and helping instigate the Stonewall Inn uprising that sparked the gay pride movement. Content Warning: This resource addresses physical and sexual violence. Willis: Well, you know what is interesting is we've gotta get out of this space of thinking that transgender people are having some kind of magically different gender experience. I mean, I think about the early feminist movement and how people like Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Willis: Right. At her funeral, hundreds of people showed up at the church; it was so crowded that people stood on the street. In 1973, Rivera participated in the Gay Pride Parade but was not allowed to speak, despite the amount of work and advocacy she had done. Lee: I'm Trymaine Lee, and this is Into America. Jarena Lee, 1849. She was assigned male at birth. That is a gender issue. Lee: Are we seeing that? IE 11 is not supported. In 1990, Johnson was diagnosed with H.I.V. University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center. In 2020, New York State named a waterfront park in Brooklyn after Marsha. Lee: Speaking of white women, that's a perfect segue. Once, she was even shot. Sometimes, the strangers were violent. Like, we all carry insecurities about our gender, about who we are and who we're supposed to be in the world. A person who does not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. And we were all out there. The police officers ruled her death a suicide. I got a chance to talk with Raquel Willis, a Black transgender activist and the director of communications for the Ms. Foundation, a nonprofit fighting for women's rights. But the impact of STAR had already been felt by many. She remains one of the most recognized and admired LGBTQ+ advocates. Crowd: Black trans lives matter. Nicols Enrquez de Vargas (artist), Portrait of Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz, ca. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Ask them to think about the kind of monument or memorial they would want to create for Marsha, based on her life story. Marsha was often alone with strangers in hotel rooms and cars. Since then, Marsha has become an icon of the transgender community. She was excited about the work but frustrated at how white gay men and lesbians dominated the conversation. Marshas friends and acquaintances strongly disagreed. By following year, the first gay pride parades took place, and Johnson and Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) to house, feed and clothe young transgender people. Lee: You know, I don't want to either/or it or make it too reductive or too simple. 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. You might know King as the wife of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., however, her legacy extends far beyond the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s.. The Stonewall Inn uprising was also a turning point in the visibility of the gay rights movement. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. series. A term to describe people who wear clothes designed for the opposite sex. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. She gave people clothes and food, even though she had little of her own. We have an issue particularly in media where we often get to be either victims, of course, and not alive, or we're a superstar or celebrity. 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. Lee: Religious Experience and Journal of Mrs. Jarena Lee: giving an account of her call to preach the gospel, frontispiece. As the gay liberation movement became increasingly white, middle class, and cisgender, STAR reminded everyone that transgender and gender non-conforming people deserved equal rights too. Rivera had an incredibly difficult childhood. Marsha P Johnson, born 24 August, 1945, holds a special place within the LGBTQ+ community for her larger-than-life spirit and trans rights activism. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. The group became a space to organize and discuss issues facing the transgender community in New York City and they also had a building, STAR House, that provided lodgings for those who needed it. The City intends to have the monuments installed by 2021, as part of a plan to address gender gaps in public art. Wells, Anna Julia Cooper were sidelined as Black women. Her lavish outfits were often made from thrift store finds, gifts from friends, and items she found on the street. The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. Other times, it seems like the vulnerabilities and the layer of vulnerabilities that Black trans people find themselves in are those layers of vulnerability that many Black people face: poverty, abuse and trauma. It's not entirely different from how women and girls of all experiences face not being seen as competent, intelligent, brilliant, and capability of leadership. And that's also something that Black cisgender and straight people need to understand as well. Regardless of the true nature of her death, she was a victim of violence, including police brutality, throughout her life. Even when she found work waiting tables or performing in drag shows, she still made most of her money as a sex worker. That night, police officers raided the gay bar. Apr 21, 2023. This video was created by the New-York Historical Society Teen Leaders in collaboration with the Untold project. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Now they are getting a statue in New York #RFK Presidential Announcement w/ Shannon Joy. 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. And when you think about people like J.K. Rowling, and I want to read this quote, she said, quote, "If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased." As the fifth of seven children of a General Motors assembly line worker and a housekeeper, Johnson was about five years old when she began wearing dresses, but was often harassed by other children. In another, she climbed a lamppost and dropped a heavy purse onto a police car, shattering the windshield. You really can't have either one without the other. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City. What does this make you think and feel? Rivera explained in 1998 that she and Johnson decided it was time to help each other and help our other kids. The Rudy Grillo Collection, Rudy Grillo / LGBT Community Center Archive. Lee: We got COVID-19, white supremacy, uprisings. And the circumstances around his case admittedly are very murky. Her father was absent and her mother died by suicide when Rivera was 3 years old. Well, I know how to handle them. A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams was on the frontline of the settlement house movement and was the first American woman to wina Nobel Peace Prize. Rivera ran away from home at age 11 and became a victim of sexual exploitation around 42nd Street. I really appreciate it. She was often abused by clients and arrested by the police. Solly, Meilan, New York City Monument Will Honor Transgender Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Smithsonianmag.org, June 3, 2019,https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/. And people don't want to say that because I think there's this idea that the biggest enemy is white supremacy, but that is a fallacy. Here are 14 quotes from Johnson that capture her spirit and endless passion for LGBTQ+ rights: On Coming of Age: I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I became a drag queen. WebIn December 1970, Liza Cowan of WBAI sat down with membersation a the newly formed Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (or S She questioned where transgender people fit in. I don't trust men that much anymore., On the Fight for Freedom: No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us., On Her Reputation: I know people think Im a stupid little street queen out there begging for change cause theres nothing else she knows how to do., On Gender Roles: I'm very comfortable around straight men. 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. Show all 45 During her speech at her New York gig, the "Born This Way" singer also celebrated transgender activist Marsha P Johnson, who played a pivotal role in the Stonewall riots. But I will say I don't think that this is just a moment for Black trans people. Rivera said in a 1995 interview with The New York Times of participating in this parade, the movement had put me on the shelf, but they took me down and dusted me offStill, it was beautiful. To wear clothes typically associated with a different sex and is most commonly used to describe men who wear make-up and womens clothing. No matter how marginalized you are, you can still be an oppressor. Marsha P. Johnson | National Women's History Museum Like, it's hard to know in the moment. Were the front-liners. She was booed off the stage. Date accessed. New-York Historical Society Library. Lee: What do you think it would take to get that kind of allegiance, especially among Black folks, right? However, young Marsha enjoyed wearing clothing made for girls. In one account, she started the uprising by throwing a shot glass at a mirror. The Sylvia Rivera Law Project continues her legacy, working to guarantee all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. The intersection of Christopher and Hudson streets in Greenwich Village, two blocks from The Stonewall Inn, was renamed Sylvia Rivera Way. In 2015, a portrait of Rivera was added to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., making her the first transgender activist to be included in the gallery. Acronym for Auto Immune Deficiency Disorder. Because as a Black trans woman, you telling me you want to abolish the police or you telling me you want to abolish prisons, that you want to defund the police doesn't necessarily put me completely at ease because I know that I could still be and am likely to be harmed by men in our communities, particularly Black cishet men. Mostly white cisgender gay men, but also cisgender lesbians as well. Sylvia was a Puerto Rican trans woman who was also new to New York. Pay It No Mind: Marsha P. Johnson | Alexander Street, part of Marsha P. Johnson (U.S. National Park Service) Black trans women continue to face disproportionate levels of violence. In June of 2019, just as New York City was entering their month of Pride celebrations, the City announced its plans to build two monuments honoring the late Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera for their lifelong commitment to ending oppression for marginalized communities. She took on the name "Black Marsha," and eventually added on her famous middle initial and took her last name from a Howard Johnson restaurant she frequented. To honor Johnsons life, public art will be included and interpretive park signage throughout the park will share her story. Johnson: We just were saying, "No more police brutality," and, oh, "We had enough of police harassment in the Village and other places." And so we've got to understand that. (LAUGH) I almost don't--, Lee: Right. 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. I've also been planting and reminding myself through gardening indoors, I guess, that regardless of what happens, growth is still possible. The first pride parades started in 1970, but Rivera and other transgender people were discriminated against and discouraged from participating. She started Transy House, modeled off STAR House, in 1997 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. And I didn't get downtown till about 2:00. Johnson also became an AIDS activist, later revealing in a 1992 interview that she had been HIV-positive for two years. Look no further than our guide. You know, and so when I think about the murders of Black trans women at the hands of Black cis men, I'm very particular about how and when and where I have those conversations because inevitably what is happening to us will be used in the service of white supremacy against Blackness writ large. I think about our media outlets and how often we don't have spaces like this, Trymaine, where a Black trans woman can come on and be in dialogue with a Black cis man about the state of the world. And you said, "Let today be the last day that you ever doubt Black trans power.". And that's just not okay. Though her life was cut tragically short, Marsha's legacy remains an inspiration to us all. 1890. I found a little bit of joy having this complex, smart conversation with you. Marsha is one of many Black Trans 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 . She began performing with the drag group, Hot Peaches. She attracted the attention of many, including the pop artist Andy Warhol who included her in a series of prints in 1975 entitled Ladies and Gentlemen. In an interview Johnson did for a 1972 book, she said her ambition was to see gay people liberated and free and to have equal rights that other people have in America. She wanted to see her gay brothers and sisters out of jail and on the streets again. In another interview, she said as long as gay people dont have their rights all across Americathere is no reason for celebration. In 1980, she was invited to ride in the lead car of the Gay Pride Parade in New York City. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Marsha P. Johnson. National Womens History Museum, 2022. Well never share your email with anyone else. Marsha was neither the first nor the last trans woman of color to be a victim of violence. She also found work waiting tables and performing in drag shows. She was sometimes homeless and living on the streets but almost always present for decades. Marsha P. Johnson was and is a woman impossible to forget. She was an activist, a sex worker, a drag performer, and even a model for Andy Warhol. She was at the forefront of pivotal moments in modern history. But when it comes to Black trans life and death and the violence heaped upon them, it comes likely from inside the community. Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. And it was an impressive sight. Rivera said of Johnson that she was like a mother to me. The two were actively involved in the Stonewall Inn uprising on June 28, 1969 when patrons of the Stonewall Inna gay bar in Greenwich Village in lower Manhattanrebuffed a police raid and set a new tone for the gay rights movement. Invite students to research the ways in which Marshas legacy is being remembered today. Steve Lickteig is executive producer of audio. But how are you finding joy in this moment? Raised by her grandmother, Rivera began experimenting with clothing and makeup at a young age. How can food be used as a form of cultural memory & resistance? You know, at every level there's a systemic transphobia that is not being addressed. When they could no longer pay, they were evicted. What was STAR, and why was it so important? WebHappy Birthday, Marsha! Willis: Of course. Assigned male at birth, Johnson grew upin an African American, working-class family.
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