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. The first STAR House was in the back of an abandoned truck in Greenwich Village. How do you actually navigate those spaces? As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music. Transpeople were more likely to be homeless and targeted by police. 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. To wear clothes typically associated with a different sex and is most commonly used to describe men who wear make-up and womens clothing. 1750. Marsha P. Johnson. National Womens History Museum. Are we seeing a little bit of that now? There's still a lot of behind-the-scenes educating that has to happen for cis people who don't understand transness or gender nonconformity. The monuments are dedicated to their legacy and to share their stories for generations to come. Willis: I think it's all of the above. On multiple occasions, clients pulled guns on Marsha. The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. Sylvia Rivera | National Women's History Museum Throughout her life, she fought against the exclusion of transgender people, especially transgender people of color, from the larger movement for gay rights. The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. 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. Oh, there was a lot of little chants we used to do in those days. In 2021, New York City will unveil a monument to Rivera and Johnson. Susan Devaney, Marsha P Johnsons Activism Matters Now More than Ever, Vogue UK, June 6, 2020, https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-marsha-p-johnson, Meilan Solly, New York City Monument Will Honor Transgender Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Smithsonian Magazine, June 3, 2019, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/, Hugh Ryan, Power to the People: Exploring Marsha P. Johnsons Queer Liberation, Out, August 24, 2017, https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2017/8/24/power-people-exploring-marsha-p-johnsons-queer-liberation, Sewall Chan, Marsha P. Johnson, Overlooked, The New York Times, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-marsha-p-johnson.html?mtrref=&mtrref=undefined&gwh=7FAC77AD0450CB8215713140B8184F62&gwt=regi&assetType=REGIWALL. Marshas whole life seemed to be a balance between popularity and exclusion. Special thanks to Eric Marcus, founder and host of the podcast Making Gay History, for the use of his 1989 interview with Marsha P. Johnson. The Stonewall uprising was an awakening for an entire generation of LGBTQ activists. Willis: I don't think so. WebTo the brave souls who came before us, Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Harvey Milk, Audre Lord, and igniting the fight for all of us. Lee: I think people have a pretty decent grasp of lesbian, gay, bi. But then the fact that she had the energy to use her platform to demonize trans people, demonize a more marginalized group of women is problematic to me, but it's also emblematic of white womanhood. IE 11 is not supported. And yet we have to contend with the fact that even if there was a clear story, which there rarely is for any victim, particularly if you're Black, he would not have gotten any more attention from most people because people have a bias against trans folks. The film stars Mya Taylor as Johnson and Eve Lindley as Rivera.. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, mission specialist, carries her son Wilson Miles-Ochoa following the STS-96 crew return at Ellington Field. Screen excerpts from this film so that students can hear directly from Marsha and the people in her life. Why do you think they were so close? Sylvia Rivera. National Womens History Museum, 2021. So people like Marsha P. Johnson, Zazu Nova, a Black trans elder who's still with us named Miss Major were present there and were actively invested in the fight that sprang out of that moment. Once back in the city, Rivera got involved again with the fight for the inclusion and recognition of transgender individuals. 'Cause it's like you're only cherished if you're dead, or you're only cherished if you can be in the spotlight and in some ways serve this desire of a cis person for you to be a spectacle, right, so they can add another layer of distance to you. The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. 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. 12 Best Marsha P. Johnson Quotes About LGBTQ+ Rights - Good Johnson described herself as a gay person, a transvestite, and a drag queen and used she/her pronouns; the term transgender only became commonly used after her death. The weight is heavy, and there's a lot to be concerned, sad, angry about. [4]The transgender women at Stonewall were pushed out of the gay rights movement. With public installations already being implemented, the plan is to complete renovations by 2021. Oops! Invite students to. And in these moments where we see people rising up, and we see coalition building, and we see people coming together in the name of equality, do you believe in this moment that there is a true chance that we'll step closer to the equality that folks claim (LAUGH) they believe in? How Nan Goldin Waged War Against Big Pharma, How the Greensboro Four Began the Sit-In Movement, Biography: You Need to Know: Bayard Rustin, Biography: You Need to Know: Sylvia Rivera, Biography: You Need to Know: Dorothy Pittman Hughes. Marsha P. Johnson at the First Christopher Street Liberation Day March, 1970. In a 1992 interview, Johnson said "I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I became a drag queen.. And I think what is consistent unfortunately is the sidelining of our voices and the sidelining of our experiences and work. Since then, Marsha has become an icon of the transgender community. MLA Rothberg, Emma. So there's no way to talk about us getting to liberation without talking about Black trans people. To make ends meet, she became a sex worker often getting arrested, losing count after the 100th incident. AMERICAN IDENTITY AND CITIZENSHIP; ACTIVISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE, Major support for Women & the American Story provided by, Lead support for New-York Historicals teacher programs provided by, In 1975, artist Andy Warhol crossed paths with Marsha and photographed her for his. And it's not just Black trans women. A veteran of the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising, Sylvia Rivera was a tireless advocate for those silenced and disregarded by larger movements. I've been around them for years, from working the streets. (LAUGH) But is her name and folks who came after her and worked alongside her, are those names forgotten, overlooked by accident, by intent? Marsha taught Sylvia how to apply makeup, live on the street, and look out for trouble. WebHappy Birthday, Marsha! My name is still in story. A person who does not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Unidentified African American woman in uniform, 1861. . Willis: I think a lot of it is proximity. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Invite students to research recent activism around the extreme violence that trans women of color continue to face. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Date accessed. Gertrude Kasebier (photographer), Zitkala Sa, Sioux Indian and activist, c. 1898. The first pride parades started in 1970, but Rivera and other transgender people were discriminated against and discouraged from participating. But the impact of STAR had already been felt by many. Rivera frequently experienced homelessness and had problems with substance abuse. Stonewall 50 Minisode 1 Marsha P. Johnson & Randy Wicker I mean how many years does it take people to see that? By Emma Rothberg, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies, 2020-2022. Jen Carlson, Activists Install Marsha P. Johnson Monument in Christopher Park, Gothamist, August 25, 2021. reinc: The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. She said in a 1989 interview that, Before gay rights, before the Stonewall, I was involved in the Black Liberation movement, the peace movementI felt I had the time and I knew that I had to do something. 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. How did Marsha embody her Pay It No Mind name? Marsha was neither the first nor the last trans woman of color to be a victim of violence. May 31, 2022 6:30 AM. Marshas friends and acquaintances strongly disagreed. Are you Black first? Marsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in New York City. Looking for more quotes? In the 1970s, Johnson experienced a series of mental health breakdowns and spent time in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Marsha P. Johnson was a proud and outspoken member of the LGBTQ+ community before it was popular to be so. 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.. And I think that we do a disservice by allowing folks who lead Black liberation movements to envision liberation as contingent on one identity or one experience. Marsha P. Johnson: The way I winded up being at Stonewall that night, I was having a party uptown. However, young Marsha enjoyed wearing clothing made for girls. 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. And that's something other LGBTQ+ folks, particularly white ones, need to understand. Together, they started raising their voices. Willis: Right. You know, I thought that we were at a point where we were past a lot of his misgivings or misconceptions about transness. Were all in this rat race together! Marsha P. Johnson, I may be crazy, but that dont make me wrong. Marsha P. Johnson, I dont think you should be ashamed of anybody you know that has AIDS. Nicols Enrquez de Vargas (artist), Portrait of Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz, ca. 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. A person who was assigned male at birth but identifies as a woman. At Marshas funeral, hundreds of people showed up. Lee: How do you move through these movement spaces that, you know, the bounds of white supremacy are still there? Marsha P. Johnson She asked Marsha to help her create a place where they could feel safe, unite, and fight for their rights. But do we have a good enough holistic nuance view of that violence? We kept the building going. While the genesis of the Stonewall Inn uprising remains shrouded in myth, theres no doubt Johnson was a key figure leading the events of June 28, 1969 some even credit her with throwing the shot glass heard around the world that started the rebellion. Her lavish outfits were often made from thrift store finds, gifts from friends, and items she found on the street. Into America is produced by Isabel Angel, Allison Bailey, Aaron Dalton, Max Jacobs, Barbara Raab, Claire Tighe, Aisha Turner, and Preeti Varathan. Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. As one of the leaders of the Stonewall Inn uprising, the Black transgender woman was an early activist for LGBTQ+ rights in New York City.
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