In another, she climbed a lamppost and dropped a heavy purse onto a police car, shattering the windshield. And it also of course extends to folks who are nonbinary or gender nonconforming who straddle all of these struggles. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. A lot of times Ive reached my hand out to people in the gay community that just didnt have nobody to help them when they were down and out., On Her Own Legacy: They call me a legend in my own time, because there were so many queens gone that Im one of the few queens left from the 70s and the 80s., .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Afeni Shakur. Marsha P. Johnson. National Womens History Museum. 1893-1894. 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. The monuments are dedicated to their legacy and to share their stories for generations to come. Photo by Leonard Fink, Courtesy LGBT Community Center National History Archive, Leonard Fink, Courtesy of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. She also encouraged Sylvia to love herself and her identity. Explore our collection of the best LGBTQ+ Pride quotes. Cooking for myself, right? And it was an impressive sight. "Read Stamped from the Beginning," right? Protest Leader: Black trans power matters. She dispensed cheer and joy. University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center. They thought it was more likely that Marsha was a victim of an attack. After graduating high school, Marsha moved to New York City with only $15 and a bag of clothes. Well never share your email with anyone else. (LAUGH) I almost don't--, Lee: Right. When a Warhol screen-print of Marsha went on display in a Greenwich Village store, Marsha took some friends to see it. Soon, Marsha was attending rallies, sit-ins, and meetings of the newly formed Gay Liberation Front. 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. Looking for more quotes? Gertrude Kasebier, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her sixty-year career. At one point, Rivera attempted suicide. Lee: And I don't want to necessarily use the word hurt. When a Warhol screen-print of Marsha went on display in a Greenwich Village store, Marsha took some friends to see it. So if we're gonna say we're getting rid of prisons, we're defunding the police, which I support, we have to be just as much or maybe more invested in building up the consciousness of our people to be able to actually hold those people who commit harm and abuse accountable in the ways that we need them to be held accountable. '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. You can't say that it's about having a particular set of chromosomes. Johnsons father worked on the General Motors Assembly Line in Linden, NJ and her mother was a housekeeper. In a 1992 interview, Johnson said "I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I became a drag queen.. On July 6, 1992, Marshas body was found floating in the Hudson River. "Don't you got money to make?". WebMarsha P. Johnson, transgender activist and urban legend, was never one to mince words. By Emma Rothberg, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies, 2020-2022. 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. Date accessed. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. What was Marshas role in the Stonewall uprising, and how did it shape the rest of her life? Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. And that's just not okay. #RFK Presidential Announcement w/ Shannon Joy. As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music. Are we seeing a little bit of that now? The best email in your inbox.Filled with the days best good news. 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. 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. The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. When she was wearing these items She realized that the fastest way to make money was to hustle. This meant working as a sex worker; The work, due to stigmatization of sex workers, was incredibly dangerous. You know, we need the community organizers, and activists, and all those types of stories as well, and we don't often get that. Marsha described Looking for ideas on how you can celebrate Pride Month? The Stonewall uprising was an awakening for an entire generation of LGBTQ activists. We can educate you, learn the history. Always sporting a smile, Johnson was an important advocate for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, those effected by H.I.V. Stonewall 50 Minisode 1 Marsha P. Johnson & Randy Wicker Sometimes, the strangers were violent. And I think that we have to be able to hold that. We fed people and clothed people. 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. And so I don't want to leave places, you know, coming in as the first Black trans woman to do X, Y, and Z and then have not built any pathways for more Black trans people to come into the space, to carry the banner when I leave and inevitably go do other work. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. Even without lodgings, STAR provided a safe haven for people who had never had a place to call home. 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. She was an advocate 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. 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. Cihak and Zima (photographer), Ida B. Wells-Barnett, ca. We don't really talk about how we have our own conceptions of which victims are worthy of our empathy. She noted that many people had to die in order for two statues to be erected. Good news is coming your way! Chien-shiung Wu (1912-1997), professor of physics at Columbia University, 1963. During Marshas lifetime, the term transgender was not commonly used. And we were all out there. The full episode transcript for Into Black Trans Liberation. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. STAR House was of personal importance to Johnson and Rivera as they had both spent much of their youth experiencing homelessness and destitution. I mean, I think about the early feminist movement and how people like Sojourner Truth, Ida B. She also found work waiting tables and performing in drag shows. Their tireless efforts continue to resonate as issues surrounding the health, safety, and autonomy of Black, Brown, and Indigenous Trans women are still challenged. Like, we all carry insecurities about our gender, about who we are and who we're supposed to be in the world. 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. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City. She was arrested over 100 times. How do you actually navigate those spaces? 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 6 June 2020. ", On Mental Health: I may be crazy, but that don't make me wrong., On Distrust: I got robbed once. Hey, Marsha. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson Review | Tribeca 2017 The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. The Gay Activist Alliance (GAA), which formed in response to Stonewall, frequently rejected the role transgender peoplethe majority of whom were people of colorhad played in the uprising. She gave people clothes and food, even though she had little of her own. Thank you for having me. You should stand as close to them as you can and help them out as much as you can. [2] The permanent installation will be built in Greenwich Village, in a location to be determined after conversations with the community. I think some people try to. Marsha was often alone with strangers in hotel rooms and cars. Marsha P. Johnson. National Womens History Museum. 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. series. Marsha taught Sylvia how to apply makeup, live on the street, and look out for trouble. Her lavish outfits were often made from thrift store finds, gifts from friends, and items she found on the street. She was the fifth of seven children born to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta Claiborne. How have Indigenous people exercised sovereignty and self-determination in the modern world? We kept the building going. Oh, there was a lot of little chants we used to do in those days. But when people are close to you and they're side, maybe they're family or people that you really respect and they don't get it, does that sting a little bit? Engraving. That is a gender issue. The raid on Stonewall galvanized the gay rights movement. I mean, how often does that happen? You know, at every level there's a systemic transphobia that is not being addressed. Having difficulty finding employment, Johnson turned to sex work. Note: Marshas life story includes a large amount of vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to teachers and students. Apr 21, 2023. And the circumstances around his case admittedly are very murky. Johnson: We just were saying, "No more police brutality," and, oh, "We had enough of police harassment in the Village and other places." Willis: I think a lot of it is proximity. I would love for there to be a massive mobilization of allies of Black folks. But do we have a good enough holistic nuance view of that violence? . 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." A veteran of the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising, Sylvia Rivera was a tireless advocate for those silenced and disregarded by larger movements. Pride Month: Who was Marsha P. Johnson and why were they so Now they are getting a statue in New York, Brooklyns East River State Park renamed in honor of late LGBTQ activist and trans icon Marsha P. Johnson. They're really insulting to women. She actively spoke out about the transphobia in the early gay rights movement. Please try again. Within the past week, 22-year-old Mercy Mac was killed in Dallas and Brayla Stone was found dead in Arkansas. She spoke publicly about it and told people she hoped they would not be afraid of those who had the disease. Or is it your gender identity first? New-York Historical Society Library. The term transgender wasnt commonly used in Marshas lifetime, but she identified as a transvestite, gay and a drag queen and used she/her pronouns. A decade later, Sylvia lost her battle to cancer. 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. Once in New York, Johnson returned to dressing in clothing made for women and adopted the full name Marsha P. Johnson; the P stood for Pay It No Mind, a phrase that became her motto. The movement did not appreciate the extent to which transgender youth needed help and support. Thank you for joining the Goodnewsletter! Lee: Marsha P. Johnson was one of those women. The first pride parades started in 1970, but Rivera and other transgender people were discriminated against and discouraged from participating. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. And it's just a reminder that we've been here and it's a reminder we're gonna be here. [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. (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 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. Acronym for Auto Immune Deficiency Disorder. During Marshas lifetime, the term transgender was not commonly used. Throughout the 1970s, she frequently tangled with gay rights leaders who were hesitant to include transgender people in their advocacy work. Marsha was part of a growing community of LGBTQ youth who sought acceptance in New York City. And that's something other LGBTQ+ folks, particularly white ones, need to understand. Willis: No. In the wake of the raid, Johnson and Rivera led a series of protests. Sylvia Rivera. National Womens History Museum. Oops! Crowd: Black trans lives matter. And I didn't get downtown till about 2:00. Date accessed. But I don't like straight men. Wells, Anna Julia Cooper were sidelined as Black women. Lee: We got COVID-19, white supremacy, uprisings. We'll be back next week. How did Marsha embody her Pay It No Mind name? Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor: Culinary Anthropologist, Towards Hawaiian Sovereignty: Legacy of Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, Dr. Wangari Maathai: The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, 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, Defying Expectations: Unsung Hero: Marsha P. Johnson and the Stonewall Riots, https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-marsha-p-johnson, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/, https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2017/8/24/power-people-exploring-marsha-p-johnsons-queer-liberation, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-marsha-p-johnson.html?mtrref=&mtrref=undefined&gwh=7FAC77AD0450CB8215713140B8184F62&gwt=regi&assetType=REGIWALL, https://wams.nyhistory.org/growth-and-turmoil/growing-tensions/marsha-p-johnson/#:~:text=After%20graduating%20high%20school%2C%20Marsha,to%20questions%20about%20her%20gender, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera, https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/marsha-p-johnson-statue-bust-christopher-park.