marsha p johnson speech transcript

Lee: We're in this moment here where there is so much energy around the Black Lives Matter movement. Dive into the world of small businesses with this compilation of powerful quotes that celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit, community impact, and unwavering commitment of local business owners. 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. Cooking for myself, right? She was an advocate I walked down 58th Street and the young ones were calling from the sidewalk, 'Sylvia, Sylvia, thank you, we know what you did. Thats what made me in New York, thats what made me in New Jersey, thats what made me in the world., On Changing History: History isn't something you look back at and say it was inevitable. She was given a place of honor in the 25th Anniversary Stonewall Inn march in 1994. Unidentified African American woman in uniform, 1861. Her father was absent and her mother died by suicide when Rivera was 3 years old. New-York Historical Society Library. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her sixty-year career. Black trans women continue to face disproportionate levels of violence. 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. Marsha P Lee: You know, I guess it was maybe two weeks ago now at the Black Trans Lives Rally in Brooklyn, we were actually driving home to Brooklyn and it was like I'd never seen (LAUGH) almost that many people. 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. Do you disentangle your identity like that? WebMarsha P. Search streaming video, audio, and text content for academic, public, and K-12 institutions. Lee: What do you think it would take to get that kind of allegiance, especially among Black folks, right? '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. WebMarsha P. Johnson: The way I winded up being at Stonewall that night, I was having a party uptown. A term to describe people who wear clothes designed for the opposite sex. Throughout the 1970s, she frequently tangled with gay rights leaders who were hesitant to include transgender people in their advocacy work. While short-lived, STAR House was an important space for those who needed it. Always sporting a smile, Johnson was an important advocate for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, those effected by H.I.V. Smithsonian Institute Archives Image # SIA 2010-1509. 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. About, Sylvia Rivera Law Project,https://srlp.org/about/. Johnson: And Sylvia Rivera and them were over in the park having a cocktail. Happy Birthday, Marsha At one point, Rivera attempted suicide. Johnson also became an AIDS activist, later revealing in a 1992 interview that she had been HIV-positive for two years. 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. And that's something other LGBTQ+ folks, particularly white ones, need to understand. It was difficult for Marsha to find work. She questioned where transgender people fit in. Marsha P. Johnson: The way I winded up being at Stonewall that night, I was having a party uptown. Engraving. MLA Rothberg, Emma. And so when I think about womanhood, we have to be expansive with all of these gender categories. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. On every level, Black cis folks are not doing enough to show up in new and expansive ways around gender and it's a problem. [4]The transgender women at Stonewall were pushed out of the gay rights movement. The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. In 1990, Marsha contracted AIDS. May 31, 2022 6:30 AM. Lee: By the time Marsha died in 1992, people rarely talked about her role in the movement. Lee: You know, I don't want to either/or it or make it too reductive or too simple. In front of a crowd at that rally for Black trans lives, she had this to say. What opportunities did she find? What tensions existed within the gay liberation movement? When she was wearing these items Darling, I want my gay rights now. Lee: You know, of course we've had this conversation around feminism and other movements before, whether women who are part of the movement are Black first or are they women first, gender first. I mean, I think things have definitely shifted in the last few years of my career. [3]These transgender icons will be the first to get statues in the US Throughout the 1970s, Johnson became a more visible and prominent member of the gay rights movement. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, mission specialist, carries her son Wilson Miles-Ochoa following the STS-96 crew return at Ellington Field. One morning, they returned to the truck just as it was pulling away with STAR residents sleeping inside. Willis: The way that I navigate these spaces shifts. 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. Jen Carlson, Activists Install Marsha P. Johnson Monument in Christopher Park, Gothamist, August 25, 2021, https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/marsha-p-johnson-statue-bust-christopher-park, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, https://marshap.org/, By Emma Rothberg, Ph.D. | Associate Educator, Digital Learning and Innovation. So it has been intentional, and it is still intentional today. In 2012, the New York City Police Department finally agreed to re-open it, yet the case still remains unsolved. She was 46. We went out and hustled the streets. Not long after moving to New York, then 17-year-old Johnson met 11-year-old Sylvia Rivera. Describe Marshas and Sylvias friendship. Willis: First of all, anytime a celebrity tweets, I'm like, "How you got time for this?" WebMarsha P. Johnson, transgender activist and urban legend, was never one to mince words. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. "Read Stamped from the Beginning," right? On July 6, 1992, Johnsons body was found in the Hudson River. Well never share your email with anyone else. And they never forget it. 1893-1894. Johnson, like many other transgender women, felt they had nothing to lose. The monuments are dedicated to their legacy and to share their stories for generations to come. Johnsons life changed when she found herself engaging with the resistance at The Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969. 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. She spoke publicly about it and told people she hoped they would not be afraid of those who had the disease. Please try again. Well, I know how to handle them. It will be the citysand according to New York City, the worldsfirst monument dedicated to transgender individuals. IE 11 is not supported. Are we seeing a little bit of that now? She was arrested over 100 times. The two became instant friends. Willis: No, I think that we have to find pockets of joy. Willis: Of course. We should not be ashamed of who we are. Marsha P. Johnson, Id like to see the gay revolution get started If a transvestite doesnt say Im gay and Im proud and Im a transvestite, then nobody else is going to hop up there and say Im gay and Im proud and Im a transvestite for them. Marsha P. Johnson, Darling, I want my gay rights now! Marsha P. Johnson. 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. But I'll be honest. History isnt something you look back at and say it was inevitable, it happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities. Marsha P. Johnson, How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? But Johnson spent much of her life being ostracised by society. A term for all trans men and trans women. I'm a senior and I'm a certified Johnny Byrum fan. I think some people try to. She believed no one should hustle or live on the streets, but she knew no other way to survive. [2]Two Transgender Activists Are Getting a Monument in New York After this experience, Rivera left New York City and activism behind for a bit. I don't think any of us have the luxury of focusing on one group or the other. 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." 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. 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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. 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. So it is hurtful, but I don't have the luxury of giving up. 13 Powerful Marsha P. Johnson Quotes - Biography . But how are you finding joy in this moment? You say Marsha P. Johnson, and people who don't know, she was so about it, right, and so about the work. I've also been planting and reminding myself through gardening indoors, I guess, that regardless of what happens, growth is still possible. Marshas friends and acquaintances strongly disagreed. Her activism led her to become one of the most influential figures in the gay liberation movement. Date accessed. The first STAR House was in the back of an abandoned truck in Greenwich Village.

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