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? Invite students to research recent activism around the extreme violence that trans women of color continue to face. Johnson grew up in a religious family and began attending Mount Teman African Methodist Episcopal Church as a child; she remained a practicing Christian for the rest of her life. To honor Johnsons life, public art will be included and interpretive park signage throughout the park will share her story. Johnson was outspoken about the risks of tackling the Mob; her roommate at the time had been lobbying to have officials with alleged Mafia ties removed from the She was identified as male at birth. In 1990, Marsha contracted AIDS. And we were all out there. '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. Rivera ran away from home at age 11 and became a victim of sexual exploitation around 42nd Street. Invite students to research the ways in which Marshas legacy is being remembered today. And I think that we have to be able to hold that. 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. Lee: Speaking of white women, that's a perfect segue. And it also of course extends to folks who are nonbinary or gender nonconforming who straddle all of these struggles. She also created and wore elaborate crowns of fresh flowers. She brought some serious thoughts to this gay audience. Show more Show more It happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities., On Equality: How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race?, On Motivation: Darling, I want my gay rights now. Brayla was just 17. And then our families, right? And I didn't get downtown till about 2:00. Johnson, an African American self-identified drag queen and activist, was also battling exclusion in a Almost 30 years on from her death, Johnson is getting the attention she was denied when she was alive, with tales of But do we have a good enough holistic nuance view of that violence? She was excited about the work but frustrated at how white gay men and lesbians dominated the conversation. 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. Franois (Franz) Fleischbein (artist), Portrait of Betsy, 1837. WebMarsha was an eccentric woman who was known for her exotic hats and jewelry which stood out to the public and attracted attention to her. 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. I will say this was a joy. One morning, they returned to the truck just as it was pulling away with STAR residents sleeping inside. A person who was assigned male at birth but identifies as a woman. Marsha Pay it no Mind Johnson Challenging Gender 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. Look no further than our guide. Marsha P. Johnson (U.S. National Park Service) Pay It No Mind: Marsha P. Johnson | Alexander Street, part of Ask them to think about the kind of monument or memorial they would want to create for Marsha, based on her life story. She was an advocate for drag queens, people of color, and transgender people, fighting for their right to be seen and heard.. Willis: No. Soul Poem Written and Performed By Marsha P. Johnson Marsha P Marsha P. Johnson And sometimes it seems obviously clear that this person was killed because they were trans. I'm not too friendly with them. Within the past week, 22-year-old Mercy Mac was killed in Dallas and Brayla Stone was found dead in Arkansas. I've been around them for years, from working the streets. Gertrude Kasebier, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Transpeople were more likely to be homeless and targeted by police. And it's not just Black trans women. (LAUGH) But is her name and folks who came after her and worked alongside her, are those names forgotten, overlooked by accident, by intent? 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. How did Marsha embody her Pay It No Mind name? All Rights Reserved. So, like, what are you doin'? Marsha was part of a growing community of LGBTQ youth who sought acceptance in New York City. The Stonewall uprising was an awakening for an entire generation of LGBTQ activists. Speaking of white women, (LAUGH) and as we know that white women played a role in white supremacy and have always played a reinforcing role in that and also a role in the patriarchy, right? Reyes, Raul A., A Forgotten Latina Trailblazer: LGBT Activist Sylvia Rivera, NBC News, October 6, 2015,https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/forgotten-latina-trailblazer-lgbt-activist-sylvia-rivera-n438586. Johnson, an African American self-identified drag queen and activist, was also battling exclusion in a movement for gay rights that did not embrace her gender expression. When we're talking to white people about white supremacy, we could say, "Read how to be an antiracist," right? 2022. Police are treating her death as a homicide.

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