While it was in use during Marshas life, this term is now considered offensive and has been replaced with other terminology, such as transgender. Marsha P [3] These will be the first permanent monuments dedicated to Transgender women in the state of New York. Protest Leader: Black trans power matters. The monuments are dedicated to their legacy and to share their stories for generations to come. Turns out we're not there. Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson - Women & the American I'm a senior and I'm a certified Johnny Byrum fan. She actively spoke out about the transphobia in the early gay rights movement. I think its about time the gay brothers and sisters got their rights especially the women., On Embracing Her Identity: 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., On Human Rights: You never completely have your rights, one person, until you all have your rights. She brought some serious thoughts to this gay audience. Show more Show more She began dressing almost exclusively in womens clothes and adopted the full name Marsha P. Johnson. Sylvia Rivera. National Womens History Museum, 2021. 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.. In the early morning hours, police raided the bar and began arresting the patrons, most of whom were gay men. I was involved with that.. Are you Black first? Chicago Rothberg, Emma. And they never forget it. But there's still a lot of work to be done. Honey, I promise you, I'm not. Oh, there was a lot of little chants we used to do in those days. Assigned male at birth, Johnson grew upin an African American, working-class family. Raised by her grandmother, Rivera began experimenting with clothing and makeup at a young age. Marsha P. Johnson (U.S. National Park Service) Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, ca. [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. The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. June 7, 1999. Lee: Black trans women in particular have been an important of the gay rights movement since the Stonewall uprising in 1969 in New York City. Today, a look at how racism and transphobia have pushed Black trans women to the fringe of the gay rights movement and the movement for Black lives, and what's being done to change that. What was Marshas role in the Stonewall uprising, and how did it shape the rest of her life? Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera - National Park Service To wear clothes typically associated with a different sex and is most commonly used to describe men who wear make-up and womens clothing. Lee: That was Raquel Willis, a Black trans activist and director of communications for the Ms. Foundation. They're really insulting to women. Willis: I don't know. She wanted to protect young transpeople living on the street by giving them a home. Willis: The way that I navigate these spaces shifts. WebMarsha P. Johnson at the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, a protest inspired by the events that took place at the Stonewall Inn. What were the circumstances around Marshas death? 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. 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. The raid on Stonewall galvanized the gay rights movement. reinc: The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. WebMarsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in New York City. I think when you're close to people it does hurt in a particular way. During Marshas lifetime, the term transgender was not commonly used. That night, police officers raided the gay bar. 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. New-York Historical Society. It is said those who threw the first brick on Please try again. And when that doesn't happen, I mean, you're being dehumanized on two levels. Marshas whole life seemed to be a balance between popularity and exclusion. Marsha P. Johnson | National Women's History Museum 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. 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. Emma Rothberg, Sylvia Rivera, National Womens History Museum, 2021. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera. They rented a dilapidated building with no electricity or running water. I think its about time the gay brothers and sisters got their rights . 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. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. Invite students to. Their tireless efforts continue to resonate as issues surrounding the health, safety, and autonomy of Black, Brown, and Indigenous Trans women are still challenged. I found a little bit of joy having this complex, smart conversation with you. 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. For six nights, the 17-year-old Rivera refused to go home or to sleep, saying Im not missing a minute of thisit's the revolution!, Rivera resisted arrest and subsequently led a series of protests against the raid. Pride Month: Who was Marsha P. Johnson and why were they so The first pride parades started in 1970, but Rivera and other transgender people were discriminated against and discouraged from participating. So there was infrastructure being built. Marsha and Sylvia later formed the Street Transvestite Activist Revolutionaries (STAR). 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. In 1975, artist Andy Warhol crossed paths with Marsha and photographed her for his Ladies and Gentleman series. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. 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 Marsha described Given what many are seeing as the historic nature of this speech out of left field from the blue dog democrat, this is not something you are going to want to Chicago Rothberg, Emma. She used she/her pronouns. What was STAR, and why was it so important? New-York Historical Society Library. Sometimes, the strangers were violent. In 1970, Johnson and Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), an organization dedicated to sheltering young transgender individuals who were shunned by their families. The two also began STAR House, a place where transgender youth could stay and feel safe. Photo by Leonard Fink, Courtesy LGBT Community Center National History Archive, Leonard Fink, Courtesy of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. An acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and is an umbrella term for the community of people whose gender and sexual identities exist outside of heteronormative expectations. Then when you get pregnant or something, they don't even want to know you., On Paying It Forward: Ill always be known [for] reaching out to young people who have no one to help them out, so I help them out with a place to stay or some food to eat or some change for their pocket. 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. Marsha was neither the first nor the last trans woman of color to be a victim of violence. She slept in hotel rooms, restaurants, and movie theaters. It was difficult for Marsha to find work. Were the front-liners. She was booed off the stage. Marsha spent most of her life without a permanent home. Sylvia Rivera | National Women's History Museum As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music. You know, when I had this recent conversation with my brother, I left the conversation, you know, I was angry and I was tearful 'cause it does hurt. Marshas friends and acquaintances strongly disagreed. 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? 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. After this experience, Rivera left New York City and activism behind for a bit. In 2012, the New York City Police Department finally agreed to re-open it, yet the case still remains unsolved. Willis: Right. How can food be used as a form of cultural memory & resistance? Note: Marshas life story includes a large amount of vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to teachers and students. Johnson also became an AIDS activist, later revealing in a 1992 interview that she had been HIV-positive for two years. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. When they could no longer pay, they were evicted. But I'll be honest. And we saw just from the turnout for the Rally for Black Trans Lives that there is momentum there also. I really appreciate it. Lee: What do you think it would take to get that kind of allegiance, especially among Black folks, right? Lee: On one hand, I get tired of the trope that the Black community is somehow more homophobic or more transphobic. Lee: Raquel, thank you so much for joining me. Marsha enjoyed expressing herself through her appearance. A decade later, Sylvia lost her battle to cancer. How have Indigenous people exercised sovereignty and self-determination in the modern world? WebMarsha P. Johnson, transgender activist and urban legend, was never one to mince words. She also encouraged Sylvia to love herself and her identity. Hope y'all enjoy the long holiday weekend. MARSHA P. JOHNSON "You Gotta Have Soul !" - YouTube She returned to the city in 1992 after the death of Johnson. Police are treating her death as a homicide. Into America is produced by Isabel Angel, Allison Bailey, Aaron Dalton, Max Jacobs, Barbara Raab, Claire Tighe, Aisha Turner, and Preeti Varathan. And it also of course extends to folks who are nonbinary or gender nonconforming who straddle all of these struggles. 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? Alexander Street is an imprint of ProQuest that promotes teaching, research, I mean, how often does that happen? IE 11 is not supported. And that's just not okay. 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. She was excited about the work but frustrated at how white gay men and lesbians dominated the conversation. TRANSCRIPT Her partner, Julia Murray, was with her at the time of her death. Are we seeing a little bit of that now? Together, they started raising their voices. So you can't really say that womanhood is based in the ability to procreate as a woman. Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992), Women & the American Story, New-York Historical Society. Police then reclassified the case as a drowning from undetermined cause, but the LGBTQ+ community was furious that the police refused to investigate further and that many press outlets did not cover her death. Raquel Willis: There's this idea that because we are having an openly different gender experience, that we deserve the abuse that we may receive. 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. And the idea of womanhood, is it worth having to explain to people what it means to live in this identity? The movement did not appreciate the extent to which transgender youth needed help and support. 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. Cihak and Zima (photographer), Ida B. Wells-Barnett, ca. We kept the building going. But inevitably, you are all of your identities at one time. 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. All they think about is getting up your dress, anything to get up that dress of yours. Rivera had an incredibly difficult childhood. And we were all out there. Well, I know how to handle them. MLA Rothberg, Emma. A performance artist who typically dresses up like a woman for entertainment purposes. Willis: I don't think so. Steve Lickteig is executive producer of audio. At one point, Rivera attempted suicide. 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. Lee: We're in this moment here where there is so much energy around the Black Lives Matter movement. If I can't even get the people closest to me to understand what's going on, how am I gonna get the masses to get it?" Brayla was just 17. In 1963, Rivera met Marsha P. Johnson and it changed her life. So is it proximity, or is there actually a different dynamic happening there? She sometimes lived with friends. Johnson, like many other transgender women, felt they had nothing to lose. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. '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. And it was an impressive sight. She was assigned male at birth. (LAUGH) Or is it too tough? Emma Rothberg, Sylvia Rivera, National Womens History Museum, 2021. Willis: I think it's all of the above. Within the past week, 22-year-old Mercy Mac was killed in Dallas and Brayla Stone was found dead in Arkansas. Once, she was even shot. 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. Lee: Marsha P. Johnson was one of those women. 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. Marsha P. Johnson. National Womens History Museum. She never let her personal setbacks stop her advocacy. Marsha P. Johnson was a proud and outspoken member of the LGBTQ+ community before it was popular to be so. Throughout the 1970s, she frequently tangled with gay rights leaders who were hesitant to include transgender people in their advocacy work. Cooking for myself, right? The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. The LGBTQ community was furious the police did not investigate her death. Unknown photographer, A Typical Boomer Family, ca. 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. 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. Chien-shiung Wu (1912-1997), professor of physics at Columbia University, 1963. Is there a confluence there? Johnsons life changed when she found herself engaging with the resistance at The Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969. Marsha P. Johnson MLA Rothberg, Emma. That is a gender issue. Do you disentangle your identity like that? The Historic New Orleans Collection, acc. Lee: How much does class play in all this? And so in the wake of the Stonewall riots, there was an entire web of nonprofit organizations that sprang out of that, right? And so Black women in general have had to fight against this restrictive idea of womanhood that has been contingent on a white bourgeois imagination. We don't really talk about how we have our own conceptions of which victims are worthy of our empathy. I walked down 58th Street and the young ones were calling from the sidewalk, 'Sylvia, Sylvia, thank you, we know what you did. 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/. The Rudy Grillo Collection, Rudy Grillo / LGBT Community Center Archive. You should stand as close to them as you can and help them out as much as you can. 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. Note: Marshas life story includes a large amount of vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to teachers and students.