She went from her own party uptown to the Stonewall Inn on the corner of Christopher Street and 7th Avenue, arriving after the Stonewall Riot (Uprising) had begun. On May 30, 2019, it was announced that Johnson and Sylvia Rivera would be honored with monuments at Greenwich Village, near the site of the Stonewall club. (194592). In 1963, Johnson graduated from Edison High School and promptly moved to New York City with $15 and a bag of clothing. Together we did", "Exploding the Myths of Stonewall Gay City News", "Gay History Month- June 28,1969: The REAL History of the Stonewall Riots", "Marsha P Johnson Carols for Ma & Pa Xmas Presents", "Gay rights activists Sylvia Ray Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, Barbara Deming, and Kady Vandeurs at City Hall rally for gay rights", "Marsha P. Johnson (19441992) Activist, Drag Mother. How many years [does it take] for people to realize we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race.. She adopted the name "Black Marsha" soon after and became a fixture in the Village, where she was instantly recognizable by her bold style, notably wearing flowers in her hair. About Press 2021 Impact Report Donate Subscribe to our Newsletter Resources/ Organization This website uses cookies to improve your experience. [5][66] As friend James Gallagher related in the Pay it No Mind documentary interviews,[67] "Marsha would always say she went to the Greek Church, she went to the Catholic Church, she went to the Baptist Church, she went to the Jewish Temple - she said she was covering all angles. As the broader gay and lesbian movement shifted toward leadership from white cisgender men and women, trans people of color were swept to the outskirts of the movement. The Marsha P. Johnson Institute is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Good Fund, a California nonprofit corporation and registered 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID (EIN) 46-1323531. I cant explore the biases of all of them in a blog post, but in the case of history in general, and something as contentious as Stonewall in particular, I encourage you to consult multiple sources and think critically about what theirsource is, what theyre saying and why. Finally, she decided shed make her own fun and started checking out the local scene. "The Unsung Heroines of Stonewall" National Parks Conservation Association Blog, October 1, 2020. This documentary uses 1992 interview footage taken with Marsha just weeks before her death, as well as a lot of footage of people who knew her talking about her. Johnson was born Malcolm Michaels, Jr., on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. [40], While the photos of Johnson in dramatic, femme ensembles are the most well-known, there are also photos and film footage of Johnson dressed down in more daily wear of jeans and a flannel shirt and cap,[41] or in shorts and a tank top, and no wig, such as at the Christopher Street Liberation March in 1979,[42] or singing with the New York City Gay Men's Chorus at an AIDS memorial in the 1980s,[43] or marching in a protest in Greenwich Village in 1992. Marsha "Pay it No Mind" Johnson moved to Greenwich Village in 1963 with a high school diploma and $15 to her name. [13] Other locals stated later that law enforcement was not interested in investigating Johnson's death, stating that the case was about a "gay black man" and wanting little to do with it at the time. Sadly, at the age of 46, on July 6, 1992, Johnsons body was found in the Hudson River off the West Village Piers. After the NYPD reopened the case, the police reclassified Johnson's cause of death from "suicide" to undetermined. In addition to soup kitchens, the Church of Saint Veronica hosted gay Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and a food hall serving breakfast and lunch to over 40 AIDS patients at a time. "[15], In Pay it No Mind friends Bob Kohler and Agosto Machado talk about Johnson's relationship with Neptune. David Carter conducted many of his own interviews for this book. [13], Former New York politician Tom Duane fought to reopen the case, because "Usually when there is a death by suicide the person usually leaves a note. Do you find this information helpful? (2017). If you listened to our podcast on the Stonewall Riots, and youre keen to learn more, heres a list of the sources that I used when researching the episode. During a time when same-sex marriage was illegal in the United States, the judge asked what "happened to this alleged husband", Johnson responded, "Pig shot him". She was seen dropping a very heavy object on top of a police car, among other actions. [79] Those who were close to Johnson considered the death suspicious; many claimed that while Johnson did struggle mentally, this did not manifest itself as suicidal ideation. Up until her dying breath, she confessed with her mouth that she was married to Jesus, a sign of holiness attributed to the earliest Christian martyrs. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Marsha P. Johnson was a trans-rights activist who played a big role in important moments for the LGBTQ+ movement, such as the Stonewall protests. From 1987 through 1992, Johnson was an AIDS activist with ACT UP. [8][9] Known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights, Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. During a tempestuous Christian childhood, around the age of five, Johnson began to dress as a girl. Twenty years later, in 2012, campaigner Mariah Lopez was successful in getting the New York police department to reopen Marsha's case as a possible murder. Shes said that the town had zero tolerance for LGBTQ people and as a woman assigned male at birth, she left as soon as she could. [23][24] After Johnson began hanging out with the street hustlers near the Howard Johnson's at 6th Avenue and 8th Street, their life changed. "Rapping With a Street Transvestite Revolutionary" in Out of the closets: voices of gay liberation. Women & the American Story: Marsha P. Johnson, Transgender Activist Watch on This video was created by the New-York Historical Society Teen Leaders in collaboration with the Untold project. A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar. [39], In David France's documentary, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, Johnson is seen participating in a 1980s memorial service and action for those who've died of AIDS, along with members of the Gay Men's Health Crisis. Her life has been celebrated in numerous books, documentaries and films. [12] Johnson was also a popular figure in New York City's gay and art scene, modeling for Andy Warhol, and performing onstage with the drag performance troupe Hot Peaches. When she got to Stonewall, she encountered shouting, fire and chaos. In the same year, Johnson and Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), which clothed, fed, housed, and advocated for transgender youth from a tenement on the lower eastside. It was common for young gay and trans people to be kicked out of their family homes by their parents. She had $15 and a bag of clothes. Its available on Netflix. [55] While the House was not focused on performance, Johnson was a "drag mother" of STAR House, in the longstanding tradition of "Houses" as chosen family in the Black and Latino LGBT community. According to Matt Foreman, former director of the Anti-Violence Project, "Anti-LGBT violence was at a peak. Death Date: Jul 1992. That's what made me in New York, that's what made me in New Jersey, that's what made me in the world." At this time, being gay was classified as a mental illness in the United States. American drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson was dedicated to social justice for the gay and transgender communities. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. Sources:Goodin, Cal. These stats were sourced hereand here. [1] Her work continues today through the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which fights for the rights of Black transgender people. On June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street (the hub of the NYC Gay Community in the 1960s), things turned violent after a few LGBTQ people were arrested on questionable charges, handcuffed, and very publicly forced into police cars on the streets of NYC. [74], Shortly after the 1992 Gay pride parade, Johnson's body was discovered floating in the Hudson River. She chose Johnson because she enjoyed hanging out at the popular eatery, Howard Johnsons. [60], Between 1980 and Johnson's death in 1992, Johnson lived with a friend, Randy Wicker, who had invited Johnson to stay the night one time when it was "very cold outabout 10 degrees [Fahrenheit]" (12C), and Marsha had just never left. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Marsha P. Johnson ARCC Marsha P. Johnson Mar 22 Marsha P. Johnson, "The P stands for Pay It No Mind" is how she would respond to questions about her gender. According to Susan Stryker, a professor of human gender and sexuality studies at the University of Arizona, Johnson's gender expression could perhaps most accurately be called gender non-conforming; Johnson never self-identified with the term transgender, but the term was also not in broad use while Johnson was alive. And I said, Honey, I don't care if I never have nothing ever till the day I die. She had nothing to lose. Much of Marsha's life was dedicated to helping others, despite suffering several mental health issues. Her devotions were so ardently sincere that, on several occasions, eyewitnesses place her laying prostate on the floor of Catholic Churches around six in the morning and facing away from the altar because she considered it inappropriate to look directly upon, what she believed, was the holy habitation of the Lord. [20] Johnson's mother reportedly said that being homosexual is like being "lower than a dog",[21] but Johnson said that Alberta was unaware of the LGBT community. My three main sources for this podcast were: For contemporary eye-witness accounts of Stonewall, you can read: Concerning Storm DeLarveries potential identity as theStonewall Lesbian, I referred to: Concerning Sylvia Riveras role in inciting the riots, I referred to: Concerning Marsha P. Johnsons role in inciting the riots, I referred to: James Gallagher, in Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson. [6] Johnson was known as the "mayor of Christopher Street"[13] due to being a welcoming presence in the streets of Greenwich Village. Making Gay History, a queer oral history podcast run by Eric Marcus, includes an interview with Marsha and Randy Wicker, conducted in the late 1980s. Take a minute to check out all the enhancements! The same safe and trusted content for explorers of all ages. Marsha was a founder of STAR - the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries - which provided food, housing, legal aid, and other necessities to homeless trans youth. The Journalism in Action website allows students to investigate the role journalism has played in U.S. history and what it . The flagrant disregard for the life of someone who was Black and queer caused outrage in the community at the time, in an early echo of the type of purpose that powers the Black Lives Matter Movement. [50][6] During a gay rights rally at New York City Hall in the early '70s, photographed by Diana Davies, a reporter asked Johnson why the group was demonstrating, Johnson shouted into the microphone, "Darling, I want my gay rights now! A pair of women seated, two men standing, with nothing really explicitly gay about any of them. [33][34] When The Cockettes, a similar drag troupe from San Francisco, formed an East Coast troupe, The Angels of Light, Johnson was also asked to perform with them. Some books which include general information on Marsha are: Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution by David Carter (2010). [6], Johnson's body was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992. VideoWatch Newsround - signed and subtitled, Wildflowers fit for a king: Special seeds for schools to mark coronation, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. She worked both as a waitress and a sex worker. However, she found joy as a drag queen amidst the nightlife of Christopher Street. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. ", "Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries found STAR House | Global Network of Sex Work Projects", "Marsha P. Johnson The Village AIDS Memorial", "Meet the Transgender Activist Fighting to Keep Marsha P. Johnson's Legacy Alive", Blacklips Performance Cult Chronology of Plays, "LGBT History Month Icon Of The Day: Marsha P. Johnson", "Mural of Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera vandalised with moustaches", "Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera Monuments Are Coming to NYC", "New York City to Honor Revolutionary Trans Activist Marsha P. Johnson With Monument", "Homo Riot, Suriani, The Dusty Rebel "Pay It No Mind", "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor unveiled at Stonewall Inn", "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor to be unveiled at historic Stonewall Inn", "Groups seek names for Stonewall 50 honor wall", "Marsha P. Johnson, late LGBTQ activist, to get monument in N.J. hometown", "Over 75,000 sign petition to have Marsha P. Johnson statue replace Columbus monument", "Mural honoring prominent New Jersey transgender rights activist vandalized in Elizabeth", "Mural of Marsha P. Johnson in NJ Vandalized During Pride", "Campaign underway to restore vandalized mural of transgender pioneer Marsha P. Johnson", "New York governor dedicates state park in memory of LGBTQ activist Marsha P. Johnson", "Brooklyn's East River State Park renamed in honor of late LGBTQ activist and trans icon Marsha P. Johnson", "Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new 'ornamental gateway' to cap off renovations, honor park's namesake", "Brooklyn's Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new 'ornamental' entrance", "Marsha P. Johnson: A transgender pioneer and activist who was a fixture of Greenwich Village street life", Photographs of Marsha P. Johnson by Diana Davies, Sylvia Rivera Reflects on the Spirit of Marsha P Johnson, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marsha_P._Johnson&oldid=1151258878, Johnson appears as a character in two fictional film dramas that are based on real events, including, A large, painted mural depicting Johnson and. [45] In the 1979 Village Voice article, "The Drag of Politics", by Steven Watson, and further elaborated upon by Stonewall historian Carter, it had perhaps been for this reason that other activists had been reluctant at first to credit Johnson for helping to spark the gay liberation movement of the early 1970s. [45], Following the Stonewall uprising, Johnson joined the Gay Liberation Front and was active in the GLF Drag Queen Caucus. (A drag queen is a man who dresses as a woman to entertain others.) Thats something well be talking about later in the year! https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-5fa8-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99. Some felt that it was more common for this to happen under Johnson's "male persona as Malcolm". The witness said that when he tried to tell police what he had seen his story was ignored. If looking for signs as to whether or not Marsha would have approved of the Village AIDS Memorial, we might look twice at the fact that she sat down for this rare sit-down videotaped interview (an absolute treasure for LGBTQ historians) the same day that the Village AIDS Memorial was dedicated, June 26, 1992. "[63], Johnson remained devoutly religious in later life, often lighting candles and praying at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hoboken,[64] saying in 1992: "I practice the Catholic religion because the Catholic religion is part of the Santera of the saints, which says that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Key moments of black history in the United States, Watch Newsround - signed and subtitled. And you know what? [29] Also discussed are Johnson's experiences of the dangers of working as a street prostitute in drag, and Johnson's husband who was murdered. Marsha P. Johnsons housemate Randy Wicker in Pay It No Mind. Notes:[1] Marsha's body was recovered from the Hudson River. Community Standards Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops. Civic Engagement and Primary Sources Through Key Moments in History. Johnson's mother also encouraged her child to find a "billionaire" boyfriend or husband to take care of (Johnson) for life, a goal Johnson often talked about. PROTECT AND DEFEND THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF BLACK TRANS PEOPLE! [11], Johnson was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front and co-founded the radical activist group Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R. [53], With Rivera, Johnson established STAR House, a shelter for homeless gay and trans youth in 1970,[54] and paid the rent for it with money they made themselves as sex workers. Happy birthday to Marsha P. Johnson, born 24 August 1945! We can be as active and resilient as Marsha P. Johnson because our fights are far from over." She was a pioneer of the gay rights movement in the late 1960s and spent the following two decades advocating for equal . Select from a curated set Primary Source Sets - Each set collects primary sources on a specific frequently-taught topic, along with historical background information and teaching ideas. In 2020 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that a 7-acre (3-hectare) waterfront park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn was being renamed for Johnson. [41] Johnson had been speaking out against the "dirty cops" and elements of organized crime that many believed responsible for some of these assaults and murders, and had even voiced the concern that some of what Randy Wicker was stirring up, and pulling Johnson into, "could get you murdered. Tell students that the text displayed is a statement by directors Tourmaline and Sasha Wortzel on their short film Happy Birthday Marsha!, which depicts the life of trans activist Marsha P. Johnson in the hours prior to the Stonewall Rebellion. All Rights Reserved. [8] [9] Known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights, Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! This is where we get a lot of first-hand information from Marsha and most of the quotes of hers which I mentioned in the episode. She has since become a prominent face for the Queer Revolution. We are lucky enough to have a fair bit of other video and audio featuring Marsha or people who knew her: Randy Wickers Youtube channelhas a whole lot of videos about US queer history, including some of or about Marsha. Watch It", "Here I am marching with Jon Jon and Miss Marsha one sunny Gay Day. The police ruled her death a suicide, although friends and family cited a lack of evidence supporting that claim. To share with more than one person, separate addresses with a comma. In 2015, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute was established. MPJI supports artists and . This page also includes a transcript and a lot of links to further resources about Marsha and Randy. Marsha P. Johnson (Source: USA Today / Originally Netflix . On July 6, 1992, her body was found floating in New York Citys Hudson River. [41], In 1992, George Segal's sculpture, Gay Liberation was moved to Christopher Park as part of the new Gay Liberation Monument. [37][36] In 1990, Johnson performed with The Hot Peaches in London. Andrew Cuomo dedicated a seven-acre waterfront park in Brooklyn to Marsha P. Johnson, the first state park dedicated to an LGBTQ historic figure and a transgender woman of color. (A drag queen is a man who dresses as a woman to entertain others.) 'Cause you know, me and Jesus is always talking. She waited and waited, but no one showed up. [5] As Edmund White writes in his 1979 Village Voice article, "The Politics of Drag", Johnson also liked dressing in ways that would display "the interstice between masculine and feminine". Marsha P. Johnson was an African American drag performer and social activist. She sought out new interviews with witnesses, friends, other activists, and police who had worked the case or had been on the force at the time of Johnson's death. Read about our approach to external linking. She was homeless and prostituted herself to make ends meet. She didn't leave a note. Marsha and good friend Sylvia Rivera, who was also an activist , founded STAR - Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries - an organisation to support gay and trans individuals who had been left homeless. "[68] In the summer of 1991, Johnson participated in the interfaith AIDS memorial service at the Church of Saint Veronica in Greenwich Village. Its mission is to defend and protect the human rights of transgender and gender nonconforming communities. Homeless, she turned to prostitution to survive and soon found a like-minded community in the bawdy nightlife of Christopher Street. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Images of Marsha P. Johnson from Andy Warhols 1975 series Ladies and Gentlemen. "I want people to stand beneath the halo and know that they can be like her. It is important to recognize and celebrate their contributions because People of Color are actively being erased from the historical narrative, and the story of Stonewall is the perfect example: A few years ago, a major studio motion picture with a wide theatrical release received damming accusations of White-washing history, putting at the center of the narrative a young, masculine-presenting, White male and even depicting him as throwing the first brick that began the conflict. woman jumps to her death miami, what happens if one parent refuses mediation, triple aquarius celebrities,

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