Take a minute to check out all the enhancements! (1945-92). Marsha P. Johnson Institute - Marsha P. Johnson Institute Information Careers Resources Contact Us Newsletter Subscription Community Standards Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Supporting The Marsha P. Johnson Institute Follow us PROTECT AND DEFEND THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF BLACK TRANS PEOPLE! 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. Best Known For: Marsha P. Johnson was an African American transgender woman and revolutionary LGBTQ rights activist. [41] Only weeks later, Johnson would also turn up dead under similar circumstances. Though she never saw it, Marsha would have approved of the fact that the Village AIDS Memorial remembered so many AIDS victims by name. Marsha was plopped on the pavement like a dead fish, as blood came out of her eyes and her mouth for hours before the coroners arrived, pedestrians stepping over the blood soaked pavement as they passed by her half-covered body. That's what made me in New York, that's what made me in New Jersey, that's what made me in the world." [26] Johnson said the phrase once to a judge, who was amused by it, leading to Johnson's release. 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. [13], In 2016, Victoria Cruz of the Anti-Violence Project also tried to get Johnson's case reopened, and succeeded in gaining access to previously unreleased documents and witness statements. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson - David France's 2017 documentary. Johnson variably identified as gay, as a transvestite, and as a queen (referring to drag queen or "street queen"). 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. Database on-line. "[29] Johnson distinguishes this from transsexual, defining transsexuals as those who are on hormones and getting surgery. The NYPD further desecrated her memory when they pronounced her death a suicide, completely disregarding the evidence of foul play (i.e. [38] Johnson, who was also HIV positive,[39] became an AIDS activist and appeared in The Hot Peaches production The Heat in 1990, singing the song "Love" while wearing an ACT UP, "Silence = Death" button. How many years [does it take] for people to realize we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race.. [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. Our episode on drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson is coming out tomorrow! The fifth of seven children, she was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta (Claiborne) Michaels on August 24, 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. [45] Souza told the Gay Activists Alliance shortly afterwards that it "was the shot glass that was heard around the world". 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. These stats were sourced hereand here. (2017). Civic Engagement and Primary Sources Through Key Moments in History. Twenty-five years later, Victoria Cruz, a crime victim advocate of the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) re-opened the case. Throughout her life Johnson suffered from mental illness and was in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Johnson and Rivera acted as house mothers, guiding and protecting the young people. This documentary follows the investigation of Marsha's death by Puerto Rican trans woman Victoria Cruz. That summer Saturday, their anger reached a breaking point after the police returned to Stonewall Inn for the second time in two days. All Rights Reserved. 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. Marsha was educated in the Elizabeth Public School System and graduated from Thomas A. Edison High School in 1963. [48] On the first anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion, on June 28, 1970, Johnson marched in the first Gay Pride rally, then called the Christopher Street Liberation Day. She suffered from mental illness, weathering breakdowns, arrests, and stints at psychiatric hospitals even as she strove to promote gay civil rights. Some of the challenges I faced when researching my topic was finding primary sources from people who were a huge part in starting the riot, such as Marsha P Johnson or Sylvia Rivera. This profile is part of anarticlewritten by Cal Goodin for the National Parks Conservation Association. The LGBTQ community was fed up with being targeted by the police and seeing these public arrests incited rioting that spilled over into the neighboring streets and lasted several days. Marsha, who was living and working in New York at the time, was one of the key figures who stood up to the police during the raids. argued that an individual should have the final say over what medical Theres also a lot of material written by Sylvia Rivera, including about her relationship with Marsha and their work with STAR. Marsha said the "P" stood for "Pay it no mind" - a phrase they used when people commented negatively on their appearance or life choices. She was one of the demonstrators during the Stonewall riots in 1969, protesting against police harassment and social discrimination of gay and transgender individuals. Choosing a name is a rite of passage for many transgender people, and she tried on a few before settling on Marsha P. Johnson. By continuing to use this site, you consent to the terms of our cookie policy, which can be found in our. Read about our approach to external linking. [44] This dual personality of Johnson's has been described as "a schizophrenic personality at work". Johnson designed all of her own costumes (mostly from thrift shops). She announced in a June 26, 1992 interview that she had been H.I.V. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 1945-1992 The fifth of seven children, Marsha was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta (Claiborne) Michaels on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Marshas death sits within the wider context of transphobic violence But this year, the global Black Lives Matter anti-racism protests have encouraged people to shine a special light on the impact of black gay and trans activists. Sadly, at the age of 46, on July 6, 1992, Johnsons body was found in the Hudson River off the West Village Piers. Marsha P. Johnson was a woman before her time. It was incredibly useful in putting together our podcast on Marsha, and well worth a look. Death Date: Jul 1992. She was a pioneer of the gay rights movement in the late 1960s and spent the following two decades advocating for equal rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. [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. This is an excellent place to start reading about STAR - its a collection put together in 2012 of a whole host of writings and interviews from the 1970s. MPJI supports artists and . They reclassified her death as drowning from undetermined causes, but the case remained unsolved. Above, we see Marsha standing in front of a Pride Week soup kitchen put on by the Church of Saint Veronica, apparently benefitting from these types of essential services offered at this unique Roman Catholic Church, which ministered to the vulnerable LGBTQ community. 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. A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar. From 1987 through 1992, Johnson was an AIDS activist with ACT UP. Two years later on July 6, 1994, Johnson was found drowned in the Hudson River off the West Village Piers. Marsha was assigned male at birth, but described herself as living life as a woman, and worked tirelessly to support her trans community. In fact, it was likely a Black drag king with a complex gender identity from Louisiana named Storm Delarverie who threw the first brick by punching a police officer. Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Gay liberation activist, AIDS activist, performer, seven-acre waterfront park in Brooklyn to Marsha P. Johnson. Find out more about the riots that started the Pride movement. [Image: That year we had 1,300 reports of bias crime. Earlier this year, New York Gov. Though we often glorify Marsha as one of the greatest civil rights leaders of the 20th century, and view through rose-colored glasses her glamorous role as muse to Andy Warhol, we also tend to white-wash her life and willfully forget that she was a prostitute that was often homeless. and 18% of those were based on violence perpetrated by police." "[71] "I believe [Jesus is] the only man I can truly trust. From the website: "The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people. 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. Video, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. Supporting The Marsha P. Johnson Institute. Johnson worked to provide food, clothing, emotional support and a sense of family for the young drag queens, trans women, gender nonconformists and other gay street kids living on the Christopher Street docks or in their house on the Lower East Side of New York. 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. Its mission is to defend and protect the human rights of transgender and gender nonconforming communities. Astrological. The same safe and trusted content for explorers of all ages. Johnson came out and said "my life has been built around sex and gay liberation, being a drag queen" and sex work. [30] Johnson received leftover flowers after sleeping under tables used for sorting flowers in the Flower District of Manhattan, and was known for wearing crowns of fresh flowers. Marsha P. Johnson and the Stonewall Rebellion: Crash Course Black American History #41 CrashCourse 59K views 8 months ago L020A Sylvia Rivera, "Y'all Better Quiet Down" Original Authorized.
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