She was excited about the work but frustrated at how white gay men and lesbians dominated the conversation. I also think about our institutions. Lee: Are we seeing that? Silvia Rivera died of liver cancer in St. Vincents Manhattan Hospital in 2002 at the age of 50. 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. You really can't have either one without the other. By Emma Rothberg, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies, 2020-2022. We have to be having a holistic conversation on violence that not only talks about state violence but it also talks about the violence in our own homes, in our communities. 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. 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. I found a little bit of joy having this complex, smart conversation with you. The film stars Mya Taylor as Johnson and Eve Lindley as Rivera.. 12 Best Marsha P. Johnson Quotes About LGBTQ+ Rights - Good I think about just two days after George was murdered, Tony McDade was murdered in Tallahassee, Florida, a Black transgender man. Thank you for joining the Goodnewsletter! 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. [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. Johnson, an African American self-identified drag queen and activist, was also battling exclusion in a WebToday, historians and former friends of Marsha describe her as a trans woman. On July 6, 1992, Johnsons body was found in the Hudson River. And sometimes it seems obviously clear that this person was killed because they were trans. 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. Willis: The way that I navigate these spaces shifts. Invite students to study Warhols portrait of Marsha and learn about the, Invite students to learn more about the Stonewall Inn uprising by exploring the, A few days before her death, Marsha gave an interview in which she joked about the recent installment of a monument outside the Stonewall Inn. Rivera also fought against the exclusion of transgender people from the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act in New York. After graduating high school, Marsha moved to New York City with only $15 and a bag of clothes. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. The story of a transgender activist who participated in the Stonewall Uprising and fought for equal rights. MLA Rothberg, Emma. Lee: Describe Marshas and Sylvias friendship. Oh, there was a lot of little chants we used to do in those days. She was beaten for doing so and, after being attacked on a school playground in sixth grade by another student, suspended from school for a week. The Importance of Dialogue, Development and Acceptance The monuments are dedicated to their legacy and to share their stories for generations to come. Stonewall 50 Minisode 1 Marsha P. Johnson & Randy Wicker 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. A performance artist who typically dresses up like a woman for entertainment purposes. Willis: It does hurt. Why do you think they were so close? 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. Marsha is one of many Black Trans I'm Trymaine Lee. WebMarsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in New York City. And we need the in-between. What challenges did she face there? New-York Historical Society Library. [3]These transgender icons will be the first to get statues in the US Invite students to research the ways in which Marshas legacy is being remembered today. Willis: I think it's all of the above. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. Lee: By the time Marsha died in 1992, people rarely talked about her role in the movement. 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. Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Meilan Solly, New York City Monument Will Honor Transgender Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Smithsonian Magazine, June 3, 2019, Hugh Ryan, Power to the People: Exploring Marsha P. Johnsons Queer Liberation,. In 1963, Rivera met Marsha P. Johnson and it changed her life. Mostly white cisgender gay men, but also cisgender lesbians as well. There's only one thing they want to get up your dress. Transpeople were more likely to be homeless and targeted by police. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, ca. My name is Todd Bishop. Screen excerpts from this film so that students can hear directly from Marsha and the people in her life. The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. Johnson and Rivera arrived at Stonewall around 2am where, Johnson said in a later interview, the place was already on fire, and there was a raid already. And it was an impressive sight. How have Indigenous people exercised sovereignty and self-determination in the modern world? Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her sixty-year career. Oops! 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. Devaney, Susan, Who Was Sylvia Rivera? So, like, what are you doin'? I mean, I think about the early feminist movement and how people like Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Throughout her life, she fought against the exclusion of transgender people, especially transgender people of color, from the larger movement for gay rights. But then the fact that she had the energy to use her platform to demonize trans people, demonize a more marginalized group of women is problematic to me, but it's also emblematic of white womanhood. The group became a space to organize and discuss issues facing the transgender community in New York City and they also had a building, STAR House, that provided lodgings for those who needed it. And the circumstances around his case admittedly are very murky. With public installations already being implemented, the plan is to complete renovations by 2021. Marshas whole life seemed to be a balance between popularity and exclusion. It is said those who threw the first brick on The Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA), New York State Office of the Attorney General,https://ag.ny.gov/civil-rights/sonda-brochure. Marsha spent most of her life without a permanent home. Franois (Franz) Fleischbein (artist), Portrait of Betsy, 1837. Immediately after graduating from Thomas A. Edison High School, Johnson moved to New York City with one bag of clothes and $15. Were the front-liners. She was booed off the stage. Marsha P Johnson, born 24 August, 1945, holds a special place within the LGBTQ+ community for her larger-than-life spirit and trans rights activism. When the organizers of the gay pride parade tried to ban STAR, they showed up anyway. In 2019, New York City announced that a statue of Marsha and Sylvia would be the first monument to honor trans women in the city. And we saw just from the turnout for the Rally for Black Trans Lives that there is momentum there also. What was Marshas role in the Stonewall uprising, and how did it shape the rest of her life? Why do you think Marshas life has started to gain more attention in recent years? Emma Rothberg, Sylvia Rivera, National Womens History Museum, 2021. A term for all trans men and trans women. One morning, they returned to the truck just as it was pulling away with STAR residents sleeping inside. Once back in the city, Rivera got involved again with the fight for the inclusion and recognition of transgender individuals. She was sometimes homeless and living on the streets but almost always present for decades. She also encouraged Sylvia to love herself and her identity. Like, it's hard to know in the moment. I really appreciate it. Oil on canvas. In 1975, artist Andy Warhol crossed paths with Marsha and photographed her for his Ladies and Gentleman series. In 2012, the New York Police Department reopened the case into Johnsons death. But inevitably, you are all of your identities at one time. Police are treating her death as a homicide. Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. Sylvia and Marsha hustled every night to make sure their new family had breakfast each morning. 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. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor: Culinary Anthropologist, Dr. Wangari Maathai: The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Towards Hawaiian Sovereignty: Legacy of Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, Chronicles of American Women: Your History Makers, Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project, We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC, Learning Resources on Women's Political Participation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38099161, https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-sylvia-rivera, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/nyregion/sylvia-rivera-50-figure-in-birth-of-the-gay-liberation-movement.html, https://npg.si.edu/blog/welcome-collection-sylvia-rivera, https://ag.ny.gov/civil-rights/sonda-brochure, https://www.nps.gov/people/sylvia-rivera.htm, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/forgotten-latina-trailblazer-lgbt-activist-sylvia-rivera-n438586, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/, https://www.villagevoice.com/2002/02/26/a-woman-for-her-time/, https://www.out.com/pride/2019/5/21/how-sylvia-rivera-created-blueprint-transgender-organizing. And I didn't get downtown till about 2:00. A term to describe people who wear clothes designed for the opposite sex. We know that homophobia and transphobia knows no bounds. Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera - National Park Service Something went wrong while submitting the form. In the wake of the raid, Johnson and Rivera led a series of protests. Not long after moving to New York, then 17-year-old Johnson met 11-year-old Sylvia Rivera. Dunlap, David W., Sylvia Rivera, 50, Figure in Birth of the Gay Liberation Movement,New York Times, February 20, 2002,https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/nyregion/sylvia-rivera-50-figure-in-birth-of-the-gay-liberation-movement.html. Willis: I absolutely do think that there is a confluence and overlap of LGBTQ+ liberation and Black liberation. Today, historians and former friends of Marsha describe her as a trans woman. Hey, Luke. She began dressing almost exclusively in womens clothes and adopted the full name Marsha P. Johnson. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City. She believed no one should hustle or live on the streets, but she knew no other way to survive. But I will say I don't think that this is just a moment for Black trans people. So is it proximity, or is there actually a different dynamic happening there? And that's part of why I have an issue with the way that we have framed violence as simply something that happens from the state, something that happens from police officers who are white that overwhelmingly happens to cisgender heterosexual men. 6 June 2020. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. Engraving. Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson: Listen to the Newly 'Cause we're all caught up in it. If you walked down Christopher Street, Marsha would receive you in the manner of a gracious host. But do we have a good enough holistic nuance view of that violence? Lee: We're in this moment here where there is so much energy around the Black Lives Matter movement. Willis: Right. LIVE! But there's still a lot of work to be done. Despite her popularity, Marsha also lived a life of poverty and danger. WebMarsha P. Search streaming video, audio, and text content for academic, public, and K-12 institutions. I mean, I think things have definitely shifted in the last few years of my career. But I don't like straight men. She returned to the city in 1992 after the death of Johnson. The case involving Marshas death remained closed for decades. Lee: And I don't want to necessarily use the word hurt. A man pulled a gun on me and snatched my pocketbook in a car. Throughout the 1970s, she frequently tangled with gay rights leaders who were hesitant to include transgender people in their advocacy work. Religious Experience and Journal of Mrs. Jarena Lee: giving an account of her call to preach the gospel, frontispiece. Lee: Speaking of white women, that's a perfect segue. I mean, I wish I could say yes, but Black cis folks are not doing enough. Lee: What do you think it would take to get that kind of allegiance, especially among Black folks, right? She never let her personal setbacks stop her advocacy. Happy Birthday, Marsha 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.. Cemetery Name: Marsha P. Johnson grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with her mother. Nicols Enrquez de Vargas (artist), Portrait of Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz, ca. Pride Month: Who was Marsha P. Johnson and why were they so Rivera ran away from home at age 11 and became a victim of sexual exploitation around 42nd Street. And we were all out there. Subscribers get each new issue of the Goodnewspaper mailed to their home, get exclusive discounts for do-good brands, fill the world with more good news, and more. Is it education? When you hear J.K. Rowling saying that, what's your response to that? says peoples pronouns should But the fight for protection and inclusion back then is so similar to the fight we are seeing today. Almost 30 years on from her death, Johnson is getting the attention she was denied when she was alive, with tales of And so we've got to understand that. All they think about is getting up your dress, anything to get up that dress of yours. 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. The LGBTQ community was furious the police did not investigate her death. no. She wanted to protect young transpeople living on the street by giving them a home. Honey, I promise you, I'm not. When she was wearing these items To learn more about Randy Wicker and Marsha P. Johnson, click here to access the episode notes from our original episode featuring the two activists. Lee: Raquel, thank you so much for your time. Marsha P The first pride parades started in 1970, but Rivera and other transgender people were discriminated against and discouraged from participating. In 1990, Johnson was diagnosed with H.I.V. (LAUGH) Or is it too tough? Lee: How much does class play in all this? Marsha was often alone with strangers in hotel rooms and cars. I think some people try to. Even without lodgings, STAR provided a safe haven for people who had never had a place to call home. The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. Not long after arriving in New York, 17-year-old Marsha met 11-year-old Sylvia Rivera. Our executive producer is Ellen Frankman. Throughout the 1970s, Johnson became a more visible and prominent member of the gay rights movement. Willis: Of course. No matter how marginalized you are, you can still be an oppressor. Willis: I don't think so. Perhaps you could say that trans people may have a more drastic experience, but it's so connected to the ways that boys and men in general are told that they can't have a certain well of emotion, that they can't be intimate and have other ways of moving through the world that don't involve control and domination. Are we seeing a little bit of that now? 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. We don't really talk about how we have our own conceptions of which victims are worthy of our empathy. Image Credit:Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Ron Simmons. (LAUGH) I almost don't--, Lee: Right. Jen Carlson, Activists Install Marsha P. Johnson Monument in Christopher Park, Gothamist, August 25, 2021. reinc: The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. Marsha P The riots had already started. There are many competing stories about what Johnson did during the raid on the Stonewall Inn, but it is clear she was on the front lines. Episode Not long after, her body was pulled from the Hudson River near the West Village. But Johnson spent much of her life being ostracised by society. And you said, "Let today be the last day that you ever doubt Black trans power.". Gertrude Kasebier, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. She dispensed cheer and joy. A monument dedicated to Marsha P Johnson, the late African-American transgender activist and pioneer, will be unveiled in New York in 2021. 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. It's not entirely different from how women and girls of all experiences face not being seen as competent, intelligent, brilliant, and capability of leadership. I don't think any of us have the luxury of focusing on one group or the other. Here are 14 quotes from Johnson that capture her spirit and endless passion for LGBTQ+ rights: On Coming of Age: I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I Johnson enjoyed wearing clothes made for women and wore dresses starting at age five. Why did Marsha move to New York City? 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. The best email in your inbox.Filled with the days best good news. The Sylvia Rivera Law Project continues her legacy, working to guarantee all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. The intersection of Christopher and Hudson streets in Greenwich Village, two blocks from The Stonewall Inn, was renamed Sylvia Rivera Way. In 2015, a portrait of Rivera was added to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., making her the first transgender activist to be included in the gallery. Diana Davies/Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library, By Alexandra Burgos for NPS Cultural Landscapes Program, [1] Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender woman, was a central figure in the gay liberation movement