BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. After the funeral, a series of demonstrations and marches to the police precinct took place, to demand justice for Johnson. Marsha resisted arrest, but in the following days, led a series of protests and riots demanding rights for gay people. Finding Primary Sources | Getting Started with Primary Sources The Journalism in Action website allows students to investigate the role journalism has played in U.S. history and what it . All I want is my freedom. During a tempestuous Christian childhood, around the age of five, Johnson began to dress as a girl. documentary follows the investigation of Marshas death by Puerto She is credited for being an instigator in the Stonewall riots. As an African American trans woman, Johnson has consistently been overlooked both as a participant in the Stonewall uprising and more generally, LGBTQ activism. We're not around right now. When asked by the judge for an explanation for hustling, Johnson claimed to be trying to secure enough money for a tombstone for Johnson's husband. It includes an interview with Marsha, which was the source of her definitions of drag queen, transvestite, and transsexual, which I quote in our podcast. Always sporting a smile, Johnson was an important advocate for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, those effected by H.I.V. Best Known For: Marsha P. Johnson was an African American transgender woman and revolutionary LGBTQ rights activist. Top Photo Credits: Photograph of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera by Rudy Grillo, c . [62][41], Johnson's body was cremated and, following a funeral at a local church, and a march down Seventh Avenue, friends released Johnson's ashes over the Hudson River, off the Christopher Street Piers. [18][19] After this, Johnson described the idea of being gay as "some sort of dream", rather than something that seemed possible, and so chose to remain sexually inactive until leaving for New York City at 17. She didn't leave a note. Blitz, Michael began reading texts on medicine, and endocrinology. [5] Johnson spoke of first having a mental breakdown in 1970. How many years [does it take] for people to realize we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race.. [72] Agosto Machado continues, "She was making offerings of flowers and change to King Neptune as an appeasement to help her friends who are on the other side. 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. Douglas, c1972. One person you may have heard about in recent days is Marsha P. Johnson. [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. The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people. Marsha P. Johnson (August 24, 1945 - July 6, 1992), also known as Malcolm Michaels Jr., [3] [4] was an American gay liberation [6] [7] activist and self-identified drag queen. It largely focusses on where Even though the Stonewall riots kick-started this wave of support for the LGBTQ+ community, there was still a lot of discrimination against them. [45] When this happened, Johnson would often get in fights and wind up hospitalized and sedated, and friends would have to organize and raise money to bail Johnson out of jail or try to secure release from places like Bellevue. Marsha P. Johnson was an African American drag performer and social activist. [5] Johnson waited tables after moving to Greenwich Village in 1966. Read about our approach to external linking. Johnson was known for her immense generosity. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. According to Johnson, the police had forced her and others out onto the street to line up and be frisked the night before and then returned the next night and set the Stonewall Inn on fire. Marsha picketing Bellevue Hospital to protest their treatment of queer people c.1970, holding a sign reading Power to the people. Were very excited and we cant wait to share this with you! [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. "[72] Johnson succeeded in pulling Kohler's shirt off and throwing it into the Hudson River. Then ask: In the 1980s Johnson became an AIDS activist and joined ACT UP, an organization formed to bring attention to the AIDS epidemic. He's like the spirit that follows me around, you know, and helps me out in my hour of need. 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. 2023 BBC. And you know what? She quickly became a prominent fixture in the LGBTQ community serving as a drag mother by helping homeless and struggling LGBTQ youth and touring the world as a successful drag queen with the Hot Peaches. Marsha P. Johnson (August 24, 1945 July 6, 1992), also known as Malcolm Michaels Jr.,[3][4] was an American gay liberation[6][7] activist and self-identified drag queen. [69] When asked about religion in the last interview, Johnson said "I use Jesus Christ the most in my prayers, most of the time." 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. Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were on the front lines of the fight for trans rights from as early as the 1960s when the movement was just beginning to gain traction. [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. In February 2020, the Mayor of New York renamed the East River State Park in Brooklyn, The Marsha P. Johnson State Park and announced there will be a statue created in honour of Marsha, to be unveiled in 2021. Who Is Trans TikTok Influencer Dylan Mulvaney? He began wearing girls clothing at a young age, but, after neighborhood children bullied him, he stopped. The police forced over 200 people out of the bar and onto the streets, and then used excessive violence against them. She had nothing to lose. She was one of the demonstrators during the Stonewall riots in 1969, protesting against police harassment and social discrimination of gay and transgender individuals. The two of them became a visible presence at gay liberation marches and other radical political actions. Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) - BlackPast.org Choosing a name is a rite of passage for many transgender people, and she tried on a few before settling on Marsha P. Johnson. On June 28, 1969, Marsha P. Johnson became one of the faces of the Queer Revolution. Johnson is often credited with throwing the first stone after. When she got to Stonewall, she encountered shouting, fire and chaos. "[28] In an interview with Allen Young, in 1972's, Out of the Closets: Voices of Gay Liberation, Johnson discussed being a "Street Transvestite Action Revolutionary", saying, "A transvestite is still like a boy, very manly looking, a feminine boy. In 2012 the police, under renewed public pressure, reopened the case. The birth of the Village AIDS Memorial owes as much to community support from the likes of Marsha P. Johnson as it does to the miraculous AIDS hospice created by Saint Mother Teresa. [45] Watson also reported that Johnson's saintly personality was "volatile" and listed a roster of gay bars from which Johnson had been banned. Johnson gradually cultivated a unique personality and style and eventually began calling herself Marsha P. Johnson. "[62] In response, marches were organized, and Johnson was one of the activists who marched in the streets, demanding justice. (2017). About Press 2021 Impact Report Donate Subscribe to our Newsletter Resources/ Organization This website uses cookies to improve your experience. While I recommend some of these sources for the information they contain, I dont condone this decision. While working nights as a fire watcher at a Bristol garage during the All Rights Reserved. It largely focusses on where Marsha's death sits within the wider context of transphobic violence across the USA. 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. MPJI in the news - Marsha P. Johnson Institute 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. [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. Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again (2018). 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. As I mentioned in the podcast, there has been significant controversy surrounding this documentary, and theres plenty of information about that online. Almost a year to the day before her untimely and tragic death, Marsha P. Johnson marched down Christopher Street in a parade headed towards the first interfaith AIDS memorial service in history at the Church of Saint Veronica. [58] In connection with sex work, Johnson claimed to have been arrested over 100 times, and was also shot once, in the late 1970s. Marsha is one of many Black Trans women that have left a powerful stamp on history. Johnson. The Village AIDS Memorial, on the other hand, attempts to reach a higher ideal, and with names of actual New Yorkers who died, theres no denying the diversity of the LGBTQ community is represented with this memorial. Queer history podcast covering content from around the world and throughout time. 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. 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. This [45] The alleged "shot glass" incident has also been heavily disputed. Johnson and Rivera acted as house mothers, guiding and protecting the young people. 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. A Netflix documentary was made about Marsha in 2017, The Stonewall Inn was the site of protesting and riots in June 1969, Watch Newsround - signed and subtitled. Pride Month: Who was Marsha P. Johnson and why were they so - BBC [image: black-and-white photo of Marsha P Johnson. "[70], Johnson expressed a relationship with the Divine that was direct and personal, saying in the last interview (June 1992), about leaving home in 1963, "I got the Lord on my side, and I took him to my heart with me and I came to the city, for better or worse. 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. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. 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. She'd be wearing velvet and throwing glitter. Marsha P. Johnson | National Women's History Museum She waited and waited, but no one showed up. While she may not have started the riots, she was a major player in the LGBTQ rights movement and community during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Marsha P. Johnson - Stonewall, Quotes & Documentary - Biography Twenty-five years later, Victoria Cruz, a crime victim advocate of the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) re-opened the case. She chose Johnson because she enjoyed hanging out at the popular eatery, Howard Johnsons. I also want to add that just because I referenced these sources doesnt mean I agree with everything they say. - Marsha P. Johnson Plaque #1: A gay rights activist since the 60's known to many as the Mayor of Christopher Street, Edward Francis Murphy is credited with organizing the celebrations that annually follows the NYC Gay Pride Parade, an event now rebranded as PrideFest that is observed world-wide. And I said, Honey, I don't care if I never have nothing ever till the day I die. [22], After graduating from Edison High School (now the Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy) in Elizabeth in 1963, Johnson left home for New York City with $15 and a bag of clothes. [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 is the crowned mother of queer protest and LGBTQ resilience and resistance," said creator Yoav Wachs. All rights reserved. And we were all like, Oh my God! They just dropped her. 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. So significant was the AIDS pandemic to her life, Marsha would often express her wish to journey across the river Jordan, helping AIDS patients all across America in the last years of her life. Marsha's legacy lives on today in organisations such as the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which says it "protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people". Photographed by Diana Davies. To learn more about Marsha, check out our podcast! our podcast on drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson, Activist Dick Leitschs account, written September 1969, Articles by journalists Howard Smith and Lucien Truscott, written July 1969, Letter written by Edmund White, June/July 1969, Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson. This was the source of a lot of my information about the possible causes of Marshas death. After graduating from Thomas A. Edison High School in 1963, Johnson moved to New Yorks Greenwich Village. She was 46 at the time of her death. For instance, Rivera insisted on claiming transvestite solely for use by gay people, writing in the essay "Transvestites: Your Half Sisters and Half Brothers of the Revolution", "Transvestites are homosexual men and women who dress in clothes of the opposite sex. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Johnson subsequently joined the Gay Liberation Front, which was a catalyst for the gay rights movement. STAR provided services including shelter (the first was a trailer truck) to homeless LGBTQ people in New York City, Chicago, California and England for a few years in the early 1970s but eventually disbanded. It is reproduced with permission. She suffered from mental illness, weathering breakdowns, arrests, and stints at psychiatric hospitals even as she strove to promote gay civil rights. This article is about the foundation of STAR, and includes quotes from an interview Feinberg conducted in 1998 with Sylvia Rivera. Terms and Conditions She is wearing pearls and has her hair in an up-do decorated with flowers and feathers.]. Johnson would go on to create a trans rights group with Sylvia Rivera called Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR). Marsha P. Johnson (Source: USA Today / Originally Netflix . "[15], Johnson first began wearing dresses at the age of five but stopped temporarily due to harassment by boys who lived nearby. When the officers attempted to perform an arrest, Johnson hit them with a handbag, which contained two bricks. "Y'all Better Quiet Down": Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ - TeachRock and AIDS, and gay and transgender rights. Johnson also confirmed not being present at the Stonewall Inn when the rioting broke out, but instead had heard about it and went to get Sylvia Rivera who was at a park uptown sleeping on a bench to tell her about it.
