Provo, UT, US: Ancestry.com". One of Johnson's most notable direct actions occurred in August 1970, staging a sit-in protest at Weinstein Hall at New York University alongside fellow GLF members after administrators canceled a dance when they found out that it was sponsored by gay organizations. That same decade, he himself became the first trans man to undergo a phalloplasty. She has since become a prominent face for the Queer Revolution. Johnson experienced a difficult childhood due to her Christian upbringing. This was the source of my direct quotes from Randy. "[20], There is some existing footage of Johnson doing full, glamorous, "high drag" on stage, but most of Johnson's performance work was with groups that were more grassroots, comedic, and political. When the officers attempted to perform an arrest, Johnson hit them with a handbag, which contained two bricks. It was the source of a lot of my background on life for queer youth on the streets of New York, as well as containing some information about Marsha. 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. Birth Date: 24 Aug 1945. Johnson is often credited with throwing the first stone after. Marsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in New York City. [5] Johnson waited tables after moving to Greenwich Village in 1966. 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. "[29] Johnson distinguishes this from transsexual, defining transsexuals as those who are on hormones and getting surgery. [83], U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 19362007, Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries: "Michaels, Malcolm Jr [Malcolm Mike Michaels Jr], [M Michae Jr], [Malculm Jr]. [8] [9] Known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights, Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. Theres also a lot of material written by Sylvia Rivera, including about her relationship with Marsha and their work with STAR. Race: Black. 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. There is power speaking the names of victims aloud. She was joyous and creative and enjoyed performing. We do this by organizing, advocating, creating an intentional community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting our collective power." The Marsha P. Johnson Institute is dedicated to supporting Black Trans communities. That summer Saturday, their anger reached a breaking point after the police returned to Stonewall Inn for the second time in two days. [5] Johnson spoke of first having a mental breakdown in 1970. Marsha was memorably present at the Stonewall Riots in 1969 where any number of actions have been attributed to her legend - including shimmying up a lamppost to drop a heavy weight that shattered a police car's windshield. Marsha P. Johnson was born Malcolm Michaels, Jr. on August 24, 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She didn't leave a note. Choose a language from the menu above to view a computer-translated version of this page. About MPJI - Marsha P. Johnson Institute All I want is my freedom. [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. "[62] In response, marches were organized, and Johnson was one of the activists who marched in the streets, demanding justice. Then ask: Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson [45], Following the Stonewall uprising, Johnson joined the Gay Liberation Front and was active in the GLF Drag Queen Caucus. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. This documentary follows the investigation of Marsha's death by Puerto Rican trans woman Victoria Cruz. [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". Johnson moved to Greenwich Village in New York City after graduating from high school. 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. (2017). [41], In 1992, George Segal's sculpture, Gay Liberation was moved to Christopher Park as part of the new Gay Liberation Monument. The police ruled she had committed suicide despite claims from her friends and other members of the local community that she was not suicidal. 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. Further, she talks about the impact the person on plaque #1 of the Village AIDS Memorial had on her life: Ed Murphy was the one who put me in the Stonewall Car in 1980; he took me from the back of the parades and put me up-front.. Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) - BlackPast.org Astrological. Privacy Policy 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. -Marsha P. Johnson. Many eyewitnesses have identified Marsha as one of the main instigators of the uprising and thus, some have recognized her as the vanguard of the gay liberation movement in the United States. positive since 1990. Marsha P. Johnson was an African-American gay man and drag artist - someone who dresses extravagantly and performs as a woman - from New Jersey, whose activism in the 1960s and 70s had a huge. Weve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. While working nights as a fire watcher at a Bristol garage during the Born in 1945 in New Jersey, Marsha P. Johnson was an outspoken African American trans rights/gay rights/AIDS activist, sex worker, and drag queen during the late 20th century. 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. [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. The Unsung Heroines of Stonewall: Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera "[15], In Pay it No Mind friends Bob Kohler and Agosto Machado talk about Johnson's relationship with Neptune. Herself HIV positive (just like 44% of Black Trans people in the United States today), Marsha also notably nursed AIDS victims as they wasted away. [43] In 1992, gay bashing was epidemic in New York. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Johnson would go on to create a trans rights group with Sylvia Rivera called Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR). Marsha P. Johnsons housemate Randy Wicker in Pay It No Mind. [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. Module 5 Discussion - The topic I chose is the Stonewall Riot - Studocu [56][57] While the original location of STAR House was evicted in 1971 and the building was destroyed,[54] the household existed in different configurations and at different locations over the years. For anyone wanting to learn more about drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson, this entire documentary is available for free on Youtube! Johnson spearheaded the Stonewall uprising in 1969 and along with Sylvia Rivera, she later established the Street Transvestite (now Transgender) Action Revolutionaries (STAR), a group committed to helping homeless transgender youth in New York City. On July 6, 1992, her body was found floating in New York Citys Hudson River. Upon returning, the medication would wear off over the course of one month and Johnson would then return to normal. Marsha was devoutly spiritual, confessing: I practice the Catholic religion because the Catholic religion is part of the sangria (blood) of the saints, which says that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.. Community Standards [41], Though generally regarded as "generous and warmhearted" and "saintly" under the Marsha persona, Johnson's angry, violent side could sometimes emerge when Johnson was depressed or under severe stress. Her desire for traditional feminine clothing quickly drew a reprimand from her father, a General Motors assembly line worker and housekeeper mother, as well as from the larger society. 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. 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. And I said, Honey, I don't care if I never have nothing ever till the day I die. We can be as active and resilient as Marsha P. Johnson because our fights are far from over." Thats something well be talking about later in the year! MPJI in the news - Marsha P. Johnson Institute Rican trans woman Victoria Cruz. As the nascent Gay Rights movement swirled around her, Johnson fought social mores, the police, and her own demons. Marsha P. Johnson | stonewall50.sites.uiowa.edu - University of Iowa 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. How Nan Goldin Waged War Against Big Pharma, How the Greensboro Four Began the Sit-In Movement, Biography: You Need to Know: Bayard Rustin, Biography: You Need to Know: Sylvia Rivera, Biography: You Need to Know: Dorothy Pittman Hughes. Marsha picketing Bellevue Hospital to protest their treatment of queer people c.1970, holding a sign reading Power to the people. Who Is Trans TikTok Influencer Dylan Mulvaney? [13] Prior to Carter's book, it was claimed Johnson had "thrown a brick" at a police officer, an account that was never verified. In 1970 she cofounded with fellow transgender rights activist Sylvia Rivera the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR). If theres anything in particular which I mentioned which youd like to know the source for, feel free to ask! Marsha P. Johnson - Sources - Queer as Fact June is Pride Month, where people all over the world come together to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and raise awareness for inequalities that still stand today. Marsha P. Johnson was an African American transgender woman and revolutionary LGBTQ rights activist. 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. She also began to perform as a drag queen initially going by the name "Black Marsha . Marsha was born Malcolm Michaels in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1945. . and AIDS, and gay and transgender rights. When she got to Stonewall, she encountered shouting, fire and chaos. [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. Photographed by Diana Davies.]. Marsha was educated in the Elizabeth Public School System and graduated from Thomas A. Edison High School in 1963. As an African American trans woman, Johnson has consistently been overlooked both as a participant in the Stonewall uprising and more generally, LGBTQ activism. [44] During those moments when Johnson's violent side emerged, according to an acquaintance Robert Heide, Johnson could be aggressive and short-tempered and speak in a deeper voice and, as Malcolm, would "become a very nasty, vicious man, looking for fights". [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. Michaels' father, Malcolm Michaels Sr., was an assembly line worker at General Motors, while Michaels' mother, Alberta Claiborne, was a housekeeper. These events have been collectively described as a riot, a rebellion, a protest, and an uprising. Whatever the label, this was certainly a watershed moment in LGBT history. Primary sources like this reel-to-reel recording offer crucial insight into LGBTQ history in its historical complexity, providing a window into Johnson and Rivera's ideas about gender and sexuality and political vision at the dawn of gay liberation. "[15], Johnson first began wearing dresses at the age of five but stopped temporarily due to harassment by boys who lived nearby. She made intricate outfits out of garbage, modeled for Andy Warhol and wrote poetry. Research Guides: LGBTQIA+ Studies: A Resource Guide: Activism She announced in a June 26, 1992 interview that she had been H.I.V. Marsha "Pay it No Mind" Johnson moved to Greenwich Village in 1963 with a high school diploma and $15 to her name. LGBTQ people were routinely rousted, hassled, and arrested on questionable charges. 20072023 Blackpast.org. To share with more than one person, separate addresses with a comma. 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. David Carter conducted many of his own interviews for this book. [8][9] Known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights, Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. 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. Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops. "I want people to stand beneath the halo and know that they can be like her. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved. It was an "unrelenting wave of attacks. Marsha P. Johnson Institute - Marsha P. Johnson Institute [1] Her work continues today through the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which fights for the rights of Black transgender people. PROTECT AND DEFEND THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF BLACK TRANS PEOPLE! Finally, she decided shed make her own fun and started checking out the local scene. 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. We intend to reclaim our relationship as BLACK trans people to our movement legacy. In 1946 he published Self: A Study in Ethics and Endocrinology which [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. Johnson began going to the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, in the late 1960s. Newsletter Subscription Johnson said she wasnt afraid of being arrested because shed spent the last 10 years going to jail simply for wearing makeup on 42nd street. Marsha P. Johnson Biography, Biography.com, December 14, 2017, https://www.biography.com/people/marsha-p-johnson-112717; Sewell Chan, Marsha P. Johnson A transgender pioneer and activist who was a fixture of Greenwich Village street life, The New York Times.com, March 8, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-marsha-p-johnson.html; Eric Marcus, Marsha P. Johnson & Randy Wicker, Making Gay History, March 2, 2017, https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/episode-11-johnson-wicker/. ), alongside close friend Sylvia Rivera. Marcus Mayer, one of the first people who noticed her corpse floating near the Christopher Street Pier, would go on the record to describe the horror they felt with the way the New York Police Department treated her remains: It was very nasty because the way they pulled her out. In 1987, Johnson recalled arriving at around "2:00 [that morning]", that "the riots had already started" by that time and that the Stonewall building "was on fire" after police set it on fire. Marsha was believed to be the person who threw the first piece of debris at the police and led several of the events that unfolded on the 3 days post-raid. In June 1969, when Marsha was 23 years old, police raided a gay bar in New York called The Stonewall Inn. [82] Some of her work to find justice for Johnson was filmed by David France for the 2017 documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. That night, she had invited a bunch of her friends, including Rivera, to a party. 2023 BBC. L002A Intro 475 Marsha P Johnson interviewed by Betty Brown 4 27 73 It largely focusses on where It was like Oh my God. [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. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-5fa8-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99. 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. 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. [45][37] Johnson denied starting the uprising. [49] Shortly after that, Johnson and close friend Sylvia Rivera co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) organization (initially titled Street Transvestites Actual Revolutionaries). Sources:Goodin, Cal. - 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. After visiting David and other friends with the virus in the hospital during the AIDS pandemic, Johnson, who was also HIV-positive, became committed to sitting with the sick and dying, as well as doing street activism with AIDS activist groups including ACT UP. It was incredibly useful in putting together our podcast on Marsha, and well worth a look. Though she never saw it, Marsha would have approved of the fact that the Village AIDS Memorial remembered so many AIDS victims by name. The main articles which I used when reading up on this can be found here, here, and here. In reality, she didnt arrive at Stonewall until about 2 a.m., long after the uprising began. "[72] Johnson succeeded in pulling Kohler's shirt off and throwing it into the Hudson River. across the USA. Several documentaries have been made celebrating Johnsons life and activism. The Journalism in Action website allows students to investigate the role journalism has played in U.S. history and what it . Twenty-five years later, Victoria Cruz, a crime victim advocate of the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) re-opened the case. 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. All this- her devotions and her deeds- leads one to wonder if Marsha P. Johnson really was take your pick: a holy person, a saint, the patron saint of the LGBTQ Community, or the Jesus of Sheridan Square. She was one of the demonstrators during the Stonewall riots in 1969, protesting against police harassment and social discrimination of gay and transgender individuals. Gender: Male. Astrological Sign: Virgo, Death Year: 1992, Death date: July 6, 1992, Death State: New York, Death City: New York City, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Marsha P. Johnson Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/activists/marsha-p-johnson, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: September 9, 2022, Original Published Date: December 14, 2017. [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. VideoCounty Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. [6] In 1973, Johnson and Rivera were banned from participating in the gay pride parade by the gay and lesbian committee who were administering the event stating they "weren't gonna allow drag queens" at their marches claiming they were "giving them a bad name". Marsha picketing Bellevue Hospital to protest their treatment of queer people c.1970, holding a sign reading Power to the people. [27], The definitions used by Rivera and Johnson were not always the same as those documented in the more mainstream literature of the era. Heroes of Stonewall: Marsha P. Johnson - World Queerstory Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. If you listened to our podcast on drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson, and you want to learn more, heres a list of all the sources we used. After graduating from Thomas A. Edison High School in 1963, Johnson moved to New Yorks Greenwich Village. Kohler tells a story of sunbathing at the Christopher Street Piers in the West Village when Johnson, naked, began grabbing at Kohler's shirt, shouting, "My father needs those clothes! Johnson subsequently joined the Gay Liberation Front, which was a catalyst for the gay rights movement. Copyright 2019 Marsha P. Johnson Institute. Birth Place: Elizabeth, Union, New Jersey [Elizabeth, New Jersey]. 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. 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. [74][13], Several people came forward to say they had seen Johnson harassed by a group of "thugs" who had also robbed people. Marsha P. Johnson Institute - Marsha P. Johnson Institute Were very excited and we cant wait to share this with you! A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar. The two worked for gay and transgender rights while also providing housing for LGBTQ youth living on the streets. Soul Poem Written and Performed By Marsha P. Johnson, introduced by Jimmy Camicia Cal Goodin 2 subscribers Subscribe 19 Share Save 591 views 2 years ago Soul: You can count your karma If. As I mentioned in the podcast, there has been significant controversy surrounding this documentary, and theres plenty of information about that online. 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. "[68] In the summer of 1991, Johnson participated in the interfaith AIDS memorial service at the Church of Saint Veronica in Greenwich Village. Who would have thought that her body would be found in the Hudson River with a hole in her head on July 6, 1992. A month after the protests, the first openly gay march took place in New York - a pivotal moment for the gay and trans community everywhere. 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.
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