Trans organizers were invited to the AfroPunk stages for the first time this weekend to appeal for justice. Despite the obstacles, both sides agree that the collaboration was a productive one.
Tamerra Griffin / BuzzFeed News
By 5 p.m. on Saturday at the 11th annual AfroPunk music festival, a majority of the attendees were catching their second wind. The afternoon at the renowned Brooklyn event was studded with electric performances by Lion Babe and SZA, up-and-coming artists that fit perfectly into the event's alternative aesthetic.
It was time, now, to refuel with fancy French fries and craft beer, to find a space within Commodore Barry Park with a signal strong enough to support Instagram uploads. Ms. Lauryn Hill was scheduled to take the stage at 7:15 p.m., and Grace Jones would go on an hour later.
Activism Row was an area within the festival grounds that allowed different advocacy groups to table and appeal to concertgoers on issues ranging from gentrification to public health. Around 5 p.m., the space had a similar calm; people toured the perimeter, picking up flyers and free plantain chips and signing up for newsletters.
Then the chants began.
The small entrance to Activism Row was overtaken by a sea of signs printed in clear, black letters on a white background that read "I stand for trans rights" and "I stand for more than just marriage."
The crowd of about 50 people gathered near an empty tent that had been reserved for Black Lives Matter. Black and brown arms adorned with shimmering bracelets continued to clutch their signs; fingers tipped with intricate nail art curled into fists as they recited lines by Assata Shakur.
Micky Bradford brought a megaphone to her lips as she called for an end to white supremacy and transphobia, and urged people to include black trans lives in their activism for racial justice.
"What are you going to do today to support black trans women?" she asked.
The intersection of punk and protest was on full display at AfroPunk. This year's gathering marked a significant one for those who organize around black trans justice, as they collaborated for the first time with AfroPunk officials to create an official space to advocate for change onstage.
As with many first attempts at radical change, this one was not without its conflicts, which ranged from gender policing to physical silencing as black trans organizers disrupted the festival.
But organizers from both sides of the table told BuzzFeed News that the relationship, while new and imperfect, is nonetheless crucial.
Demonstrators stormed Activist Row at AfroPunk before disrupting another stage.
Tamerra Griffin / BuzzFeed News