Attention Punk Music: Black Women Are Rocking Your World!

by Intern Tessa

When I think of punk music, my mind’s eye is flooded with images of white males jumping around with spikes on their belts, heavy boots, and an anarchist patches safety pinned onto their jeans. But recently, black women have become a presence on the punk scene as well, and they are owning it just as much as any testosterone filled mosher.

 

 

Local band TheDeathSet has taken notice of this, and made a mini documentary about the new development. The video, entitled Outside and Home: Negra Punks, shows interviews with black youth, especially women, who talk about their presence on the scene. This presence has grown tremendously in New York City, which has a large population of African Americans and Afro-Latinas.

NYC is widely considered to be the birthplace of punk, which began in the 70’s with artists such as The Ramones and The Talking Heads. Meanwhile in England The Sex Pistols became a sensation, followed by the likes of The Clash and Generation X.

In the 90’s the Riot Grrrl movement brought white women to the scene in bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile. Black men have involved in the punk scene as a minority in bands such as The Dead Kennedys, and on rare occasion we have seen an all black punk band such as Bad Brains.

It’s due time for this genre to be diversified, and what better place to start than right where it all began? To find out more, watch the video right here!

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz-zLvlI9x4&feature=player_embedded#! 425×344]

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