This podcast explores the Black punk scene and the liberating atmosphere of punk shows. It also delves into the corporatization of the community, reflecting on the rise and fall of the Afropunk Festival. Additionally, the speaker shares their experience of introducing their daughter to the punk scene and discusses generational differences in taste.
Black punk circles create a sense of unity and support, prioritizing community over violence in mosh pits.
The Afro-Punk movement lost its original punk roots, becoming a corporatized brand focused on R&B music.
Deep dives
Black Punk Scene as a Source of Comfort and Community
The podcast explores the speaker's personal experiences in the punk scene and highlights the sense of community in Black punk circles. They describe finding comfort and connection with other Black individuals in mostly white mosh pits. The speaker emphasizes the difference in safety and support in Black punk circles, where unity and helping each other prevail over violence. They highlight the liberating feeling of being in a Mosh pit full of smiling Black faces.
The Evolution of Afro-Punk and its Co-optation
The podcast discusses Afro-Punk, a movement and music festival created to validate and celebrate the Black punk experience. However, the speaker explains that over time, Afro-Punk became corporatized and co-opted by the mainstream. It transformed into a multimillion-dollar brand focused on R&B music, losing its original punk roots. The speaker acknowledges that while some people still enjoy and benefit from Afro-Punk, it has become irrelevant to the punk scene it aimed to represent.
Black Punk Now: An Anthology and Validation of the Black Punk Experience
The podcast introduces the book 'Black Punk Now,' co-created by James Spooner and Chris Altary. The book is an anthology of writings, comics, and interviews from multiple generations of Black punks, aiming to showcase the diverse and expansive Black punk experience. The authors seek to reclaim what capitalism has stolen from punk and provide validation and representation for Black punks. The book highlights the importance of recognizing and appreciating the underground punk scene in the face of mainstream co-optation.
More than a decade since B.A. Parker last dabbled in the Black punk scene, she heads to a punk a show, and remembers a question from James Spooner: "What is more liberating than a mosh pit full of smiling Black faces?" Parker talks to James about what it means to be a Black punk, creating the Afropunk Festival and its evolution, and a new anthology he co-edited called Black Punk Now.