As a Black male who runs a Metal/Punk webzine, many White people are still surprised by the color of my skin when they meet me face to face. Racism in the underground isn’t uncommon. It’s ironic that Rock & Roll was invented by African Americans, but we don’t have more acceptance in this White underground. African American women and men created the underground music scene out of necessity with Juke Joints, where Blues was born.
Last night, we watched the mini-documentary “Breaking Barriers in the Punk Scene” which focuses on what it’s like to be a Black woman in Alt/Punk/Metal spaces. It’s a great showcase of Black women and femme creators and the prejudice they face from both White and Black communities when they’re just expressing themselves and following in the footsteps of their ancestors who created art on the fringes of society. They prove that being Black is punk, and they inspire our daughters to be different!
Black musical artists, make-up artists, and influencers reflect on their experiences in the Punk, Goth & Alt scenes. Rico Nasty, Raisa Flowers, Lust $ick Puppy, and others talk about their struggles finding their place in the scene. By redefining the aesthetics and expectations of the punk world, they have found ways to express and be themselves authentically while inspiring the next generation.
