AfroPunk: An Introduction
AfroPunk is, to put it simply, a cultural revolution. It’s a combination of Africana influences with the counterculture punk movement of the 1970s and beyond. The term AfroPunk originated when a 2003 documentary directed by James Spooner of the same name was released. It explores the stories Black young adults in the United States who were members of the punk movement. The documentary highlights the lack of racial diversity these young adults saw in punk. Matthew Morgan, the documentary’s producer, teamed up with Jocelyn Cooper to found the AfroPunk festival, in a hugely successful attempt to create a space that celebrates Black people in punk (Nekesa). But it’s more than just a festival; AfroPunk has grown into a movement.
The festival, which originated in Brooklyn, now takes place in cities across the globe, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Paris, and Johannesburg (AfroPunk). It started out with a focus on punk music, but as its audience grew, so did its variety. The lineup today includes Black artists representing genres from soul, rhythm and blues, metal, and hip hop. It’s become a place for Black people to express themselves freely, without judgment. A place for eccentricism, creativity, LGBTQ+ people, and anyone who has been told they shouldn’t be who they truly are (Davis). Today, it’s a meeting place of Black alternative culture, music, fashion, art, film, and activism. The term AfroPunk is no longer a genre but a philosophy- a way of life.
However, it’s not without controversy. While it has expanded to meet a wider audience, critics argue that the AfroPunk festival has strayed too far from its roots. Most agree that AfroPunk still provides a place for the expression of Black creativity, but at what cost? The movement no longer puts punk bands at its forefront, instead venturing into a multitude of genres. Ticket prices have gone up as the festival has “sold out” to corporate sponsors. They have been accused of trying to suppress content deemed too radical, while at the same time using radical imagery to market their events (Darville). While attendees remain majority-Black, the number of white attendees is increasing with the popularity of the festival. I tried to consider all these things in the development of this course.
Course Rationale
Each week students will have a series of songs, videos, articles, and/or podcasts to consume, with critical discussion questions about each, culminating in an overall discussion of the topic addressed that week.
To introduce the course, students will look at early AfroPunk bands and culture. They will consider the early history of the movement. The song “Rock-N-Roll Victim” is by Death, who formed in 1971, and is considered to be one of the earliest punk bands. Like all other artists the students are asked to listen to, they are a Black group. The lyrics do a good job of describing a typical punk attitude. The Grinnell College article on AfroPunk History cites a number of other scholarly sources in its description of early Black punk bands, and AfroPunk culture. Students will revisit this article later in the semester. The AJ+ video “The Very Black History of Punk Music does a good job of explicitly stating how Black people were instrumental to the beginnings of the punk movement. The next video is an interview of members of the early AfroPunk group Pure Hell, in which they speak directly to their development and experiences in the punk movement.
Next, students will analyze the AfroPunk documentary- a highly influential piece of media credited with coining the term AfroPunk itself. The documentary delves into the unique experiences of Black young adults in punk, and critiques punk subculture as a whole. The NPR piece about the documentary includes an interview with the director of the documentary, James Spooner, and provides insight into his goals in making the documentary.
It’s difficult to talk about AfroPunk without thinking of the globally famous festival, which grew directly out of the documentary’s influence. Students will read an article on the origins of the AfroPunk festival, which delves into the documentary’s journey into a full-blown music festival, and the development of that festival throughout its existence. Then they will watch a 2015 CNN news report on AfroPunk, which explores how the festival has grown into its own subculture.
Now that students have a good background on the development of AfroPunk as a whole they will participate in a more critical analysis of the topic. In week four students will dive into the do-it-yourself (DIY) philosophy behind punk. To further understand this philosophy students will listen to “Art-I-Ficial” by X-Ray Spex. The lyrics speak to the way women are forced to conform to society’s ideals, in quite the opposite manner of DIY. Students will then watch a video about X-Ray Spex’s lead singer, Poly Styrene. She is a prime example of the DIY ethic, even rebelling against the norms of punk itself. Then students will read a part of an honor thesis about DIY punk ethics in Philadelphia. The article criticizes how white, suburban punks opt into a lower-class lifestyle in an effort to be more DIY. Students should think critically to decide if they think white participation in DIY is appropriation. Then they will read an article which describes some barriers Black punks may face in participating in the DIY scene.
In week five we will explore the wonderful world of AfroPunk fashion. Students will consider why fashion is so important to AfroPunk, and the different influences that go into the styles seen at AfroPunk events. The videos “Black Self-Expression Was Limitless at AfroPunk” and “The Most Innovating Style and Soul Energy on the Planet” both show and interview people with unique styles at the AfroPunk festival. These videos will give students an idea of the types of looks one could expect to see at the festival.
In week six students will learn about Black punk activism. I would have introduced this earlier in the course, but wanted students to have a grasp of general AfroPunk history and culture first, to help them understand how activism fits into the bigger picture. The song “Buckshot” is by The 1865, whose explicitly historical name gives one an idea of how they use their music to address injustices of the past, and present. The song “Politicians in my Eyes” by Death gives an example of how AfroPunk bands address a multitude of issues through their music. The reading “Racial Activism and Resistance” talks about AfroPunk resistance within the punk movement and how punks combated racism in Britain. The next reading explores the more modern issue of transgender justice and describes how activists struggle to be heard at the AfroPunk festival of today.
Week seven will look specifically at feminism in AfroPunk. The song “Boot” by Tamar-Kail is a complex piece about sexuality and exploitation. “Hit Like a Girl” by Meet Me @ the Altar is a modern example of a feminist piece about refusing to conform to society’s expectations. The video “Breaking Barriers in the Punk Scene” features interviews with a number of Black female punks, and highlights intersectionality. “Feminist Activism & Resistance” talks about the history of how AfroPunk has been used to further the cause of feminism. The next reading, titled “The Aesthetics of Black Women’s Afropunk Citizenship” is a chapter from a book called “Black Girl Magic Beyond the Hashtag.” The chapter students will read explores what #BlackGirlMagic can look like in the context of the AfroPunk movement, highlighting in part the experience of artist Tamar-Kali.
In week eight students will learn about queercore, an offset of punk music. The song Anna-Ee by PME is an example of the underground queercore music that was produced in the late 1900s, with explicitly transgender lyrics. The NPR article “Queer as Punk” talks about the experience of LGBTQ+ people in punk, and explains parallels to the experiences many Black people have in punk. The next reading is from the AfroPunk website, and covers LGBTQ+ Black punk history, tying the movement all the way back to 1575.
To show how AfroPunk has expanded beyond music and fashion, students will explore AfroPunk art in week nine. The video “The Art of AfroPunk” is a compilation of different art forms present at the AfroPunk festival, including paintings, spoken word, sculptures, street art, experiential art, and more. The next reading, “The Art Scene at Brooklyn’s AfroPunk Festival Was Hiding in Plain Sight” is a collection of captioned photographs showing even more forms of art at the AfroPunk festival. The final article for this week is a piece on AfroPunk NFTs, which will show a drastically different approach to AfroPunk art.
In week ten we will look at a number of controversies surrounding the AfroPunk movement, especially the festival. Most pieces so far have taken a positive stance towards the festival, so students will hear from a number of negative opinions. A New Yorker article on the gentrification of AfroPunk says that the festival has strayed too far from its roots. In 2018 the AfroPunk editor resigned, and the next article covers the reasons he left, and his criticisms of the festival. The next reading is from the Black Youth Project, and talks about how AfroPunk in general has become more commercialized throughout the years. Lastly, a video of Crystal Valentine’s poem “What I learned at AfroPunk” is a powerful account of sexual harrasment she faced at the festival, which was supposed to be a “safe space.”
To conclude the course, students will complete a final project about a Black punk artist or band of their choice. The goal of this project is to allow the students to use the histories, ideologies, and controversies they learned about in this course to analyze a specific artist/band's place in the AfroPunk movement. Students will present their findings to their classmates and will learn about the unique positions of different groups in AfroPunk.