Afro-punk (sometimes spelled Afro-Punk, Afropunk or AfroPunk) refers to the participation of African Americans and other

Black people Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in s ...

in punk and alternative subcultures, especially in the United States.

History

The term originated from the 2003 documentary ''

Afro-Punk Afro-punk (sometimes spelled Afro-Punk, Afropunk or AfroPunk) refers to the participation of African Americans and other Black people in punk and alternative subcultures, especially in the United States. History The term originated from the 200 ...

'' directed by

James Spooner James Spooner is an American tattoo artist and graphic novelist from New York City, living in Los Angeles. He is best known for his seminal documentary film '' Afro-Punk'' (2003), exploring the African American experience in the punk and alterna ...

. In the early 21st century, Afro-punks made up a

minority Minority may refer to: Politics * Minority government, formed when a political party does not have a majority of overall seats in parliament * Minority leader, in American politics, the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative b ...

in the

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

n punk scene. Notable bands that can be linked to the Afro-punk community include: Death, Pure Hell, Bad Brains, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Kennedys, Fishbone, Wesley Willis Fiasco, Suffrajett,

The Templars The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon ( la, Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici), also known as the Order of Solomon's Temple, the Knights Templar, or simply the Templars, was a Catholic military order, ...

, Unlocking the Truth and

Rough Francis Rough Francis is a rock band from Burlington, Vermont formed by Bobby, Julian, and Urian Hackney, along with Tyler Bolles. The Hackney brothers originally formed the group in 2008 to pay tribute to the music of their father's (and uncles') early ...

. In the United Kingdom, influential black musicians associated with the late 1970s punk scene included Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex,

Don Letts Donovan "Don" Letts (born 10 January 1956) is a British film director, disc jockey (DJ) and musician. Letts first came to prominence as the videographer for the Clash, directing several of their music videos. In 1984, Letts co-founded the band B ...

and

Basement 5 Basement 5 were a reggae punk fusion band from London founded in 1978. Their first vocalist was Winston Fergus, then Don Letts. One of their early performances was a support for Public Image Ltd.'s London debut at the Rainbow on Christmas Day ...

. Afro-punk has become a movement, comparable to the early hip hop movement of the 1980s. The Afropunk Music Festival was founded in 2005 by

and Matthew Morgan.

Festivals

AfroPunk has Festivals in 5 locations. The 2019 Brooklyn AfroPunk Festival took place on August 24 and 25. The Atlanta AfroPunk will take place October 12 and 13. There will also be festivals in London, Paris, and Joburg. The line-up for the festivals vary depending on location, but include artists, Jill Scott, Anderson Paak, FKA Twigs, Leon Bridges, Danny Brown, Smino, Tierra Whack, Ho99o9, Earth Gang, Kamasi Washington, Santigold, Fever 333, Leikeli47, Mahalia, and many more.

References

External links

Afro-Punk Film Official SiteAfroPunk Festival Official Site"The True Story Of How Afropunk Turned A Message Board Into A Movement
The Fader, August 21, 2015
"Afro-Punk Scene Explodes Into A Multi-Genre Movement"
MTV, December 12, 2008

'' The New York Times'' {{Authority control 21st-century music genres Punk African-American culture African-American music DIY culture Underground culture