“I’m going to teach you about who we are, whether you like it or not.”
Here’s what they said.
Black History Month is just the month we turn up!
“I’m going to teach you about who we are, whether you like it or not."
So do what you have to do.
Go to the lake, party with your friends, go to the cabin.
We deserve that.”
That’s how I exist every February.
[I advise Black people to] do whatever you want, and everybody should just appease Black people.
That’s really what I think Black History Month should be.
That’s the agenda I’m going to keep pushing.
Sometimes it feels like LGBTQ+ people are forgotten about during Black History Month.
It’s personal to me now.
Before it’s all said and done, the people will hear and learn about Ts Madison, too.
That’s why Black history is important to me because I’m able to create and manifest it.
I am a part of pushing Black and queer culture forward."
I didn’t want to do that.
I didn’t want to perform for them.
It felt exploitative to me.
There’s so much work we have to do.
I [usually] say, ‘No, I have never heard of them.’
I used to be so ashamed about having such an impoverished understanding of Black history.
Now, I think to myself, ‘It wasn’t intended for you to know.'"
Black History Month is a time to teach what so many people refuse to teach.
This is a time when it will be in your face.
I’m going to teach you about who we are, whether you like it or not."
P-Valleystar Nicco Annan: “[Black History Month] shows I’m not alone.
It also lets me know what’s possible.
Sometimes, as an artist, you might create what has not been seen.
I grew up knowing the portrayals of queer people and certain tropes in the industry.
9-1-1: Lone Staractor Brian Michael Smith: “Black History Month is time that we earned.
It was created for us to see to it that this country recognizes our contributions to its history.
I love the fact that many of us are now highlighting queer folk who were pioneers of Black history.
Black History Month used to be a day, now it’s a month.
Let’s make it all year.”
Or who they’ve been able to recontextualize as peaceful, and not too much of a threat.
The Black Lives Matter movement was started by Black queer women.
Because that’s also important for us.
That’s the Black history that makes a difference.”
I hope it’s always just a feel-good month."
