Summersode 11: Queen Marsha
After a day of festivities and fun at the Gay Pride Parade in New York City, the body of one of its most notable residents who fought for civil rights for all people, was found floating in the Hudson River on July 6, 1992. Marsha P. Johnson, born Malcolm Michaels, Jr, identified herself as a drag queen and was an outspoken activist for gay rights who first gained prominence during the Stonewall Uprising. We may never know the circumstances of her death, but her work lives on today.
In this episode, her nephew Al Michaels joins us as we discuss Martha’s life, activism, and death. We then learn more about her immediate family—including a tie to one of the earlies mass killings in the United States. And, come back next week for part 2, when we go into her family tree and learn about a Voodoo priestess.
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Summersode 11: Queen Martha, Part 1
Marsha P. “Pay It No Mind” Johnson was a colorful character and activist.
A photo of Marsha in a 1982 Gay Rights Demonstration/March
Source: © Ron Simmons, National Museum of African American History & Culture
Marsha and her good friend Sylvia Rivera marching at the Christopher Street Liberation Day March in 1973.
Source: Photo by Leonard Fink, Courtesy LGBT Community Center National History Archive
Marsha P. Johnson at a protest in 1969 at City Hall in New York City.
Photo Courtesy of the New York Public Library
Another side to Marsha.
Source: Al Michaels, nephew of Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha was beautiful inside and out, whether in drag or not.
A short history on what happened at Stonewall.
Source: Sunday Sun Journal, 26 June 1994
Malcolm Michaels, Jr before she became Marsha. This is a photo from her high school yearbook.
Source: Edison Vocational Technical High School, 1962
The LGBTQ+ Community never believed that Marsha killed herself.
Source: New York Newsday, 20 July 1992
Today, a Stonewall Memorial has been created at Christopher Street Park. Young and old alike go there to remember how Stonewall helped initiate change for the LGBTQ+ community. This is Denise’s niece showing half a heart after her visit.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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Media Recommendations for More Information on Marsha P. Johnson
Documentary, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
Audio Interview with Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson
Randy Wicker’s Photo Album of Marsha P. Johnson
Recommended Reading
“Stonewall 1979: The Drag of Politics” by Steve Watson, Village Voice
Transgender Warriors : Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman by Leslie Feinberg
Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBT Rights Uprising that Changed America by Martin Duberman
Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution!: The Story of the Trans Women of Color Who Made LGBTQ+ History by Joy Michael Ellison
March with Marsha by Katie Hall
We Are Everywhere: Protest, Power, and Pride in the History of Queer Liberation by Matthew Riemer and Leighton Brown
SOURCES
Afro-Americans in New Jersey: A Short History by Giles R. Wright
Marsha P. Johnson
Stonewall Riots Timeline
Wikipedia
Please support the Marsha P. Johnson Family Foundation dedicated to Marsha’s memory and run by her family.
We use a multitude of resources when researching a family tree up to an including census records from 1800-1940, marriage records in various states, draft registration cards, newspaper articles, and more. If you would like more specific details on where information was obtained, please email us and we’ll respond in a timely manner.