[Image description: a digital drawing of two queer black women sat on armchairs next to each other, seemingly chatting. The background has portraits of them both. The colours are very vivid and the art style is sketchy.]
Artwork from our physical issue, Future 003, by CJ Calanday.
Article by Emily Bourne and Ty Wilson.
Celebrating Queer Black Female Historical Figures
Black queer women have always been instrumental to the cultural identity and fight for liberation of LGBTQI+ community. Without their contributions and sacrifices,the LGBTQI+ community would not enjoy many of the rights and freedoms we have today. We would like to bright light to a few of our queer heroes in this article.
Stormé Delavarie
[Image description: black and white image of Stormé in a suit.]Storm Delavarie was an activist involved in the Stonewall Riots.
Affectionately known as the “Rosa Parks of Stonewall”
Josephine Baker
[Image description: black and white image of Josephine, laying in her stomach, looking up at the camera.]Josephine Baker was a performer, civil rights activist & World War II spy.
Marsha P. Johnson
[image description: black and white image of Marsha sat on the curb.]Marsha P Johnson was a trans rights activist and founder of STAR House.
Audre Lorde
[image description: black and white image of Audre sat down.]Audre Lorde was a writer and activist. Self-described as a Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet--Audre Lorde’s contributions to radical Queer Black Womanist thought have influenced and inspired others for generations since.
Throughout her lifetime, Audre Lorde worked as a professor, activist,and professional essayist based primarily in New York City. The daughter of Caribbean immigrants,”both her activism and her published work speak to the importance of struggle for liberation among oppressed peoples and of organizing in coalition across differences of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, age and ability.”
“I want to live the rest of my life, however long or short, with as much sweetness as I can decently manage, loving all the people I love, and doing as much as I can of the work I still have to do. I am going to write fire until it comes out my ears, my eyes, my noseholes—everywhere. Until it’s every breath I breathe. I’m going to go out like a fucking meteor!
— Audre Lorde, from “A Burst of Light: Living with Cancer,” The Selected Works of Audre Lorde
Bessie Smith
[image description: black and white image of Bessie smiling at the camera.]
Bessie Smith was a blues singer.
Lorraine Hansberry
[image description: black and white image of Lorraine sat down, looking at the camera.]
Lorraine Hansberry was an author and playwright.