Afro-punk

Afro-punk (sometimes spelled Afro Punk, Afropunk or AfroPunk) refers to the participation of black people in punk music and the punk subculture. Black people's participation in punk music has existed since the genre's origins in 1969 with the ska movement of Boss Skinhead Laurel Aitken and his song "Skinhead Train" from 1969. Afro Punk has persisted to the present day, & it has played a key role in punk scenes throughout the world, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom. Notable bands that can be linked to the Afro-punk community and/or bands that include Afro-Punk members are but not limited to: Death, Pure Hell, Bad Brains, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Kennedys, Fishbone, Wesley Willis Fiasco, Suffrajett, The Templars, Unlocking the Truth, MAAFA, Rebelmatic, Winterwolf, and Rough Francis.

History

The term originated from the 2003 documentary Afro-Punk directed by James Spooner. But, Afro-punk music has been around since the mid-70s with Pure Hell. Pure Hell was the first all-black punk band that originated in Philadelphia, PA. In addition, black people have been intertwined in the punk scene since its birth in the 1970s, with black-led bands such as X Ray Spex having connections and associations with key figures in the scene such as Johnny Rotten. During the late 90s, a series of feminist black punk concerts, under the moniker "Sista Grrrl Riots", were performed in response to the lack of intersectionality found in the punk Riot Grrrl subculture.

In the early 21st century, Afro-punks made up a minority in the North American 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, Unlocking the Truth, Rough Francis, MAAFA, Rebelmatic, WinterWolf, Meet Me at the Altar and The Paradox.