A Personal Ode To The Dopeness Of AfroPunk

Photo: PNP/WENNThis weekend, the annual AFROPUNK Festival came, saw, and conquered Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park.

As hundreds of thousands of music lovers flooded the area, the show has become a crown jewel highlight of New York City’s melodious summer. For those unfamiliar with the expressionist event, performances are primarily known to reflect African American culture through a mixture of activism, music, and style. In fact, the official site says that AFROPUNK has “become synonymous with open-minded, non-conforming and unconventional, placing the institution at the epicenter of urban culture inspired by alternative music.”

The festival’s energetic, eclectic, and egalitarian style makes it a breeding ground for those looking to shed their confining coils and showcase their unique ability to stand out amongst the crowd. I attended two days out of the three-day event, as I always do this time in August, and I was swept up in the thralls of AFROPUNK. Seeing a full-blown festival can be a bit much if unprepared, but with in-the-headlines news such as #BlackLivesMatter, the on-going drama with police brutality, and all-around co-opting and appropriation of African and African American culture — being at Commodore Barry Park felt like a family reunion of sorts. This of which I was excitedly glad to attend since it is only true to say that the festival is a bastion of beauty, style and grace that feels inherent to people of color.

With roots stemming from legends such as Afrika Bambaataa (who sported a mohawk in the ’70s and wore punk rock styled clothing) — AFROPUNK serves as a meeting ground for those willing to buck quote-unquote traditional society. Natural hair flows like the breeze on a Sunday, beach-y evening. Pride in one’s attire — whether it be skin-showing sheer or traditional wax cloth — is the staple of the day. There isn’t anywhere that one can go without looking and feeling like their truest, most authentic self. AFROPUNK highlights a pageantry unlike other music festivals like Coachella or New York City’s Summerstage, as it is wholly about owning it and making whatever that “it” is your own.

No two persons of color are the same (unless you’re twins and even still that’s a stretch) — a fact that still befuddles police authorities and near-sighted racists — and at AFROPUNK it is exciting to witness that display of beauty.

On the Saturday portion of the show, which touted legends Grace Jones and Ms. Lauryn Hill as the headliners, I personally witnessed a headbanger’s ball during Suicide Tendencies performance while a protest was happening on Activist’s Row. Jean jackets with patches, ripped t-shirts and pants, multi-colored locs, jewels of all sizes and styles adorned beautiful people who had a deeply vested measure of self-identity and allegiance to the diasporadical experience. It should make one’s heart swell with pride to see an unabashed sense of inclusiveness and acceptance amongst people of color.

There was no negativity. There weren’t any issues or violence that mired the weekend. It was all love, all good, and alright.

Men greeted each other with the respect that has begun to spill out onto the streets, while women all served a fierceness that has been slowly absorbed by the white mainstream fashion media. AFROPUNK represents the movement at large and codifies the virtues and expectations we put on ourselves as Africans and African Americans who live in this country misrepresented — in a superbly stylistic way. This event matters for so many things that lie beneath the surface. Given all these acts of police brutality, willful ignorance by the “powers-that-be”, and an exercise in revisionist history when it comes to people of color — AFROPUNK is one of the few places where all that distortion and noise can be drowned out.

Amidst the sounds of love, protest, activism, righteousness, coolness, and style — those who attended AFROPUNK like myself walked away empowered and more fashionable to boot. I might’ve received a few head nods and compliments on my attire, but truly it was those who came from all over to showcase their vogue who made the 2015 AFROPUNK music festival legendary.

The electricity from the people was surely strong to even turn off the lights for Ms. Lauryn Hill’s set, but that’s still not powerful enough to dull the substance and style of these attendees.

Until next year, AfroPunk we thank you.

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