Channing Gerard Joseph: How Black queer culture shaped history

How Black queer culture shaped history

Names like Bayard Rustin, Frances Thompson and William Dorsey Swann have been largely erased from US history, but they and other Black queer leaders played central roles in monumental movements like emancipation, civil rights and LGBTQ+ pride, among others. In this tribute to forgotten icons, queer culture historian and TED Fellow Channing Gerard Joseph shares their little-known stories, connecting the origins of drag in the 1880s to the present day and exploring the awesome power to choose how we define ourselves.

Black queer leaders played pivotal roles in historic movements like emancipation and civil rights, yet have largely been erased from mainstream history. The first self-described drag queen, William Dorsey Swann, was a formerly enslaved person who created spaces for queer celebration in the 1880s, risking arrest and demanding recognition. Traditions such as ballroom culture and drag trace their roots to these early acts of defiance and self-definition. Understanding this overlooked legacy is essential to grasping the full story of American freedom and identity.