What is AFROPUNK? AFROPUNK is an annual festival that takes place in Brooklyn, Atlanta, Joburg, Paris, and London. The festival provides a platform for various artists, including filmmakers, poets, artists, photographers, and singers to showcase their talents. The festival often promotes many unknown underground artists. The line up is always great and features many artists of different genres, such as pop, rock, hip hop, jazz, etc., most being African American.
My recent attendance at AFROPUNK Atlanta for the second time provided me with another fantastic and unique experience. I saw how much AFROPUNK is such a great representation of black culture. It was an empowering experience to see how much support these artists had from the attendees as well as seeing everyone in a space where they could truly be themselves freely. AFROPUNK is a space for creative black expression and more.
From the clothes, people wore, to the music that was playing, and the vast array of vendors and black-owned businesses, the immense presence of black greatness was amplified. AFROPUNK creates a space in which the positive aspects of the black community can flourish. AFROPUNK’s website (afropunk.com) describes the festival as “the Carnival of Consciousness, and we are a community of Alternative Black folks who are creating our Black Future IRT.” The festival also lets people know that it is not a space for sexism, racism, ableism, ageism, homophobia, fatphobia, transphobia, or hatefulness.
This is also a festival that won’t hurt your pockets to have a good time and celebrate the culture. There are payment plans for tickets and even a way to volunteer for a ticket. The festival isn’t all about profit, but more so for the appreciation of talented people.
The music flowing through the air, the fantastic looks people wear, and the artistry that surrounds attendees makes AFROPUNK a festival that genuinely makes a difference in the African American community.