I know this isn’t a alt/punk blog, but if any of yous follow me - listen; a lot of alternative scenes are really, really white. It gives me pause when I’m in a subculture and I look around the room and see everyone is as pale as me. That’s a smoking gun, and the main reason that any scene becomes overwhelmingly white compared to local demographics is because our subculture just plain isn’t being welcoming. There’s this perception that punk and goth and other alternative scenes are white culture? And that’s rubbish? Being POC IS punk. White punks like me can re-dye our hair, take out our piercings and change our wardrobe if ever we get tired of making a statement with how we look, but how POC look is considered a statement no matter what. Moreover, THE proto-punk band, the one that inspired the sound in the first place? It’s called Death and is three black guys from Detroit. FURTHERMORE, Bad Brains is one of the greatest hardcore punk bands of all time, and that band is four black guys from D.C. Here’s a video with POC explaining this a whole lot better than I ever could:
I’m not as knowledgeable about other alternative scenes, but I know y’all are reasonable. So here I am, a white punk, asking the rest of us to do right by our history? Be welcoming and encouraging to punk POC. Reblog their images, talk to them about local events, offer them lifts, attend and promote their gigs, give them your clothes that no longer fit you; all the stuff you’re already doing within the subculture. Because if Punk can’t make a platform for POC voices in this political climate? What the fuck is the point of punk.
