News & Features » February 2015 » Spotlight on AFROPUNK

Spotlight on AFROPUNK

To celebrate the release of The Lost Treasures of R&B — the latest in Nelson George’s acclaimed D Hunter mystery series — we’re pleased to bring you a spotlight on AFROPUNK, a cultural movement celebrating alternative black culture.

Click here to watch the book trailer for The Lost Treasures of R&B, as revealed exclusively at AFROPUNK.

AFROPUNK began as an idea created by fifteen-year music industry veteran Matthew Morgan and writer/director James Spooner, who sought to create a platform for the mostly overlooked community of urban and multicultural audiences in the punk rock/indie/hardcore scene. This idea sparked the creation of the notable 2003 film Afro-Punk, which highlighted the generally invisible experience of black punk rockers in America.

In the years following the film’s release, AFROPUNK proved to be a new cultural mecca for kids in both the United States and across the globe who had now discovered that they were the backbone and heart of this rapidly budding community. AFROPUNK’s website was a forum that allowed for expression and inclusion in top new acts involved through their Liberation Sessions, a new, accessible live performance series hosted by cofounder Spooner.

As time passed, AFROPUNK’s influence garnered press coverage from heavy hitters in the media, from places such as Pitchfork, URB Magazine, Vibe, and Nylon, to the New York Times, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, and the Los Angeles Times. They also started performing at prominent music festivals like SXSW and CMJ.

But 2005 was the year AFROPUNK really came into its own. With the Brooklyn Academy of Music as their backdrop for a passionate, eager crowd, they kicked off their first annual AFROPUNK Festival, emphasizing the importance of music, film, art, culture, and individualistic creativity, which in turn cultivated unity between the many different types of people involved in this remarkable movement. The New York Times has dubbed it “the most multicultural festival in the US,” and it continues to be the place for those who had once been excluded and ignored. In another effort to promote inclusivity, AFROPUNK offers free tickets to their festival, and asks only for a donation to keep their thriving community alive.

To learn more about AFROPUNK’s movement, festivals, blogs, magazine, merchandise, movies, and more, visit their website at www.afropunk.com.

Posted: Feb 25, 2015

Category: Akashic in Good Company | Tags: Afro-Punk, AfroPunk, AfroPunk Festival, Akashic in Good Company, BAM, black culture, Black Music, Brooklyn Academy of Music, CMJ, cultural movement, D Hunter, Entertainment Weekly, EW, hardcore, indie, James Spooner, Liberation Sessions, Los Angeles Times, Matthew Morgan, Music, Nelson George, New York Times, Nylon, Pitchfork, Punk, punk rock, SXSW, The Lost Treasures of R&B, URB Magazine, urban, Vibe