BLACK TECHNO MATTERS Presents "Say It Loud, Say It Proud: Black Lives Matter!" March to the White House
Saturday, June 13 2020
Washington, DC
“On March 14 2020, we were supposed to have our biggest event yet at Union Stage DC. The scheduled lineup was Outputmessage, Diyanna Monet and Baronhawk Poitier. But everything shut down that week because of COVID. All events stopped.
A few months later, after the murder of George Floyd, we found ourselves gathering in a different way. On June 13 2020, we organized a march to the white house, joining forces with several DC underground dance collectives and their communities. It was the first time many of us had seen each other since things had shut down. We reconnected by marching through the streets of DC, chanting “BLACK LIVES MATTER” over a playlist that included techno classics by artists like Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills and Robert Hood, as well as modern classics like “Supremacy” by Bonaventure.
When we got to the white house, we played a mix called “Africa 2.0” by The Sanmi and danced joyfully as a form of resistance.”
DJ and musician Bernard Farley at a march in Washington DC in support of LGBT Pride and Black Lives Matter in June 2020
“His group rented a golf cart, to which they strapped speakers playing relentless techno at high volume while they chanted: “Whose streets? Our streets!” “Supremacy”, an unnerving, thumping track by Swiss-Congolese female DJ Bonaventure, was especially significant at these protests, says Farley.
Auditory resistance — loud music by black-only artists filling the streets — was as important symbolically as banners and rallying chants. “Reclamation is a major part of the liberation of black people. The music is crucial. It has a raw sound to it, it is invigorating, and with more focused energy.
“I could hear black music echoing off the buildings.” And, says Farley, it had the advantage of energising the wilting crowd in the intense summer heat.
”
Credits:
--> March lead by Bernard Farley aka Outputmessage
--> Music curation by Bernard Farley aka Outputmessage
--> Flyer by Morgan Tepper aka Lisa Frank
--> Original photo by Michael A. McCoy
--> DJ mix for the dance circle by The Sanmi
Additional Notes:
--> First march organized for BLACK TECHNO MATTERS
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