Afropunk Returns After First Year in Paris

In 2003, James Spooner, a sculptor with no film experience, decided to make a documentary exploring race in America’s predominantly white punk scene. Spooner toured the film across the country, sparking a sense of camaraderie among previously disparate communities who met each other on the forums of the film’s website. The growing movement culminated with the creation of Afropunk, a music and arts festival that offers a home to black communities in various punk subcultures.

A photo posted by AFROPUNK (@afropunk) on Apr 15, 2016 at 8:11am PDT

The first event was curated to showcase indie/punk/hardcore culture through music, film, art and skating, in addition to a web magazine launched in the aftermath of its success. After spending a decade in Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park, the festival set its eyes across the Atlantic to Paris with the intention of uniting alternative black cultures around the world. While the early years of Afropunk were dedicated to the music, the festival has grown to represent a variety of genres, described by the New York Times as “the most multicultural festival in the United States.”  

A photo posted by AFROPUNK (@afropunk) on May 12, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT

Afropunk will return to Paris this June, in addition to holding its 12^th annual event in Brooklyn this August. The New York festival will feature a diverse range of performers including Ice Cube, George Clinton, Seinabo Sey, Flying Lotus and many more.