The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks-much like that fateful day in 1969-prompted the public to unite and demand an end to systemic racism. Tying those things together and helping people understand that our shared history is very similar has really helped contribute to what we’re seeing in the streets, which is a hugely diverse group of people.” It’s very much the way we see Black Americans today. The truth is that our community at that time was constantly harassed, beaten, and arrested by the police. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera throwing bricks is the Hollywood version. “Pride started out as a revolt against police brutality,” says Cathy Renna, a spokesperson for NYC Pride and Global Pride, among others. Her act of defiance would spark an uprising that would lead to demonstrations calling for justice and equality for her marginalized community-a rallying cry that 51 one years later is all too familiar. Johnson, and like all the patrons at the Stonewall Inn in June of 1969, she was fed up with the constant persecution of the LGBTQ+ community by the New York City Police Department. As the legend goes, it started with the throwing of a brick by a trans woman of color who was exasperated by the status quo.
