Afropunk in the Pit

Xingonas in the Pit presents: "Afropunk in the Pit" 

We (Crystal, Jazzmin, and Daisy) are leaders of the San Antonio punk collective Xingonas in the Pit. After organizing Texas' first "Black and Brown Punk Fest TX," in October 2018, our next event in our series will be like nothing you’ve ever seen before...

We are proud to present “AFROPUNK IN THE PIT!” a Black punk fest featuring a screening of the legendary cult classic film "Afro-Punk" followed by an artist talk with director James Spooner and Black punk acts uniting across Texas!!!


We need YOUR help to make this happen!

- Because we have talented artists traveling to San Antonio, 100% of this fundraiser will go towards the travel & performing fees of our featured musical acts (BLXPLTN, Pleasure Venom,  Ojos, After Dinosaurs, Mercutio and the Constantines), the filmmaker (James Spooner) and poster artist (Cristy C. Road).  

- In the spirit of all things D.I.Y, we are not corporate sponsored. Instead, we rely entirely on the support of the community – we humbly ask you to please consider donating to make this happen. REMEMBER ANY AMOUNT HELPS ($5, $10, $20+) & YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE! 


So why is “Afropunk in the Pit” important? 

- Because we are tired of hetero hyper-masculine white-centered music scenes that lack safety and inclusivity!

- Because alternative black artists are not given proper credit for their contributions to punk and are tokenized and underpaid for their work as creators of culture! (& their work is culturally appropriated) 

- Because in a time when the people in power don’t care about black lives, we intend to build sustainable, creative communities where black voices & talents are respected, honored, and celebrated!


LINEUP:
BLXPLTN (Austin, TX) 
Pleasure Venom (Austin, TX) 
Ojos htx (Houston, TX) 
After Dinosaurs (Arlington, TX) ‘
Mercutio & The Constantines (Houston, TX)
w/ Special guest, filmmakerJames Spooner (Los Angeles, CA)
DATE: March 30 2019 6pm-2am  
LOCATION: La Botanica, San Antonio, TX


ABOUT THE FILM:
Afro-Punk  is an award winning 2003 DIY documentary film directed by James Spooner (who'll be in attendance) exploring the experiences of black punk and hardcore kids within a predominantly white subculture. It raises questions around black identity, interracial dating, marginalization, the double consciousness of black Americans, and alienation. The film is also a time capsule for what black alternative youth experienced just as the world was beginning to shift with the power of the internet. 

XINGONAS IN THE PIT  is an all-ages San Antonio-based decolonial feminist punk collective aimed at creating a network of safe radical music spaces.  

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS:
∙ Crystal is the co-creator of NWA Zine, an anarchist, musician, and an activist.  She spent most of her teen years seeing black people be either tokenized or ignored while in punk spaces. Her goal now is to decolonize what it means to be “punk” and be visible for all the black punk kids out there. She believes art from people of color not fit for mainstream commercialization and consumption deserves to be celebrated.

∙ Jazzmin Readeaux is from Houston, TX. He is in the band Ojos and is a dedicated mom and family person. Even though he works really hard at home, he does think this world should always be growing and improving. In order for this to happen, he thinks we must be part of the action. His life exists to make this world a better place for future generations. For Jazzmin, punk means freedom of expression but also empowerment for those marginalized people who seldom have a voice. 

∙ Daisy Salinas is a San Antonio-based Native Xicana feminist zinester (Muchacha Fanzine ), punk musician (Frijolera Riot ), fest curator, activist, and poet. She started the decolonial feminist punk collective "Xingonas in the Pit” with the purpose of promoting punk as an act of resistance and self-sufficiency for people of color. Her goal is to build safe spaces for artists of color to reclaim our identities, our art, and our collective liberation. 

Flyer art by Cristy. C Road


HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE USED:

∙ 100% of this fundraiser will go towards the travel & performing fees of our artist beneficiaries BLXPLTN, Pleasure Venom,  Ojos, After Dinosaurs, Mercutio and the Constantines, the filmmaker James Spooner, and poster artist Cristy C. Road.  

∙ Combining our GoFundMe Campaign and Event Admission Fee ($10 at door), our total fundraising goal is $2700 ($1500 via GoFundMe & $1200 via Admission Fee). The $2700 will be divided as follows: $300 for each musical act including travel (5 acts total), $900 for director fee including airfare from Los Angeles to San Antonio, and $300 for poster artist fee.

∙ All funds will be dispersed into my personal bank account (Daisy Salinas, festival curator).  The GoFundMe donations $1500 with the Admission Fees $1200 (total: $2700) will be divided up the day after the event on March 31 2019. After dividing artist payments, I will personally pay each artist by transferring their payments via PayPal.