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Channing Gerard Joseph

@yeschanningyes

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Journalist. Keynote Speaker. Global Visionary. LGBTQ+ History Scholar. Discoverer of William Dorsey Swann. Watch my TED Talk (link below)!

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Reclaiming Black Queer History.

“How many other Black queer stories have been erased from the historical record? And what could those stories teach us about who we are?”

William Dorsey Swann—the first known self-identified drag queen and a formerly enslaved person—is a name many have never heard. Like so many Black queer pioneers, Swann’s legacy has been buried, overlooked, and left out of mainstream history.

In a powerful @TED Talk, queer culture historian and @TEDFellow Channing Gerard Joseph (@yeschanningyes) reclaims that legacy. He connects the origins of drag culture with African American emancipation in the 1880s, revealing how Swann’s defiance and dignity were acts of resistance.

This Juneteenth, Joseph reminds us that the fight for freedom has always included Black queer people and that telling their stories is essential to understanding the full truth of liberation.

#Juneteenth #PrideMonth #BlackQueerPride #RepresentationMatters #EmancipationDay #BlackHistory #QueerHistory #OurVoice #OurStory #OurPower #NativeSon by @yeschanningyes

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a year ago

Bathing In geothermal lagoons heated by lava. Witnessing the green ghostly luminescence of the aurora borealis. Exploring landscapes filled with active volcanoes, waterfalls, and geysers. An amazing adventure. I can’t wait to return to Iceland. 🇮🇸

#iceland #reykjavik #volcano #glacier #waterfall #travel #blacktravel #blacktravelgram #adventure taken in Iceland by @yeschanningyes

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As the White House forces the Smithsonian Museum to revise its exhibits to downplay slav3ry, I have been patiently waiting to hear the thing nobody is talking about: the Smithsonian already omits or downplays some of the most excruciating parts of US history: the s@dism, the p8d0ph1l1a, and the s*xu@l abuse of enslaved children. Yes, it was much worse than anything we ever learned in school. #smithsonian #smithsonianmuseum #blackhistory by @yeschanningyes

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taken in California African American Museum by @yeschanningyes

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4 months ago

taken in London, United Kingdom by @yeschanningyes

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10 months ago

Afro Espacio. Photo by Laurent Leger Adame. taken in Madrid, Spain by @yeschanningyes

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a year ago

What a word! Can you step out on faith? by @yeschanningyes

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2 years ago

by @yeschanningyes

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by @yeschanningyes

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2 years ago

Happy birthday to me by @yeschanningyes

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taken in The Edge, New York by @yeschanningyes

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Over a year in the making, here’s my TED Talk on “How Black queer culture shaped history”:

Names like Bayard Rustin, Frances Thompson and William Dorsey Swann have been largely erased from US history, but they and other Black queer leaders played central roles in monumental movements like emancipation, civil rights and LGBTQ+ pride, among others. In this tribute to forgotten icons, queer culture historian and TED Fellow Channing Gerard Joseph shares their little-known stories, connecting the origins of drag in the 1880s to the present day and exploring the awesome power to choose how we define ourselves.

#education #socialchange #socialchangemakers #history #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #queer #queerhistory #queerhistorymatters #activism #lgbthistorymonth #lgbthistorymonthuk by @yeschanningyes

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