MARSHA: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson

For the Helen Pond McIntyre ‘48 Lecture, Tourmaline will join C. Riley Snorton (English and Comparative Literature and ISSG, Columbia) for a discussion of her new biography of Marsha P. Johnson. They will explore finding creative guidance in the archive, the power of Johnson’s life as a blueprint for living today, and the continued struggle for queer and trans liberation.

Tourmaline’s new book, MARSHA: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson (Penguin Random House, 2025), is the first definitive biography of the Black trans activist and icon. Richly researched and vividly written, and with extensive access to Marsha’s friends and family, this book brings to light her legacy, and unwavering commitment to the fight for queer and trans liberation. Tourmaline is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, writer, and activist who has spent two decades studying, preserving, and celebrating Johnson’s life.

This event is part of a series, “We Will Not Be Erased: Queer Archives, Trans Histories,” that will continue with a conversation between Tourmaline and Steven Watson—creator of Artifacts, a platform dedicated to preserving rare archival footage of queer and trans cultural pioneers—on November 19.

For additional information, visit the event page here.