Six guest panelists kick off the inaugural #Blkgrlswurld Punk Fest & Zine Fair.

The panelists will discuss their personal journeys as black and brown youth in underground music and their relationships to music as self-expression. Moderated by #Blkgrlswurld ZINE’s Senior Editor Courtney Long, the discussion will also explore the cultural implications of punk music made for and by marginalized communities and the future of this punk scene.

Ola Ronke – Founder of the Free Black Women’s Library

Will Cooper – Writer for VICE, the Wall Street Journal, T Magazine and host of programs on networks including VICELAND and HBO.

Laina Dawes – Music journalist and author of What Are You Doing Here?: A Black Woman’s Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal

Scout Eleana – Philadelphia-based live music organizer and founder of Break Free Fest

Von Phoenix – Co-founder of PUNK BLACK, an Atlanta-based media network for Alt-PoC

Chris Terry – Author of Black Card

This program has been generously awarded a Visiting Artists Grant through the Sachs Program for Arts Innovation.