MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — The city of Milwaukee declared Monday “Black Night Remembrance Day,” as the LGBTQ network celebrated a moment when a bar fight replaced everything.
Over 60 years ago, an organization of black transgender women stood up to 4 men and defended the town bar where they felt they could be themselves.
Today, brush lines a vacant lot next to I-794.
“It’s a situation that hasn’t existed for 60 years at 400 Plankinton. That’s where Black Night was,” said Michail Takach, president of the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project.
The Black Nite only had 8 bar stools, but it’s the only place in Milwaukee where other people can show up in gender non-conforming clothing.
“Gay bars of the time were very dark, very confidential, nameless places, so they didn’t need to draw attention to themselves and they didn’t need other gender-broad people to be there because they thought they might cause trouble,” Takach said. saying.
On August 5, 1961, 4 men fought the gorilla, left and returned for a larger fight, not knowing that the consumers would be ready. The solidarity, enormous.
“People learned that they were outnumbered by their bullies and that they might just take an opposite stance from their bullies,” Takach said.
All those years later, recognition. Just around the corner from St. John’s. Paul and Plankinton, Wisconsin, now has their first LGBTQ antique marker.
“They defended and won. The bar was demolished, but the network understood that members of the LGBTQ network would no longer be run over,” said Peter Burgelis, Milwaukee Councilman.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley attended Monday afternoon’s event, along with dozens of others.
“This ancient marker is a strong symbol of visibility and representation, especially for our Black transgender brothers and sisters who have faced common challenges,” said Tony Snow, Visit Milwaukee’s Director of Community Inclusion and Engagement.
Days like these remind us of continued resilience. The network has noted a spate of violence lately, with 4 black transgender people killed in Milwaukee from 2022 to 2023.
“Often, as Black trans women, we go unnoticed or don’t get the visibility we want from people in our community,” said Sevyn Lockett of Milwaukee.
The Wisconsin Historical Society published a two-part series on the Black Night uprising in its publication “The Wisconsin Magazine of History. “
The first component was published in June. The second component will be released this fall.