Photos by Jonathan Cooper
In 2003, a documentary called Afropunk was created by a mixed-raced Tattoo artist named, James Spooner. The film explored race identity and the black experience in the overwhelmingly white punk scene in New York City and across America. A grassroots movement materialized shortly after the film and Afropunk Festival was born in 2005.
Initially created with the vision to provide black people with a space to build a subculture community based around the punk rock scene, the festival has evolved over the years hosting notable artists like Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo, Gary Clark Jr., Sharon Jones Lenny Kravitz and even Charlotte’s own, Junior Astronomers. Charlotte photographer, Jonathan Cooper visited the festival in Brooklyn, New York to capture the essence of this two-day counter-culture festival that showcases raw spirit, fashion, people and emotions.
Here are his images from Afropunk 2016:
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