Terence Alan Smith, also known as "Joan Jett Blakk", is a globally recognized activist, political candidate, and drag queen from Detroit, Michigan. Smith is an

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

actor, writer, and political candidate. Smith, as Joan Jett Blakk first came to national attention when running for president of the United States in 1992. Calling himself a blend of

Divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

and

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...

, Smith began performing in 1974. In 1991, Smith, as Blakk, ran against

Richard M. Daley Richard Michael Daley (born April 24, 1942) is an American politician who served as the 54th mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1989 to 2011. Daley was elected mayor in 1989 and was reelected five times until declining to run for a seventh term ...

for the office of mayor of Chicago, Illinois. The campaign was chronicled in the 1991 video ''Drag in for Votes''. Smith's next campaign was for the presidency in 1992 under the slogan "Lick

Bush Bush commonly refers to: * Shrub, a small or medium woody plant Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to: People * Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name **Bush family, a prominent American family that includes: *** ...

in '92!" and documented in the 1993 video of the same name. Smith also ran for president in 1996 with the slogan "Lick Slick Willie in '96!" In each of these campaigns Smith ran on the Queer Nation Party ticket. Following the 1992 campaign, Smith moved to San Francisco, California and joined the African-American stage comedy troupe

Pomo Afro Homos Pomo Afro Homos (1990–1995), short for postmodern African American homosexuals, was an African-American gay theater troupe founded in San Francisco by choreographer-dancer Djola Bernard Branner, actor Brian Freeman, and singer, dancer, and actor ...

. He launched his talk show ''Late Nite with Joan Jett Blakk'' at Kiki Gallery under the production of Rick Jacobsen, and featuring Stephen Mounce as co-hostess Babette. The talk show featured local and national persons of interest in the LGBTQ community. It became so successful it was moved to a larger venue to accommodate the sold out crowds. In 1999, Smith, again as Blakk, announced his intention to run for mayor of San Francisco against incumbent Willie Brown. In June 2019, a play based on Smith's 1992 presidential campaign, titled ''Ms. Blakk for President,'' written by

Tarell Alvin McCraney Tarell Alvin McCraney (born October 17, 1980) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He is the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama and a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble. He co-wrote the 2016 film ''Moonlight ( ...

and Tina Landau and starring McCraney in the title role, opened at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. In November 2019, Smith received the Queer Art Prize for Sustained Achievement for Joan Jett Blakk’s “memorable presidential campaign and for her powerful dedication to the lives of Black, LGBTQ+ communities across the nation.” A short documentary featuring Smith premiered at SXSW in March 2021. In August 2021 directo
Whitney Skauge
and Smith received the Outfest: Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival Special Programming Award: Freedom “for their collaboration on the short documentary The Beauty President, a reflection on the legacy of a young, Black, drag queen who, at the height of the AIDS crisis, brazenly ran against George H. W Bush for president on the Queer Nation Party Ticket in 1992.” In October 2021 the film premiered online wit
LA Times Studios

References

Bibliography

* Glasrud, Bruce A. (2010). ''African Americans and the Presidency: The Road to the White House''. Taylor & Francis. . * Meyer, Moe (1994). ''The Politics and Poetics of Camp''. Psychology Press. .

External links

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Joan Jett Blakk: Queer Nation's Candidate for President, 1992
produced by Bill Stamets; preserved by Media Burn Independent Video Archive
[Joan Jett Blakk announces candidacy for president
/nowiki>">oan Jett Blakk announces candidacy for president">[Joan Jett Blakk announces candidacy for president
/nowiki>produced by Bill Stamets; preserved by Media Burn Independent Video Archive
[Joan Jett Blakk at C.I.S.P.E.S. Benefit
/nowiki>] produced by Bill Stamets; preserved by Media Burn Independent Video Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Blakk, Joan Jett African-American people in Illinois politics American LGBT politicians African-American drag queens LGBT African Americans American LGBT rights activists Candidates in the 1992 United States presidential election Candidates in the 1996 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians African-American candidates for President of the United States Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American people