first ever planet afropunk continues the afropunk festival tradition in 2020

AFROPUNK’S 2020 festival paid homage to the reality that the upheavals experienced over the course of the year are far from novel; they have been central to the Black experience across space and time, which is recognized in this year’s theme, “PLANET AFROPUNK: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE IS BLACK.”

As a result of the unique partnerships, PLANET AFROPUNK was a completely free virtual experience for its entire global audience, made solely possible by its brand partners. Festival-goers were given an option to donate money to organizations including Black Futures Lab, Color of Change, Movement for Black Lives, Equal Justice Initiative, Fair Count, and The Bail Project among others.

Through PLANET AFROPUNK, a space has been curated for the global Black community to explore and celebrate the depth and breadth of what it means to be Black on this planet. As the engine room of the Black experience, PLANET AFROPUNK is a fluid, digital space designed to embrace the plurality of Black stories and individualities that are experienced through Black music, art, conversation and activism, across borders and continents.

Following the events of this year, PLANET AFROPUNK was designed to encourage the continued live interaction, activism and debate on racial justice normally associated with its physical festival. Space was curated to explore everything from politics and social justice, meditation and Black self-care, through to the trend-setting cultural hot-takes emanating within the Black community. Since this year’s festival took place just ten days before the US 2020 presidential election, the intent of these conversations was to bring momentum to community engagement, find collective solutions to long-standing issues affecting the Black community and to, most of all, encourage the AFROPUNK community to vote.

PLANET AFROPUNK also created new ways to experience the next generation of Black creativity, music and culture through the support of this year’s many partners, who powered AFROPUNK’s iconic digital destinations, alongside VERIZON, who helped to charge our incredible artist lineup for AFROPUNK’S festival on the World Stage, and BOSE, who supported the audience’s musical discovery journey through a special set from Masego, Serpentwithfeet and Jonah Mutono. This year’s digital destinations included:

• Ideaville, powered by Target, was one of the most exciting and anticipated destinations at PLANET AFROPUNK. With keynote speakers, AFROPUNK Solution Sessions and luminary interviews, Ideaville empowered connections between people, ideas and solutions. With AFROPUNK, Target spotlighted Black voices and stories, while creating a safe space for all of AFROPUNK’s communities, featuring a Black Queer Town Hall and community soap box. Target also partnered with Penguin Random House to uplift Black voices by featuring a selection of NY-Times best-selling authors in the Rock N’ Read Bookstore and powered author readings and conversations.
• Bites&Beats returned this year delivered by Grubhub, which offered virtual festival-goers access to exclusive experiences and Perks from restaurants across North America. CÎROC VODKA and CROWN ROYAL REGAL APPLE partnered with Ghetto Gastro to bring Planet AFROPUNK lively and delicious conversations about culture through cuisine in Bites & Beats. The Queen of Bounce, Big Freedia joined Planet AFROPUNK to share one of her favorite recipes: Booty Poppin Potatoes and showed us how to make a Red Bull Tropical Tequila cocktail.
• Art & Times created an immersive gallery experience, celebrating hand-picked work from South African artists in collaboration with Esprit, showcasing how unusual and original combinations create something truly unique.
• Hair & Beauty Village explored all of the facets of Black hair through the eyes of creators, innovators, visionaries and artists to manifest conversations, creativity and community. Hair plays a central role in the identity, self-concept and political consciousness of Black people, and Maui Moisture powered important conversations on-platform for festival-goers.
• Activism Row generated discussions on criminal justice reform, the failings of the criminal legal system and the systemic racism and segregation plaguing the public school system. Ben & Jerry’s highlighted how partner organizations like The Advancement Project National Office, Close the Workhouse Coalition, and Power U work to eliminate injustices in Black communities nation-wide. Non-profit organization AARP also celebrated Black roots and activism through a video tribute and encouraged voter engagement.
• Spinthrift Market featured a curated selection of Black owned vendors from around the world. Guests were able to discover makers and creators across many different product areas including beauty, fashion, wellness, gifts, services and more.

You can relive the entire experience for the next month on www.planetafropunk.com