For people of color in particular, punk rock offered a medium that celebrated individuality and offered a platform for political and social critique. Black punk bands like Bad Brains, Pure Hell, and Death not only pushed the boundaries of what rock music was capable of, but shattered expectations of how people of color are seen within the genre. Today, punk rock is more diverse than ever, as collectives like Atlanta-based Punk Black help foster the community by hosting concerts that highlight artists of different races, religions, and nationalities.

Here, photographer Arvin Temkar attends a Punk Black showcase in Washington, DC, to offer a perspective on what the future of punk rock looks like.

Some things just aren’t “black.”

At least, that’s what Miles Logan, 32, heard growing up. “From a young age you get socialized to listen to a certain music, dress a certain way,” he said. “There used to be an attitude back in the day that rock music wasn’t ‘black.’ That’s not true.”

Check out this article on Buzzfeed.com “Here’s What Punk Rock Looks Like Today.”

“The Courtland Experiment,” performed at the first PUNK BLACK DC Fest Edition at “The PINCH,” in northwest DC. 

Christopher Johnson also known as “C. J.” is the youngest columnist on this website.  He started interviewing celebrities when he was 10-years old.  Chris comments on sports, politics, current events and he writes movie reviews.  In his spare time he is the Lead Guitarist for a band called The Courtland Experiment.  Click here to visit his Archives Page to see more videos with Harold Bell and to read his commentaries and movie reviews. You can also follow Chris and The Courtland Experiment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to learn more about Chris on his “Commentary” page.