What it Means to be a Rockstar (From the Perspective of a Black Girl)
By Jada Alfred
Somewhere around the age of 10, I had one of those Paper Jamz toy guitars. It was bubble gum pink and thin enough to fit underneath a doorway. It came equipped with its very own Paper Jamz amp to complete the setup. Unfortunately, I could never get it to play anything other than “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar. I would turn it on and exhaust that song with fake strumming until boredom struck. I can’t remember if it was that plastic guitar at 10, the playing dress up for hours when I was 5, or the obsession with Freddie Mercury after the Bohemian Rhapsody movie at 18 that catapulted my desire to embody something greater than myself.
Jada and her guitar. Photo credit to the author.
If I had to guess, my attachment to the idea of “The Rockstar” stems from a wish to reclaim my own history as a black woman.. How many young black girls would respond to the question of what they want to be when they grow up with, “A Rockstar.” I would bet not that many. Perhaps it is because they don’t know much about that world because they have been placed on the outside of it for so long. It is interesting to see how black women, and black people in general, are often left out of the genre of rock when it was created by them. Until the newest rockstar biopic of the year, Elvis, not many people knew that a black woman, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, was actually the pioneer of the rock genre. Not to mention Chuck Berry and Little Richard burst onto the scene before Elvis, but when he played the same music, it was easier to digest for white audiences.
In my mission to reclaim the genre, there is also a mission to be unapologetically me. That is what made Bowie, Prince, Stevie Nicks, Elton John, and so many others the embodiment of self-love and commitment to peace and joy. Through their artistry and commitment to being unapologetically themselves, they were able to create safe spaces for those who felt like they were on the outside looking in. Being a rockstar to me is not entirely about being on stage; it is about playing a role in everyday life. You have to be able to show those around you that it is okay to be whatever you want to be, love whoever you want to love, and cover or uncover your body with whatever makes you feel the most authentic. If I am able to bring that to someone else, specifically black women and girls, I believe I can fulfill my life’s mission.