We're so excited to announce that our August grant was awarded to Punks Take Bluestockings: Punks of Color Incubator, a monthly all ages showcase of BIPOC punk.

Born after listening to youth organizers in the scene @punksofcolor_ (together with @themeetinghouseshows) challenge the community to create more all ages shows celebrating BIPOC performers, every month this queer trans feminist bookstore pushes the tables out of the way and puts on a night of raucous Black, Poc, queer and femme punk music.

A grant from the Awesome Foundation will go towards a drum kit, amp, and other sound equipment. Owning and transporting this equipment is a common obstacle for up-and-coming performers. By removing this barrier, performers from under-represented and marginalized communities will have access to professional-grade, quality equipment for their performances at Bluestockings.

Punk, like all rock music, is actually a genre pioneered by black and female artists, who have largely been pushed out of theor own scene. Owning our own equipment means we will not be constrained by the high cost of rental fees, allowing us to do consistent monthly shows. It also means we will not be constrained to booking bands wealthy enough to own their own gear. In a part of the city that is rapidly gentrifying we believe that creating and holding space for marginalized artists will absolutely make our community more awesome.

Punks Take Bluestockings happens on the last Sunday every month at Bluestockings Cooperative Bookstore in the Lower East Side. Shows are $10 NOTAFLOF and curated by [@natebklynwolf](https://www.instagram.com/natebklynwolf/_ of the legendary bands Maafa and Winter Wolf.

Bluestockings has been a mainstay of the LES community for over 25 years and we could not be more excited to support this initiative.