Overpromising and under-delivering in Burlesque should be studied. I remember shortly after the 2020 George Floyd protests there was a spill of virtue-signaling posts. Daily floods appeared on all timelines about diversity casting, allyship, and tons of call outs of poor behavior. White producers and artists wanted to outwardly peacock that they were finally going to do some heavy lifting in these areas and stop leaning on Black and Brown artists for emotional labor. Well, that has fizzled out in the past few years. We still continued to see all white shows, Black and Brown artists being put into unsafe spaces and situations, and an overall lack of support for non-white producers and productions.
Fast forward to the current day and the new stance some white artists and producers are taking is, ‘My body/act/production is resistance,’ in support of the anti-ICE/MAGA movement.
This unprovoked declaration has made me ask: ‘Okay, so how?’ I need it explained to me like I am five years old. I don’t understand how your quarterly production, which includes one person of color, relates to the resistance? How does a white performer’s presence in white-dominated spaces align with revolutionary goals? It raises the question: Is navigating these spaces the most ‘productive’ use of privilege, or does it inadvertently reinforce the status quo in this case? I understand this tactic has been successfully used in the past to fight misogyny, the patriarchy, and other causes directly affecting women’s health, but how does it work in today’s climate of extreme violence against Brown and Black people?
I’m always super nervous when I’m debuting a new act or costume. Not because of my skill or anything like that, but because I know that my body and my art are inherently political. Everything I create is undeniably Black; I can’t help it. It’s not just on me, it’s in me, and it pours into every single thing I create. My art and story are automatically grandfathered in to being political, revolutionary and part of the resistance. I don’t have a choice.
As a full time performer in a blue city located in a red state, which is mostly fueled by tourism, I understand that many visitors are conservative.
When the results of the second election hit, I cried. Sobbed actually. I couldn’t believe that this country could be so ignorant. It was a shock to my nervous system and spirit at the same time. I doomscrolled, reposted, and doomscrolled for days until it was time for my first gig after the results. A dread rushed over my body, what was this? I felt like I was about to clock in for the midnight shift at McDonald’s with a broken ice cream machine and a long drive-through line! I did NOT want to go. I wanted to quit.
So I sat with the feeling as I reluctantly packed my bag and did my makeup, literally dragging my feet, and then something hit me. I didn’t want to go smile and pretend to be happy for a room mostly filled with conservative tourists (they love New Orleans for some reason). People who I know voted against me, my loved ones, friends, neighbors and this country. I was legitimately shook. So many things from ‘Am I even safe?’ to ‘Maybe quit burlesque for a while’ rolled through my head. Whew! Then when the dust of my thoughts settled, the only thought left standing was, ‘Fuck ’em’.
I showed up that evening and performed as my true self – Black culture and all – and was immediately reminded that my artistry, these stories, and the history MUST be pushed to the forefront now more than ever. Being part of the resistance means disrupting the control of authority for the liberation of all. I naturally disrupted while just existing. So I ask you, again, as a white performer in predominantly white spaces, how is your body and art a part of the resistance? How does a white performer’s presence in white-dominated spaces align with the current revolutionary goals? Please explain it like I am five…
By Mz Juno, a commission to mark Black History Month, 2026. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok.