Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Avergan.

This day July 6, 1992, Marsha P. Johnson's body was discovered floating in the Hudson

River on the west side of Manhattan near the Christopher Street Piers.

The police quickly ruled Johnson's death as suicide despite

the fact that close friends and community members insisted Johnson was not suicidal and

that the back of her head had a massive wound in it. That was Mars's death. Johnson was born in

1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. By the 70s, Johnson had changed her name and become one of the

most prominent members of the burgeoning

drag queen scene in New York City. Johnson initially used the moniker

Black Marsha but later decided on the name Marsha P. Johnson. I love this

getting Johnson from the restaurant, Howard Johnson's on

42nd Street and saying that the P stood for pay it no mind.

That is how you come up with a name.

Johnson was kicked off much of the early gay liberation fight in New York City.

So here to discuss the remarkable life and death of Marsha

P. Johnson are, as always,

Nicole Hammer of Columbia, and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wesley.

Hello there.

Hello Jody.

Hey there.

So Nicki, I guess we should just say right off the bat

...