The bust shows a stoic Marsha is inscribed with a quote attributed to her: "History isn't something you look back at and say it was inevitable," the plaque reads, "It happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities."
The temporary bust which was installed on what would have been her 76th birthday is a reminder to city officials that they have failed to create a monument to Johnson and fellow transgender activist Sylvia Rivera after promising to do so two years ago.
The statue is the first transgender person to be memorialized in an NYC park and was done without city permission or funding, something that Marsha undoubtedly would have approved of.
Happy birthday, Marsha!," wrote organizer Eli Erlick. "Early this morning, a group of friends and I put up this bust of Marsha P Johnson in Christopher Park. It’s the city’s first statue of a trans person and - shockingly - only the 8th statue of a historical woman out of 800 monuments in NYC parks!"
Happy birthday, Marsha! Early this morning, a group of friends and I put up this bust of Marsha P Johnson in Christopher Park. It’s the city’s first statue of a trans person and - shockingly - only the 8th statue of a historical woman out of 800 monuments in NYC parks! pic.twitter.com/OljjrFD5Zs
— Eli Erlick (@EliErlick) August 24, 2021
"If you’re in town, you can put flowers in the crown openings, take pictures with her, & celebrate Marsha’s revolutionary activism. With @twwinkerbell's amazing sculpting skills, I hope this bust can bring a smile to every passerby," wrote Erlick.
