Joan Jett Blakk facts for kids

Terence Alan Smith, also known as Joan Jett Blakk, is an activist, political candidate, and a performer known as a drag queen. He is from Detroit, Michigan. Smith is an African-American actor, writer, and political candidate. As Joan Jett Blakk, he first became well-known across the country when he ran for president of the United States in 1992.

A Look at Joan Jett Blakk's Career

Terence Alan Smith started performing in 1974. He described his performance style as a mix of different famous artists.

Running for Office: Mayor and President

In 1991, Smith, performing as Joan Jett Blakk, ran for mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He ran against Richard M. Daley. A video called Drag in for Votes showed his campaign.

After turning 35, Smith announced he would run for president in 1992. His campaign slogan was "Lick Bush in '92!" This campaign was also shown in a 1993 video. Smith ran for president again in 1996. His slogan that year was "Lick Slick Willie in '96!" In both of these presidential campaigns, Smith ran as a candidate for the Queer Nation Party. This party focused on rights for LGBTQ+ people.

Life in San Francisco and a Talk Show

After the 1992 campaign, Smith moved to San Francisco, California. There, he joined a comedy group called Pomo Afro Homos. This group was made up of African-American performers.

He also started his own talk show called Late Nite with Joan Jett Blakk. It was first held at Kiki Gallery. Stephen Mounce was his co-host, playing the character Babette. The show featured interesting people from the LGBTQ+ community. It became very popular and moved to a bigger place because so many people wanted to see it.

In 1999, Smith, as Blakk, decided to run for mayor of San Francisco again. He ran against the current mayor, Willie Brown.

Awards and Media Recognition

Joan Jett Blakk's work and activism have been recognized in many ways.

Ms. Blakk for President Play

In June 2019, a play opened in Chicago. It was based on Smith's 1992 presidential campaign. The play was called Ms. Blakk for President. It was written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and Tina Landau. McCraney also starred in the play as Ms. Blakk. The play was performed at the Steppenwolf Theater.

Queer Art Prize

In November 2019, Smith received a special award. He got the Queer Art Prize for Sustained Achievement. This award honored Joan Jett Blakk's "memorable presidential campaign." It also recognized her strong dedication to supporting Black and LGBTQ+ communities across the country.

The Beauty President Documentary

A short documentary film about Smith was shown for the first time in March 2021. It premiered at the SXSW festival. In August 2021, the film's director, Whitney Skauge, and Smith received an award. They got the Outfest: Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival Special Programming Award: Freedom. This award was for their work on the short documentary called The Beauty President. The film looked back at the story of a young, Black drag queen. At a time when the AIDS crisis was very serious, she bravely ran for president against George H. W. Bush. She ran on the Queer Nation Party Ticket in 1992. In October 2021, the film became available to watch online through LA Times Studios.