We Organized! OPN Black Sex Worker's Roundtable

We Organized! OPN Black Sex Worker's Roundtable

Author: Old Pros June 17, 2022 Duration: 53:58

On this special episode, host and human rights activist Lakeesha Harris gathers a legendary roundtable of leaders in the Black Sex Worker movement: performer/activists Sinnamon Love and Jet Setting Jasmine of the BIPOC Adult Industry Collective, and historian/professor Dr Charlene Fletcher. Together, they discuss the legacy of sex workers in fine art museums, Black women who are silenced in the archives, pleasure influence, mental health care, colorism at the strip club, and more! And Lakeesha gives a raw and righteous farewell to Old Pro News, asserting that no conversation surrounding workers rights and labor organizing is complete without sex workers at the table. 

 

Sinnamon Love is a visual artist, published writer, community organizer, and Black Feminist Pornographer. For almost 30 years, Sinnamon has created media that shifts narratives around sex work, BDSM, and motherhood. 

 

Love is a fierce advocate for Black Lives Matter, Trans Rights, Sex Workers Rights, & Decriminalization of Sex Work & Cannabis. 

 

In 2018 & 2020 she served as a Fellow of the Sex Worker Giving Circle at Third Wave Fund, the first-ever philanthropic organization to put sex workers in a position of grant making. 

 

In 2020, Sinnamon founded the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Collective, a national human rights organization dedicated to bridging the race-based, wage gap in the online sex trades by providing access to mental health resources, financial assistance, and peer-to-peer education. 

 

 In 2021, she participated in a Delphi Panel at Boston University, creating sex education curriculum for US high school students. At the top of 2022, Sinnamon joined the restructure team at the CAST-LA & The National Survivor Network, the largest network of anti-trafficking organizations, to help them move towards a pro-sex work stance.

 

Sinnamon identifies as a kinky, bi, poly, grownup. She is a vibe curator, yogi, Hip Hop & House head, writer, cannabis enthusiast, recovering serial monogamist, #naturallygrey, and happily #singleinbrooklyn.

 

Sinnamon is learning to live with a traumatic brain injury in NYC.

 

You can find out more about Sinnamon at SingleinBrooklyn.com.

The BIPOC Adult Industry Collective: https://www.bipoc-collective.org/

Charlene Fletcher: Historian, educator, and writer, Charlene J. Fletcher is the Emerging Voices Postdoctoral Research Associate in Slavery and Justice at Brown University. She holds a Ph.D. in History from Indiana University, specializing in 19th century United States and African American history and gender studies. She also served as a lecturer of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York and an adjunct lecturer in Global and Historical Studies at Butler University.

 

Charlene's research and forthcoming book explores the experiences of confined African-American women in Kentucky from Reconstruction to the Progressive Era, specifically illuminating the lives of confined Black women by examining places other than carceral locales as arenas of confinement, including mental health institutions and domestic spaces. She seeks to explore how these women both defied and defined confinement through their incarceration, interactions with public, social, and political entities of the period, as well as how they challenged ideas of race and femininity.

Charlene's work is motivated by her personal and professional experiences — particularly her work with individuals and families impacted by domestic violence and incarceration — and these experiences continue to fuel her passion for her work today.

 

Jasmine  is a Psychotherapist with a strong emphasis on Intimacy Post Injury/Illness. She is the owner and lead therapist of Blue Pearl Therapy.

Jasmine co-owns, with partner King Noire, award winning Royal Fetish Films and together have over 20 years of experience as adult entertainers, directors and producers. The duo's love of the arts, film and sex education are combined to produce erotica that stimulates and engages the audience to explore their sexual boundaries.

Their work on the Decolonization of Sex & Porn and Politics has been featured in Huffington Post, Rolling Stones, Paper Magazine, VICE, Playboy, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, BBC, Psychology Today and more.

 

https://www.jsjlinks.com/

 

https://pineapplesupport.org/n-jasmine-johnson-decosta/

 


History is often told through the lens of the powerful, but what about those who operated in the shadows? The Oldest Profession Podcast turns the spotlight on the figures who shaped culture from the margins. Hosted by Kaytlin Bailey-a stand-up comic, advocate, and self-described notorious old pro-this series digs into the lives of specific sex workers from the past, placing them firmly within the context of their era. You’ll hear about courtesans who influenced politics, brothel owners who built empires, and street-based workers who fought back against oppression, all while drawing clear lines to the modern movement for rights and dignity. It’s a blend of rigorous historical research and the kind of candid, often humorous perspective that only someone with Bailey’s unique background can provide. Created in partnership with the team at Old Pros, this podcast doesn't just recount anecdotes; it argues that understanding these "old pros" is essential to understanding our collective story. The tone is engaging and accessible, merging the depth of a history lesson with the relatable punch of comedy. For anyone curious about the untold chapters of social history, this show offers a compelling, humanizing, and surprisingly funny journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Oldest Profession Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Margo St. James [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:40
Join us on The Oldest Profession Podcast as we pay tribute to the remarkable life and legacy of Margo St. James. Known as the mother of the contemporary sex worker rights movement in the United States, Margo's impact was…
The Mann Act a.k.a. The White Slave Law [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:35
In this episode of The Oldest Profession Podcast, hosted by Kaytlin Bailey, we go on a journey to uncover the history and lasting legacy of the Mann Act, also known as the White Slave Law. Enacted in 1910, the Mann Act m…
Carol Leigh a.k.a. The Scarlot Harlot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:41
In this episode of The Oldest Profession Podcast, host Kaytlin Bailey pays tribute to Carol Leigh, a hero in the sex worker rights movement. Carol Leigh, also known as "The Scarlot Harlot," was a multi-talented artist, a…
The Comstock Act, Contraception & Sex Worker Rights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:44
In this episode of The Oldest Profession Podcast, host Kaytlin Bailey dives into the life of Anthony Comstock who dedicated his life to eradicating "obscenity" and restricting women's reproductive rights. This episode un…
Season 5 - Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27
Exciting news!⁠ Get ready for the triumphant return of The Oldest Profession Podcast — Season 5 is coming your way!⁠ Hosted by Kaytlin Bailey, this season will feature 10 compelling episodes focused on historical old pro…
Why January 25th Still Matters Today [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:48
On January 25, 1917, over 300 sex workers in San Francisco marched to protest the imminent closure of their brothels. This was the first sex worker led protest in the United States. But why does January 25th still matter…
Lizzie Lape: The Most Prolific Madam in Ohio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:01
Lizzie Lape (1853-1917) was a prolific businesswoman and Madam in the Midwest during the 19th century. She owned numerous brothels and saloons throughout Ohio and even maintained a future President of the United States a…
The Maimie Papers with Ruth Rosen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:51
This week we are delving into the story of Maimie Pinzer, a Jewish SWer born in Philadelphia, PA in 1885. Her life was brilliantly preserved in a remarkable correspondence she had with a wealthy philanthropist, Fanny Qui…
Mae West: Unapologetic Sex Symbol [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:11
Mae West was an actress, writer, and unapologetic sex symbol. She enchanted the American stage with unabashed humor and demand for social change. Mae West dominated every facet of performing arts for eight decades, from…
Madison Phillips: Old Pros of Raleigh, NC (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:39
Madison Phillips is back again for the second episode of our two part series on the Old Pros of Raleigh, NC.⁠ Madison is a recent graduate of NC State University with a masters in Public History, centered on museum studi…