Celebrate Black History Month on Tuesdays With Juiccy Misdemeanor

Juiccy Misdemeanor (known as John Roberts when not in drag) is a queen of many hats. The 26-year-old is a sickening drag performer, a First Company Member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, a boardmember for YouthSeen and Black Pride Colorado, and a passionate advocate for being unapologetically Black and queer. She’s wearing all the hats at once this February, hosting a series of drag shows called Juiccy’s Jukebox in honor of Black History Month. Taking place every Tuesday at Denver disco lounge Lucid, Juiccy’s Jukebox aims to create an environment for the local queer Black community to gather, converse and, of course, celebrate.

“The vision for this show was – not to sound harsh – to give Black people a space, queer Black artists a space, especially, to be celebrated and highlighted during the month of February, which you all know is Black History Month. My goal is that every week we incorporate some element of Black history, queer history – both those elements,” she says. “This show is more than one thing: It’s a community builder, a resource center, and also just a fun way to commemorate and celebrate who we are as Black people, Black leaders and Black business owners.”

Misdemeanor adds that the event has a “bazaar/flea market-style” atmosphere where Black-owned businesses can offer their services. Through her work with Cleo Parker Robinson, Misdemeanor has built up a network of movers and shakers in the local Black community, and wanted to not only highlight their work, but also connect them with potential clients and customers.

“The thing is, I’m so interconnected through the web of these Black higher-up people because I work for Cleo, and she’s like Oprah. Being around her and being on tour nationally and internationally, she is a mega-source for resources, pretty much,” Misdemeanor explains. “You meet all these strong, influential Black people, and I know them, but people don’t know that they’re here, or they don’t know what they offer. So I was like, let me just bring them together in one room, under one roof, and just give it all to you in one whammy!”

Each of the three Juiccy’s Jukebox shows has its own theme, cast and guest business or organization.

“So our first one was called ‘The Classics.’ It was on February 1, and it was just basically talking about classic Black history – Black trivia, classic Black drag. I had two really awesome performers there, Bootzy Edwards Collynz and Menaje E’Toi, both staples in the community and really awesome classic Black drag performers,” she says. The first guest organization was, of course, Black Pride Colorado and YouthSeen. As part of the Black Pride Colorado and YouthSeen team, Misdemeanor wanted to take the opportunity to educate the audience about all of the programming and resources the organizations have to offer, particularly for queer youth of color.

Next up, on Tuesday, February 15, is Volume 2: Black-Owned Everything, with guest performers Porsha DeMarco Douglas and Kendra D Crase.

“We’re really focusing on Black entrepreneurship, Black-owned businesses, how to create your own business, if you need resources, counseling, mentorship, training, all those things,” Misdemeanor explains. “In the main room we’re going to have a drag show, of course, with Black entertainers, a Black DJ playing R&B and neo-soul music, and in the back room – I’m really excited about this – it’s going to be like a big square of businesses tabling their services and products. There are currently five to seven Black-owned businesses that are coming in, [including] Alchemy Ritual Home Goods – shea butters and natural deodorants, oils, incense. We also have people who are Black notaries, diversity and inclusion training mentors, developers, marketers, engineers – we have all these people coming out to show that we do have a strong Black community with great resources.”

Finally, on Tuesday, February 22, Misdemeanor will present Volume 3: Everything Ballroom and Black Trans Lives, with a special panel discussion prior to the show.

“The door opens at 8:30 and the show is at 9, and before the show happens, there will be a panel discussion happening with – hopefully, if his schedule is still clear – the mayor, and some other influential legislative leaders in the community, talking about how they can continue to progress and help the Black queer community, as well as touching on Black Lives Matter and how we’ve moved forward, or digressed, since the big inaugural movement,” she says. “After that, we’ll have our last show, and we have some really awesome guests. We have two Black trans drag artists who will be there, as well as some ballroom representation from the House of Flora and LaBeija, and DJ Shawn G, an amazing queer Black person in the community.”

As a member of the legendary ballroom houses Kiki House of Flora and The Royal House of LaBeija, Misdemeanor wanted to bring in ballroom entertainers to educate the crowd on the underground art of ballroom. So in addition to drag entertainers Lisa Frank 666 and Ries Jey Misdemeanor (the newest addition to Juiccy’s drag family, the Misdemeanors), she’ll have Fatha Davry “Glamm” LaBeija, the house father of House of LaBeija, as well as Valentino Valentine, the house mother of Kiki House of Flora.

“They’ll be giving a little history about mainstream ballroom, Kiki House of Ballroom, and putting on some demonstrations and cyphers, aka voguing the house down boots,” Misdemeanor says. “It’ll just end the month on a really good high, and hopefully people will continue to do the work.”

Initially, Misdemeanor was hesitant to do a show specifically for Black History Month, fearing that she would only contribute to the opportunistic commercialization of the month.

“I think that it’s been taken out of context a lot, and it’s become very much a capitalized, performative moment. Especially being an entertainer, knowing people are going to ask you to do stuff because you’re Black, and it’s the month, and they want to make sure their establishment is seen as supporting ‘Black Lives Matter.’ Especially since that movement, the performative actions have skyrocketed tenfold,” she says. “It’s been very much turned into a profit-making business. I think that as long as people are seen advocating for the Black life during that time, they think they get a good rep, and they get some good word of mouth, and then they get some revenue, and it puts them back on the map, and then after that they go back to their normalcy. You know – not hiring entertainers of color, or their staff is predominantly white, or the crowd and the community are not integrated enough, or there’s not enough diversity.”

She chose to host Juiccy’s Jukebox at the newer queer venue Lucid because its owner, Sage Grey, is a personal friend who she knows is consistently dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive space. “He’s really trying to make sure everyone knows Lucid is a space for all,” she says. “It’s very inclusive; everyone is welcome there.”

It was Misdemeanor’s assistant who pushed her to go through with the show concept. “I give all credit to my assistant; her name is Tamara Clark. She set up the whole thing. She said, ‘Do you think we should do a show for this month?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but I don’t know what I’m feeling.’ She said, ‘Something for the people,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, duh!’ But I was like, even as a Black person, what do you do that’s not performative or triggering?”

To show that Juiccy’s Jukebox is actually meant to unite the community rather than turn a profit, Misdemeanor insisted on making the event completely free, and Lucid supported the decision. “There was a process. We thought about ticketing or doing a door cover, and I was like, ‘No. We are making this accessible for the community. Why? Because it’s for the community.’ We will not charge them,” she says proudly.

While the focus on Black entertainers during Black History Month can be beneficial to them, it also sadly sometimes highlights the hypocrisy they face year-round, she says. Misdemeanor has mixed feelings on the holiday: It allows her more leverage in business negotiations, but she is painfully aware that it’s a temporary shift. While she appreciates that she stays booked and busy during Black History Month, she wants to see that type of support for Black entertainers like herself every month.

“This month, this time, this celebration that people have – I think for some it means a lot. It means being seen and doing things you probably couldn’t normally do, or being sought after as much as you wish you were all year,” Misdemeanor says. “The other day I had a moment when I was talking to a venue and a business, and I was like, ‘No.’ It felt so good to say no. They were like, ‘Well, what do you want?’ And they gave me every last thing, and that was nice, but I know that wouldn’t happen normally.”

She encourages businesses and individuals alike to be more aware of when and how they support the Black community, and asks them to think about whether they really practice what they preach. “I always say actions speak louder than words. Do the work, and continue to do the work. Strive to become better, never to digress.”

Misdemeanor also notes that queer and trans Black people often experience and acknowledge Black History Month differently. “I found myself in so many conversations, and they’re different topics with other Black and queer people, like the topic of reparations, being owed our just due, or the topic of being celebrated and highlighted, not fetishized and idolized,” she explains. The intersection of Blackness and queerness presents a unique, additional set of challenges and needs, and one month of celebration is not enough to cover the many varied experiences of the Black queer community, she says. “First of all, as we all know, why a month? But that’s neither here nor there; I let that rest, because I’m not as political as most. I praise the most high that there is a month where we are centered and celebrated, but we live Black life every day. We are Black history,” she says.

Juiccy’s Jukebox is not an official fundraiser for Black Pride Colorado as it’s a free event, but there are still opportunities to support Black Pride and other Black queer organizations this month. “This show is not a fundraiser, but every show, we will be talking about Black Pride Colorado and YouthSeen, as I am on that board, and we have QR codes you can scan to learn about their programs and donate. But it’s not a fundraiser, and every business there on the 15th will be tabling for their own proceeds,” she says. If you would like to contribute to Black Pride Colorado’s funds, her fellow Black Pride team member (and drag family member) Felony Misdemeanor is hosting a fundraiser show at XBar on Saturday, February 26, where she will be part of the all-Black cast.

Misdemeanor is also hosting a fundraiser on Wednesday, February 16, for the Kiki House of Flora, a perfect precursor to her final Juiccy’s Jukebox theme. “The Kiki House of Flora is hosting a vogue night at Blush & Blu Denver. It’s $5 for advance tickets or $10 at the door, starting at 8 p.m. Juiccy Jay Flora LaBeija, my ballroom name, will be commentating on the microphone. This is a major fundraiser, and will allow the Kiki House to travel out of state for balls and to throw our own balls,” she says. “Because, as no one really remembers, the Kiki House of Flora actually was the first to throw a ball, before the pandemic, at Gladys’s. The Black Fantasy Ball was the first mainstream ball that we had in Colorado, but the Kiki Ball from the House of Flora was the first [actual] ball that the city has ever seen.”

These events are open to all attendees, as long as they are respectful of the space. “It’s centered around the BIPOC community, but of course we allow allies to come as long as they’re truly being allies,” she says.
Standing up and supporting is not about you today. You’re here to support and repair and all the things.”

Especially for the Kiki House of Flora vogue night, Misdemeanor wants to make sure attendees know how to behave at a ball, since many have probably never been to one before: “We will have check-in rules at the door about do’s and don’ts, what’s accepted, what’s not tolerated – because it is supposed to be an inclusive space for our community first. We call it an ‘attitude check.’ There’s a list of things: if you are transphobic, homophobic, etc, etc, if you do not understand any of this or you do not know what’s going on, we ask you not to come in here. People always say, ‘I want to learn how to vogue!’ Well, here’s a space, but do it as respectfully as possible, because if not, we will ask your ass to leave. Do not come into our space trying to wreck our energy.”

Juiccy Misdemeanor invites us all to celebrate Black History Month with her, but wants us to remember the purpose of these spaces: “It’s supposed to be a night of celebration of queerness, Blackness, authenticity and fun.”

Volume 2 of Juiccy’s Jukebox is Tuesday, February 15, at 9 p.m.; Volume 3 is Tuesday, February 22, 8:30 p.m. Both shows are at Lucid, 600 East Colfax Avenue, and free to attend. The Kiki House of Flora Vogue Night is Wednesday, February 16, at 8 p.m. at Blush & Blu Denver, 1526 East Colfax Avenue. Tickets are $5 in advance or $10 at the door.  Felony’s Show at Xbar, 629 East Colfax Avenue, is on Saturday, February 26, at 10 p.m.