As we approach the end of February, let’s take a moment to highlight some black alternative figures, old and new, who have been influential in the scene and black community. Screaming it once more at the top of my black emo girl lungs,

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH! 

Here are 5 black alternative figures you should know about:

Living Colour

Living Colour is a predominantly black American rock band, formed in 1984 in New York City. They are an iconic band, known for breaking racial barriers in rock music and producing hits like their multiple Grammy Award winning song “Cult of Personality”. This band truly helped pave the way for black alternative artists to be able to express and create their art to their fullest capability, and set a new bar for what black artists can achieve once those barriers are broken down!

The Paradox

The Paradox, an Atlanta based black alternative group, was formed in June 2024. Eric Dangerfield (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Donald Bryant (bass) Christopher “Xelan” Bernard (lead guitar, background vocals), and Percy “PC3” Crews (drums) have quickly and eagerly become a big influence in the pop-punk scene. Their rise as young, black musicians, led to an opportunity for them to open up for Green Day. Since then, they have been noticed and contacted by many big music artists in and out of the scene to work together, and even performed at When We Were Young Music Festival this past year. The Paradox are also the first all-Black band to go #1 on Billboard’s Alternative chart, aren’t stopping there. We love to see them living the dream!

Death

Death is an American music group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1971 by brothers Bobby (bass, vocals), David (guitar), and Dannis Hackney (drums, percussion).
The trio started off making funk but quickly switched to rock after seeing concerts by The Who and Alice Cooper. Critics talk about Death being ahead of their time, not gaining much of a fanbase in the 70s, while viewed as visionaries today. Many have named them as one of the first punk rock bands. The band split in 1977, but unexpected interest in their music resulted in independent record label Drag City releasing their unreleased recordings from 1975 in 2009, and the band coming back together. The documentary “A Band Called Death”, shows how the discovery of the band’s long-lost demo tape led to their newfound popularity. Death is still actively making music today!

Meet Me @ The Altar

Meet Me @ The Altar is an American, women of color pop punk band. Formed in 2015, the three band members each lived in different states and created their music virtually. Edith Victoria (vocalist), Tea Campbell (guitarist), and Ada Juarez (drummer) went on their first tour together in 2018, and were signed with Fueled by Ramen in 2020. The band, being all women of color, is inspiring and powerful, representing and showing the world that we exist, loudly and proudly!

Edith is the embodiment of what my inner little black alt girl always wanted to be, blending alt and black fashion into one. In 2024, Tea Campbell stepped away from the band to pursue her next chapter in life. MMATA, now a duo with Edith and Ada, confirmed that they will continue making music and have become an independent band again. Can’t wait to see what is next to come for all of them!

Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust)

Lajon Witherspoon was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where Sevendust was born. He has been the vocalist for the band since their formation in 1994. Witherspoon grew up influenced by R&B, gospel, and rock music. In his teens, his tastes evolved to include heavier genres. Prior to the formation of Sevendust, he was the front man for the funk rock band Body & Soul, which opened for local Atlanta acts like Snake Nation in 1994. This led to Witherspoon’s recruitment by his future bandmates.

Witherspoon is noted for his versatile and powerful voice, and has been a defining element of Sevendust’s sound overall. He has also made guest appearances on songs by artists such as Tech N9ne and Deftones. Witherspoon is a strong example of a black alternative artist making genre bending and ground breaking movement in the scene over decades. He embodies the perfect blend of a wide vocal range and captivating stage presence. As of 2025, Witherspoon is actively developing his debut solo album, diving into his R&B roots while still mixing in some rock elements.