In 1998, the MTV reality series, True Life, aired an episode on Freaknik, the wildly popular Atlanta festival launched in the 80s, where Black college students could have community with live entertainment that devolved into chaos and instances of sexual violence by the late 90s. It follows several southern college students as they prepare for the annual event.

Some are fraternity brothers brushing off their step routines for a competition at Freaknik. Others are packing their winnebago for a fun road trip to the Black event of the year, including cameras and camcorders in case they spot an attractive woman on the street. A self-proclaimed classy hoochie is making a shopping run to find a few sexy clothes to bring.

The episode stands out as a confluence of activity, conversations and personalities that later gravitates to the topic of sexual politics at the event. This is the same era when Lil Kim proudly rapped about leaving cum stains; Zanes erotic novel, Addicted, steamed up bestseller lists; and The Players Club brought moviegoers behind the doors of a striptease bar.

In addition, artists like rapper Foxy Brown and director Cheryl Dunyes The Watermelon Woman similarly engaged with some of the most radical dialogues around Black sexuality female agency and queer desire being among them in new and exciting ways.

So, the segue in True Life was natural. By this point, Freaknik had become a space where public displays of Black sexuality and sexual freedom had also become mainstreamed and politicized. It was where the playa hater, the step king or queen, and the classy hoochie could chill, have fun and intellectualize. And it was the same place where attendees could be seen grinding on each other in the street, flashing their body parts and doing all kinds of freaky stuff, as a young man named Jemik puts it on True Life.

This is heaven, son! says his friend, Gator.