The calendar page just turned to September, and once again I'm having to write about another Black trans woman being murdered. This time we travel to Baltimore to talk about our latest person we have lost to anti trans violence.
17 year old Bailey Reeves was attending a party on Labor Day n the 4300 block of Parkwood Avenue in North Baltimore. As she left the event around 8:05 PM EDT several gunshots rang out and struck Reeves. Five kids were witnessed by neighbors running away from the scene as Reeves was lying in the middle of the street in a pool of blood.
Reeves later succumbed to the gunshot wounds after being taken to a local hospital
Now for the grim stats. Reeves is not only the 17th person we have lost to anti-trans violence in the US in 2019, she is the youngest person we have lost this year.
And yes, it continues the aggravating pattern of the victims being overwhelmingly Black trans women. Out of the 16 Black trans women we have lost this year, 13 are under age 30.
If you are in the Baltimore area and have any information that will solve this case, you are urged to call detectives at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP (756-2587)
I was hoping we could get through the remaining weeks in this year without having another trans person murdered. Sadly that is not the case.
We head to Baltimore for our latest sister we will memorialize in 2018.
Her name was Tydie Dansbury, and she was found unconscious on the side of a street at 4:15 AM EST on Monday, November 26. Neighborhood residents who called the Baltimore PD reported hearing a gunshot in the 2400 block of Guilford Ave at W. Lanvale St.
The 37 year old Dansbury was taken to a nearby hospital where she died a short time later.
BPD Police spokesperson TJ Smith said in a Baltimore Sun video interview that what they do know is that some kind of argument took place between Tydie and another person, and that person pulled out a gun and shot Tydie. The perpetrators subsequently left the crime scene at a high rate of speed in a dark colored vehicle.
Baltimore police are urging anyone with information that can solve this murder and bring the perpetrators to justice to call the police homicide office at 410-396-2199 or text with tips at 443-902-4824 You can also call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP (1-866-756-2587) to leave anonymous tips.
Tydie is the 23rd trans person we have lost to anti-trans violence in the US in 2018 and the 17th African American trans person we have lost this year.
The Baltimore Transgender Alliance hosted a vigil tonight that started at 7 PM at their headquarters, The BTA will be monitoring the situation to ensure that justice is served for our departed sister.
And I have to note one other thing. Baltimore is the headquarters city for the NAACP. When will they speak out. as HRC is doing, against the plague of violence disproportionately affecting Black trans people?
When will our Black trans lives matter to the oldest civil rights organization in our community?
Rest in power and peace , Tydie. You trans family and everyone who loved you will not rest until justice is served in your death.
We have now lost eight trans women in 2017 to anti- trans violence. Seven of them have been African American trans women.
The latest murder happened in Baltimore, MD yesterday morning, and the person we will be saying her name is 38 year old Alphonza Watson.
Watson grew up in Washington DC, but moved to Baltimore 10-15 years ago.
She was found at 4:15 AM by police officers suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach in the 2400 block of Guilford Ave ion the north side of Baltimore. She was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital where she died from her wounds several hours later.
Baltimore Police media relations chief TJ Smith stated that witnesses reported an argument between Watson and two men took place before the gunshots happened. Those witnesses reported that immediately after the gunshots two men were spotted running and getting into a dark colored vehicle before speeding away from the scene.
Baltimore has been a particular deadly city for trans women. Since 2005 there have been 14 murders involving trans women, with Crystal Edmonds being the last person killed.
Edmonds case is still open, but the others according to Baltimore PD have been closed.
I'm also refusing to use the mugshot that has been plastered all over Baltimore media out of respect for the deceased. If someone who knows her has a nicer photo of our deceased sister, please send it to me so I can then share it with the media,
If you have information that will bring her killers to justice, you are urged to call the Baltimore Police Department at 410-396-2100, text a tip at 443-902-4824 or call Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP (866-756 -2587).
Rest in power and peace, sis. The community will not rest until the people who did this are caught and justice is served.
It's my sad duty to report we've lost another sister in 2016 to senseless anti-trans violence
32 year old Crystal Edmonds was shot in the back of the head early Friday morning at approximately 3:00 AM in the 3600 block of Fairview Avenue in northwest Baltimore.
Edmonds. who is a resident of southwest Baltimore, was taken to a nearby hospital, where she died five hours later.
Edmonds is now the 21st trans person killed in the US this year, which sadly equals last year's total
If you live in the area, a $2000 reward is being offered for any information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the waste of DNA who killed our sister, you are urged to call police at 410-396-2100, Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP or text a tip to 413-902-4824.
Will be keeping an eye on this case until Crystal's killer is arrested . convicted, and rotting in jail. If there is any information concerning a vigil or memorial service for Crystal, I'll pass that along as well. .
While we're counting down to the sixth annual Black Trans Advocacy Conference in Dallas next April, BTAC executive director Carter Brown is hitting the road for a series of BTAC regional summit events that will take place in several cities around the country.
The first one was in Topeka, Kansas August 26-27, with upcoming ones in New York on September 10, Atlanta September 24-25 at the Phillip Rush Center, and Baltimore October 7-9 at a location TBD.
As more are scheduled will pass that information along to you.
The New York event will start at 12 PM, and if you're interested, head on over to 115 W 113th St to check it out.
The goal of the BTAC summits is a multi faceted one.. In addition to getting the opportunity to meet Carter and other local BTAC leaders, it's spreading the word about the Dallas based national conference that is unique in trans conference world of being focused on Black trans people.
While this conference is focused on Black trans people, we encourage trans people of all ethnic backgrounds to come along with allies and significant others.
The BTAC regional summits summits are also seeking people interested in starting Black Transmen, Inc (BTMI) and Black Transwomen Inc (BTWI) local chapters, joining existing local chapters, participants and regional sponsors for the Black Trans International Pageantry System (BTIPS) pageants, people interested in stepping up to become leaders in BTMI/BTWI, and people wishing to help plan the 2017 BTAC national conference.
At a time in which right wing politicians are attacking the trans community and bald face lying to deny our existence combined with faux faith based resistance to our trans lives, events like BTAC are critical to building self esteem, and meeting and bonding with other trans people from around the world. We were blessed at this year's event to have trans people from Brazil and Jamaica attend this year, and that's one pattern I hope continues for BTAC
Events like these regional summits help them get the word out about the conference and hopefully get people to come and check it out.
The 2017 BTAC Conference that will take place in Dallas April 24-30 is now in its 6th year, and is setting a goal of breaking its attendance record set earlier this year of 150 participants.
So hope that you can attend one of the regional summits when it comes you way, and even better, if you can attend the BTAC national conference that is now just eight months away from happening.
Going to have a long day ahead of me and tried to get my beauty sleep for the business end of the LGBT Media Journalists Convening.that's starting right now.
Won't be watching much NCAA tournament action on either the men's or women's side today.but had my breakfast and I'm ready to go. The best part is I'm 40 pounds lighter than I was last year.
One of the panels I'm looking forward to is one at 10 AM EDT with NY Times columnist Charles Blow, Danielle Moodie-Mills and Michelle Garcia on the topic of Responsible Reporting on Black Communities that will be moderated by Faith Cheltenham..
The opening one discussing RFRA's and other unjust measures to enable discrimination is also going to be an interesting one.
I'll be live tweeting along with everyone else attending under the #LGBTMedia16 hashtag, and will post some commentary on my Facebook page.
After getting up at 5 AM Houston time to start a several hour travel day, I've finally arrived in the eastern time zone and Charm City, AKA Baltimore for the 7th annual LGBT Media Journalists Convening.
It wasn't a non-stop darn it, so I had to go through Pittsburgh before I got here, but as long as I got the frequent flyer miles for it and arrived here in one piece with all my luggage, than everything is okay.
At the moment I'm attending the opening #LGBTMedia16 reception, and the keynote speech is going on the American Visionary Arts Museum as you peruse this post.
They usually keep the keynoter a surprise, and last year it was the Rev. Dr William Barber II. Should be interesting to discover who it is this year.
The main business day is tomorrow, and after we get back from the reception, I'm hanging out for a little while and then taking my behind to bed because I will have a long day tomorrow.
One month from now, I'll be up in Baltimore attending the 7th annual LGBT Media Journalists Convening with many of the top LGBT journalists in the country.
It's sponsored by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr Fund and the NLGJA, and the purpose of it is to build and diversify LGBT media capacity, help us get better versed in writing and talking about the issues germane to our LGBT community and foster improved working relationships between those of us involved in LGBT media.
This 2016 edition of the convening will take place March 18-20. Once again I'll be in the house hanging out with my fellow journalists, getting my learn on during our all day panel sessions on Saturday, and enjoying the opening reception with our yet to be revealed #LGBTMedia16 keynote speaker.
Last year we had the honor of hearing and I had the honor of getting reacquainted with the Rev Dr. William Barber. I'd met him in Louisville at our Unity Dinner back in 2005, which he remembered when I got to chat with him after his speech was concluded.
I also got to ask him a question during the post keynote Q&A about where the national NAACP stands when it comes to standing up for the human rights of trans people.
It's one in the wake of the unjust anti-trans legislation being passed in South Dakota that cries out to be asked again.
I also enjoyed that moment in which the trans feminine contingent of the LGBT Journalists Convening took that group photo in front of what was once known as Dewey's Lunch Counter a few weeks before the 50th anniversary of the April-May 1965 trans human rights sit in and protest that took place there. .
I also enjoyed the first ever LGBT women's journalists meeting we had Saturday night coordinated by Trish Bendix and cutting up with birthday girl Faith Cheltenham, Berlin Sylvestre in the hotel lobby after I'd polished off a cheesesteak that wasn't from Pat's or Geno's.
Hope we have another one of those LGBT Women's Journalist meetings planned for the Baltimore event because I learned so much in that multi-generational conversation last year.
Looking forward to seeing who our keynote will be for this year's event, who is coming for this year's edition of the LGBT Media Journalists Convening, and tearing into some crab cakes..
And hopefully we'll have some nice weather for it as well.
Thanks to Jen Fischetti, I have been advised that the Baltimore PD has solved the case involving our departed sister Mia Henderson.
You may recall that the 26 year old Henderson's lifeless body was found in an alley near the 3400 block of Piedmont Ave in the Hanlon-Longmont neighborhood back on July 16, 2014.
On August 6, the Baltimore PD announced they were filing murder charges against Shawn Oliver, who is currently incarcerated at a state penal facility in Hagerstown, MD on an unrelated conviction.
Turns out that Oliver was attempting to rob Henderson, and she fought him before she was killed That fight led to the discovery of DNA evidence under Mia's fingernails.
Of course, her family is pleased with the new developments in this case along with the Baltimore area trans community.. Stay tuned to these TransGriot electronic pages to see if Henderson gets justice in this case and Oliver gets to do some additional time in the Hagerstown Iron Bar Motel.
"It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard."
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, 'The Other America' , March 14, 1968
Yesterday afternoon the anger of the April 19 death of 25 year old Freddie Gray, who suffered a spinal cord injury while in Baltimore police custody exploded into a riot after his funeral.
As the rebellion played out on the nation's TV screens, a 10 PM-5 AM EST curfew was announced by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, a state of emergency was declared by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) and the Maryland National Guard was deployed, once again there were some white folks determined to show their Archie Bunker sides on social media.
I know you mofos ain't trying to talk trash about Black folks in Baltimore who are as Dr King pointed out in that 1968 'The Other America' speech mere weeks before his assassination, are in violent rebellion mode once again because of being sick and tired of watching Black people die at the hands of predominately white police forces and them getting away with it, and feeling powerless to the point they feel this is the only way they can get attention.
And FOX Noise won't tell you this because they were busy race baiting as usual, but there was another march going on in West Baltimore yesterday that involved a group of local clergy.
Yeah, can you hear us now? Baltimore has a history of police brutality aimed at communities of color to the point the city is paying thousands of dollars in settlements to the victims of it, a man had his spinal cord severed while in police custody back on April 12 and people are supposed to sing kumbaya about that? If you're more concerned about property damage than non-white people being killed by police without retribution, then your moral compass needs some serious recalibration.
And I don't want to hear one syllable on social media or the media attacking the Black community for this when white people have rioted because their favorite sports teams won or lost and you are never called by society to take personal responsibility for your own fracked up behavior.
What is pissing me off is the racist invective getting launched in social media by smirking white folks drunk on vanillacentric privilege and ignorant of their own people's riot filled history.
So before you even think about hurling racist invective at Black people in rebellion over something that has been building for years in Baltimore , have a seat.
The body of 26 year old Mia Henderson was found in an northwest Baltimore alley at 5:57 AM EDT. Police officers from the Baltimore-area Warrant Apprehension Task Force
spread out into an alley in the 3400 block of Piedmont Ave. in the
Hanlon-Longwood neighborhood near Lake Ashburton attempting to serve a
warrant in an unrelated case when Henderson's body was found.
Henderson's body according to police had suffered 'severe trauma'. Police say that the murder of Henderson bore strong similarities to the Hall one, but declined in today's press conference held at 4:15 EDT to definitively state because they are active investigations whether the murders are connected beyond the fact both were trans women
Here's hoping that the waste or wastes of DNA involved in this latest murder of one of our sisters is expeditiously caught and brought to justice.
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