Brandy Martell Anniversary Plus Two

Thanks to Tiffany Woods for reminding me that today is the second anniversary of the untimely death of our Oakland trans sister Brandy Martell. 

She was.shot to death April 29 in downtown Oakland at Franklin and 13th Street while sitting behind the steering wheel of her car at 5:15 AM PDT socializing with her friends.   She was Oakland’s 43rd murder victim in 2012 and the third African-American transperson killed during that month nationwide. 

Brandy was a peer advocate for TransVision, a Fremont, CA based organization for trans women. Martell worked there from February 2007 to November 2011, offering health information and outreach to other transgender women.

TransVision’s Linkage to Care project for transgender women of color has been named the Brandy Martell Project in her honor and furthers her legacy of helping her trans sisters, and continues awareness of the issues of violence and HIV that continue to negatively impact transgender women of color. A community remembrance is being planned for a later date and as soon as that date is passed on to me I'll let you know in a follow up post..

You can also contact Tiffany Woods, the Transgender Program Manager at TransVision at
510-456-3521 or twoods@tri-cityhealth.org


There was a memorial vigil held at that downtown corner last year in which Oakland Police Howard Jordan was also there urging folks with information on this case to come forward and help OPD solve the crime.

Brandy's case unfortunately is still unsolved two years later, and OPD is still looking for information to help solve it and bring the perpetrator who commited this crime to justice. 

Anyone with information in Brandy Martell's murder can send the Oakland Police Department tips anonymously by texting TIP OAKLANDPD to 888777, calling the toll-free hotline at (855) 847-7247, or by calling (510) 535-4867. Tips can also be given anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (510) 777-8572. The case number is 12-020709.

Brandy is still missed in the East Bay by all who knew her, and as those who loved her struggle through this two year anniversary of her untimely death, the one thing they are unified in hoping for is Brandy finally receives justice.

Goodbye, Minister Bobbie Jean

The homegoing service for our gone too soon sister Minister Bobbie Jean Baker happened in Oakland today, and I am happy to hear the reports from my West Coast peeps that the church was full and our sister got the sendoff she deserved..

I was hoping as a tribute to her the sanctuary at First Congregational Oakland UCC would be filled, and I presume a lot of othe rpeople in the Bay Area felt that way, too

I know I'm going to miss chatting with her like everyone else whose life she touched, but we are comforted in the knowledge that Heaven has gained another angel.

Rest in power, Bobbie Jean.  Know that we will continue to fight  for the liberation and the human rights of our people.   Know also that your ministerial colleagues will pick up the torch that you left behind, raise it high and carry it forward

Know that you were loved by me and every person you ever touched in our community, and we'll see you on the other side.

Homegoing Services For Minister Bobbie Jean Baker January 11

For those of you who may not have heard the tragic news, our West Coast sister Minister Bobbie Jean Baker was killed in a hit and run accident January 1 after attending a New Year's Eve watch service.

Here's the information about the homegoing service for those of you on the Left Coast who want to pay your last respects to our sister who was very active in the trans* faith community.

It will be officiated by Bishop Yvette Flunder and take place next Saturday, January 11 at First Congregational Oakland UCC starting at 1 PM PST.

Address of the church is 2501 Harrison St, Oakland, CA.

For those of you in the Bay Area whose lives she touched, I hope you will consider attending and being there in body for those of us who would like to be there but can only do so in spirit.

Let's fill that sanctuary up as a tribute to her and in honor of her years spent in service to our community

If there are any updates to the story, I will pass them along as soon as I get them.
 

Trans H4CK Compilation Post

Still basking in the afterglow of that historic event that I was pleased to have had a ringside seat observing and deliriously happy I got the opportunity to be in Oakland's marvelous late summer weather for.

The peeps who were there making trans history along with our beaming allies are still talking about it.  The buzz generated by Trans*H4CK ended up in local media along with this Wall Street Journal article 

I'm looking forward to hearing about Trans*H4CK 2.0.  I'm sure if it does happen Kortney will be letting me and 'errbody' else know the dates for it so I can pass them along to you TransGriot readers.

Y'all know I wasn't just sitting in my Washington Inn Hotel room twiddling my thumbs, especially after I discovered they had a computer downstairs.  I went into reporter mode for this weekend while waiting for Sunday and the major reason for my trip to Oakland as a judge for this wildly successful inaugural Trans*H4CK.

Personally, I hope another one happens and Kortney gets much more support for it from the Bay Area trans community and elsewhere.  I also hope that other parts of the country replicate this model and use it in their own communities and start creating empowering apps and computer content that help advance our community and trans social justice issues.  

To make it easy on you, I'm consolidating those Trans* H4CK posts in one handy dandy one for your TransGriot reading pleasure and enjoy.

Trans H4CK-Day One

Trans H4CK-Day Two

Trans H4CK-Day Three 

Bye Oakland and Trans H4CK, Hello H-Town

   

Brandy Martell Memorial Vigil Held In Oakland

As I mentioned in one of my posts, a memorial candlelight vigil was held in Oakland to mark the one year anniversary of the date that Brandy Martell was killed.   The 37 year old Martell was fatally shot while sitting in her car through the door an window of it at the corner of 13th and Franklin Streets.

Martell was a peer advocate for TransVision, a Fremont, CA based organization for trans women. Martell worked there from February 2007 to November 2011, offering health information and outreach to other transgender women.

Last night Brandy's friends and colleagues gathered at that location to remember her and also point out the perpetrator of this crime has yet to be brought to justice.  They lit candle and movingly spoke of her TransVision work  

Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan was also there urging folks with information on this case to come forward and help OPD solve the crime.

Anyone with information on Brandy Martell’s murder can send the Oakland Police Department tips anonymously by texting TIP OAKLANDPD to 888777, calling the toll-free hotline at (855) 847-7247, or by calling (510) 535-4867.

“If you saw something, say something,” said Police Chief Howard Jordan at the vigil. “We know there were a lot of people out there that night who saw what happened. Don’t let Brandy’s death go in vain.”

Don't let the wastes of DNA who committed that crime go free.   If they killed Brandy so callously, they could possibly kill someone else you're acquainted with, too.

They need to be rotting in jail.  Let's do what we can to ensure the crime gets solved and Brandy can rest in peace.

Three Girls Like Us-One Year Later

35 year old Coko Williams of Detroit was one of three African-American transwomen killed during the month of April 2012 along with Paige Clay in Chicago and Brandy Martell of Oakland.

Coko's brutal April 3 slaying and subsequent disrespecting by a local media outlet set off a bloody month for African-American girls like us. 

On April 16 we got the word that 21 year old Paige Clay was found shot to death in an Chicago west side alley.  

The month closed with 37 year old Brandy Martell being shot April 29 while sitting behind the wheel of her car at 13th and Franklin Streets in downtown Oakland.

I wish I could write in this post the wastes of DNA who committed these crimes against our transsisters have been arrested, are awaiting trial or are rotting in jail for doing so.  But unfortunately, at this time I haven't been able to confirm there have been arrests in any of the three cases.

If you have information about Coko's killing, you can contact Detroit police at (313) 596-2260 or Crime Stoppers at www.1800speakup.org or by texting CSM and your tips to CRIMES (274637).

If you have information concerning the Martell case please contact the Oakland Police Department at 510-777-3333


In the meantime life has moved on.   Our tears have dried, these women have been laid to rest and all the people whose lives they touched on one level or another.have or are still grieving their loss with candelight vigils marking the one year anniversary of them being taken away from us. 

What irritates many of us in addition to them being taken away from us far too soon is what we lost.   Paige was just beginning her life at age 21, Coko and Brandy were ages 35 and 37.  All were contributing their skills and talents in their own ways toward making their Chicago, Detroit and Oakland communities better.

The other common thread in their lives besides being girls like us and dying in the same month was they were all loved by the people whose lives they touched
 
The people who killed them may be walking around free right now thinking they got away with it, but on one level or another they will face justice, be it from the legal system or the karmic kind.    

But one thing is certain.  Coko, Paige and Brandy we will never forget.