I know it’s taken a while for me to talk about this, but I guess I’m just surprised that it’s still something that we have to justify. So here’s what I have to say:
In the disability rights sit-in of 1977, when my people were fighting for the regulations regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Black Panther Party played a vital role in their protest. They didn’t just raise morale, they also provided food and comfort for 26 days. (Bet your history books didn’t teach you THAT). They literally sustained the protest, they were the force that allowed it to last as long as it did.
When asked why they fought for us, they said,
”We support you because you're asking America to change, to treat you like human beings, like you belong. We always support people fighting for their rights."
Our Black brothers and sisters held down the fort for us, so now it’s time for us to do the same. Fighting to be treated like human beings should not be a battle in the first place.
Black Lives Matter.
Period.
PLACES TO DONATE:
Black Trans Travel Fund
My Block, My Hood, My City
Femme Empowerment Project
Marsha P Johnson Institute District
Black Women’s Blueprint
ACLU