Collections by Michelle Brown WSG Newly Elected Councilwoman Andrea Jenkins

During the month of November we celebrate Transgender Day of Rememberance (TDOR), which memorializes victims of transphobic violence.

Unfortunately As of October 2017, 23 trans people have been reported killed by violence in the U.S. Often after being discriminated against and  targeted for violence in life, trans women and men continue to be victimized in death misgendered in initial police reports and the edia even by family members.

Although nothing can take away the pain of the loss of these trans women and women, this year has been historic for the TLGB community with the election of several openly transgender candidates across the country on November 8th in Virginia, ]in California, in Pennsylvania and in Georgia. But perhaps the greatest win of all was in the city of Minneapolis where Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham were elected to the City Council. Jenkins became the first openly trans woman of color elected to a major city’s city council. 

Earlier this year we spent time with Andrea talking about her poetry, her work collecting the oral history of our trans sisters/brothers and dreams of representing Minneapolis Ward 8. To celebrate her historic win and as a reminder that Trans Lives Matter, Collections by Michelle Brown will rebroadcast our earlier interview with Councilwoman-elect Andrea Jenkins. 

Her fierce spirit, unwavering commitment and unapologetic voice as a proud trans woman of color is something we can all truly be thankful for!!