BLACK TRANS MEDIA
Reframing the value and worth of Black Trans people in NYC and beyond
through arts/media/political education/and community organizing
#blacktranseverything #blacktransfutures #blacktransloveiswealth #spaceistheplace
FEATURED
Video
All videos were produced, filmed, and edited by Black TGNC people at Black Trans Media #blacktranseverything from experimental short films about Black Trans representation in the media to community rallies that address our strategies to end violence, performances of music and poetry by Black Trans artists like Phoenix Nastasha Russell, Lady Dane and J Mase III, and powerful interviews from Black Trans movement leaders and organizers on issues like mass incarceration, anti-blackness, safety, and redefining trans health!
In addition to making our own media we also hold free workshops and training on filmmaking, production, editing, and political education for Black TGNC people and our communities.
This Rest in Power Video is the last few minutes of the interview we did with Juan Evans of Solutions Not Punishment Coalition (SNaPCO) shortly before Juan passed away in 2015. We dedicated this video to Juan's family in love and remembrance of his life and his work for justice. In the full video below he breaks down mass incarceration and TGNCI criminalization, his own experiences being in arrested, and his vision for all Black Trans people.
An Interview with Janetta Johnson,
Executive Director of the Trans Gender Variant Justice Project (TGIJP)
Janetta Johnson is the Executive Director of the Trans Gender Variant Justice Project (TGIJP) based in San Francisco, California. Her leadership and passion to see our communities thrive helps fuel our movements. In this interview Ms. Janetta speaks on reproductive justice, the shifts in access to healthcare, the gender binary, her leadership as a Black Trans Women, the importance of supporting formerly incarcerated people, and the lack of support for Black Trans women in the non profit industrial complex.
VIDEO TAGS: *Reproductive Justice *Trans Healthcare *the Gender Binary *Leadership of Black Trans Women * Incarcerated people *Non Profit Industrial Complex
This interview in 2019 by Black Trans Media was filmed and edited by Olympia Sudan and Sasha Alexander
An Interview with Dee Dee Watters
Writer, Activist, Death Doula, and the Founder of Trans Griot LLC.
An Interview with Dee Dee Watters, Black Trans writer, activist, and death doula. Dee Dee speaks on her work around grief and holding space for Black Trans communities navigating loss. She talks about her path as a death doula and learning to understand grief.
In 2022 Black Trans Media started to create a ‘grief container’ where we could create media to help our communities with our individual and collective grief. We began to intentionally interview Black Trans leaders whose work and stewardship around grief is helping our communities hold space.
VIDEO TAGS: *Grief *Death *Violence Against Black Trans Women *Healing Justice
This interview in 2022 by Black Trans Media was filmed on Zoom by Curly Dacs and Sasha Alexander with editing and music by Sasha Alexander
Twinkle Paul on Navigating Anti-Blackness, Police Violence, and the Deaths of George Floyd and Tony McDade
Twinkle Aria Paul is a Guyanese Trans Woman activist in NYC. In this interview she talks with us about police violence during the pandemic at the height of the resistance in June 2020. As a Black Trans immigrants she shares her concerns about safety in the larger Black Lives Matter protest movement and beyond. Feeling called to act and address the anti-blackness and transphobia Twinkle showed up at her local precinct in Queens to honor the lives of Tony Mcdade, a Black Trans Man who was killed by the Tallahassee Police Department 2 days after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis by police. This video is dedicated to Tony, George, Breonna Taylor, and Nina Pop.
VIDEO TAGS: *NYC *Queens *Immigrant Justice *Anti-Blackness *Police Violence *Safety *Protest *Grief *loss *Black Lives Matter
This video was filmed in 2020 by Black Trans Media video, editing, and music by Sasha Alexander.
An Interview with Juan Evans
of Solutions Not Punishment Coalition (SNaP Coalition) in Atlanta Georgia
A precious and powerful interview with Juan Evans of Solutions Not Punishment Coalition (SNaPCO) in Atlanta Georgia. Filmed by Black Trans Media in Washington D.C. at a convening held by the Brown Boi Project in May 2015 bringing together LGBT Leaders of Color we spoke with Juan about why organizing in the south around the mass incarceration of TGNCI people of color is so important. He shares about this his life growing up criminalized, locked up, and policed and his experience being arrested October 2014 by the Atlanta Police Department who threatened him with a "genital search" that the Mayor later went on record apologizing on behalf. Only 2 months after we documented this interview Juan passed away suddenly. We dedicate this video to Juan's family in love and remembrance of his life and his work for justice.
VIDEO TAGS: *the South *Atlanta *Mass Incarceration *Criminalization *Black Trans Men and Leadership *Police Harassment *Grief
This interview in 2015 by Black Trans Media was filmed by Olympia Sudan and Sasha Alexander. with editing and music by Sasha Alexander.
BlackTransMedia Presents:
I AM (HEAR)
"I AM HEAR" is powerful, experimental, narrative exploring the role media has had in shaping the depiction of black transwomen. In the film Olympia introduces us to Ares, a black transwomen whose committed to taking control of her life and her future. Olympia takes us on part of her journey, and how she is shifting and reframing black trans power and love by creating media that speaks out about transphobia and racism, with the intent to reframe the way we view and value black trans people in the world.
Lady Dane Edidi Figueroas "One Women Trunk Show" hosted by Black Trans Media in Harlem at the Maysles Documentary Center
A compilation of some powerful moments from the incredible "One Women Trunk Show" that we hosted at Maysles Documentary Center in Harlem October 2014 featuring Lady Dane Edidi. Lady Dane brought her incredible artistry along with a handful of singers and the live band that joined her for this one night only performance. To get a copy of her latest book and find out more about her performances and appearences go to: http://www.ladydanefe.com/
"Redefining Trans Health"
On August 17th 2014 Black Trans Media attended the Body Image 4 Justice LGBTQ Health and Wellness Weekend. We presented a workshop about media and the power of storytelling, during which we did a handful of amazing interviews on health, with a black trans perspective. This is the teaser reel including interviews with Justice Williams, Tiq Milan, and Olympia Perez! Listen to these brilliant black trans community leaders speak about "Redefiing Trans Health"
MARCH 2014 BLACK TRANS POETS EVENT FT Phoenix Nastasha Russell, Olympia Perez, and J MASE III
Community Rally and Action in Bushwick Brooklyn October 2014
This is mostly raw footage from the Call to Action to Rally in Bushwick Brooklyn on Monday October 13th 2014. This action was organized in response to an attack the night before on a young transwomen who was brutally beaten by several men while walking to the train with her friend. Community rallied at the site of where the attack had occured to not only raise visibility about what had happened so that folks in the neighborhood knew, but also for us to heal thru being on our streets, sharing our time, energy, and love with community.
We decided to include all of the folks who spoke out that we could, to honor the various ways leadership works and community shares ways to address the violence, it's important to learn more about strategies to confront and dismantle.
Black Trans Media wants to make it clear that we do not support increased policing of our communities or systematic violence thru the use of the criminal justice system. Be part of shifting and reframing. Trans lives matter, black trans lives matter #blacktranseverything
!shout out to all the folks who came out to support, speak up, march, hold it down thru copwatch, chanting, community safety, documentation, and solidarity!
J MASE III performs the poem "Gender Bunny" live in Harlem March 2014 at Black Trans Medias Poetry event
On March 28th 2014 Black Trans Media hosted an event in Harlem featuring the incredible work of black trans poets. We celebrated the launch of J Mase III new chap book: "And Then I Got Fired: grief, unemployment, and inappropriate jokes about death." We were also honored to hear the powerful poetry of both Olympia Perez and Phoenix Nastasha Russell.
Olympia Perez performs the poem "Triceratops" at Black Trans Media's Poetry event March 2014
Olympia Perez performs the poem "Triceratops" at Black Trans Media's Poetry event March 2014
Olympia Perez, Content Director of Black Trans Media, performs her powerful poem "Triceratops" in Harlem at the Maysles Documentary Center for Black Trans Media's march poetry event. #blacktranseverything #blacktransmedia (were working on compression issues so we can bring you a better quality of this video.)
TheTrans Day of Action 2014 NYC
June 27th 2014 Trans Justice organizes the Trans Day of Action bringing together hundreds of organizations, organizers, and community members