The Cost of Being: Who Needs My Silence in Order to Succeed?
Need my silence? Roar.
By: Serena Sonoma
"To be truly visionary, we have to root our imagination in our concrete reality while simultaneously imagining possibilities beyond that reality." – Angela Davis
Like whips across our ancestors' backs, racism, transphobia, and misogyny scar Black trans women. These forces seek to erase us, to silence our stories. But our existence, our resistance, is a roar that echoes through history. This fight isn't theirs, it's ours. This erasure isn't some distant tragedy; it's the world those in power seek to build while the world passively watches.
We navigate life under the suffocating weight of interwoven oppressions. My Blackness shapes my womanhood, my trans identity molds how I experience the world. This isn't just theory, it's blood and bruises, sweat and tears.
We exist in a constant state of triple consciousness, acutely aware of how society seeks to define and confine us. We fight to be seen as Black when the world denies our womanhood, as women when racism erases us, and as fully human in a society bent on denying our trans existence.
They try to box us in, to define us by our pain. But our stories are not theirs to tell. We are not defined by the violence inflicted upon us but by the audacity of our joy, our resilience, our unwavering fight for a world worthy of our brilliance.
Think of Raquel Willis and her fearless cry for Black Trans Lives Matter, Eva Reign refusing transphobic scripts, Aria Sa'id carving out space even as it's violently denied. These aren't just stories, but blueprints for change.
This isn't about merely cataloging our pain. It's about honoring those whose battles paved the way for my very breath. For my sisters who endured horrors not for sympathy, but so we could stand – broken, bruised, but unbowed – demanding a world worthy of our brilliance.
Black Trans Women: At the Intersections of Oppression and Liberation
The fight for justice by Black trans women is rooted in a legacy of Black feminist thought. We stand on the shoulders of giants – Sojourner Truth, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, and countless more. Yet, our voices are often the ones silenced, our experiences erased from the very movements we helped build.
We are more than our trauma. We are artists, activists, mothers, daughters, lovers, and fighters. We are building our own tables, writing our own narratives, and defining our own liberation.
Abolition is Survival: Dismantling Systems of Oppression
Our liberation requires nothing less than the abolition of systems designed to crush us. We demand a radical reimagining of justice, safety, and care. This means dismantling the prison-industrial complex, defunding the police, and investing in community-led solutions that prioritize healing and transformation.
We must abolish systems that perpetuate poverty, deny healthcare, and criminalize survival. We demand unconditional access to housing, food, and resources, recognizing that these are fundamental human rights, not privileges.
From Erasure to Empowerment: Owning Our Narratives
For too long, our stories have been told by those who sought to profit from our pain. We are reclaiming our narratives, demanding authentic representation in media, education, and all aspects of public life.
We are not asking for a seat at the table; we are building our own. Our voices will be heard. Our stories will be told. Our truths will be known.
The Revolution Will Be Intersectional: A Call to Action
This fight is not for the faint of heart. It requires a radical reimagining of what is possible, a dismantling of deeply ingrained beliefs, and a commitment to dismantling systems of oppression wherever they exist.
This is a call to action for everyone who believes in justice, equality, and liberation. Educate yourself, challenge your biases, and show up for Black trans women in tangible ways. Support our organizations, amplify our voices, and fight alongside us for a world where we can all thrive.
This is not a moment; it's a movement. Are you with us?