At the crossroads of life and livelihood, scholar D-L Stewart invites us into scenes from his own life as he resists and reflects on the dehumanizing narratives that shape the Black trans experience in the US. With each word of his captivating and poetic dissection, Stewart emphasizes the magnitude and urgency of the rallying cry "Black trans lives matter" -- and calls on others to uphold that truth, too.

Scenes from a Black trans life

Claiming the body as a sovereign country, one person's journey as Black and trans reveals both invisibility and resistance at the intersection of racism and transphobia. From fences on the playground to therapists who question identity, everyday experiences expose how Black trans people are policed and erased. The majority of trans people murdered in the US are Black trans women, a fact that underlines the urgency of this call to affirm and protect Black trans lives. Collective liberation, the speaker insists, depends on recognizing and valuing these lives without saviorism.