black transwoman keke collier shot and killed in chicago #blacktranslivesmatter

We’ve lost another Black trans life. Tuesday in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, a 24-year old transwoman named Keke Collier was shot and killed, according to WLS-TV. Early reports have misgendered Collier as male, although she was well known and outspoken about gender identity. In the WLS report, a friend of Collier’s named Shasha Lauren confirmed the victim’s identity. Lauren works as a peer navigator at Chicago House, a nonprofit organization that helps transgender women access housing healthcare, legal services and other opportunities. Lauren and other friends of Collier’s expressed their sadness and condolences in farewell messages to her via Facebook. Along with Keke, they mourn and remember T.T. Saffore, another Black transwoman killed in Chicago last September. Her friends are saying that her attacker was a date, adding an extra layer to an already heartbreaking situation. We must remember that until all Black lives matter, no Black lives will achieve liberation. Transwomen are one of the most endangered groups in our country and the statistics show that the trend for Black transwomen to be victims of fatal violence is not ceasing. Our sincerest condolences to the loved ones of Keke Collier, we hope that your story does not go unnoticed and that justice is served.

By T. McLendon, AFROPUNK Contributor