Paper Title
An Ode to Mya Hall: TRANSpassing the Boundaries of Social Media
Location
Room 217, DiGiorgio Campus Center (DiGs)
Keywords
LGBTQ, Transgender, Mya Hall, Intersectionality, Social Media, Social Justice, BlackLivesMatter, Police Brutality
Start Date
April 2016
End Date
April 2016
Abstract
An ode to Mya Hall: TRANSpassing the boundaries of social media
In August 2015, actress and activist Laverne Cox declared a state of emergency in recognition of the rising deaths in the transgendered community. The statistics are damning: in 2014, 10 transgendered women of color were murdered. In 2015, the statistics have nearly doubled. During the time of these murders, a movement was created through #blacklivesmatter in response to police brutality that led to the deaths of three black men. Social media erupted, and the movement developed into a larger organization; however, this level of outrage was lacking in recognition of the murders of transgendered women of color. Mya Hall, a black transgender woman, and Freddie Gray were murdered around the same time. Living in the Baltimore area, we could closely see how the coverage of media differed with both incidents. In conceptualizing intersectionality, Crenshaw highlights the importance of including all marginalized community members within the legal sphere. In turn, this presentation argues that it is imperative for all marginalized members to be considered in the inception of social movements. BlackLivesMatter demonstrates the ability that we have as a community to mobilize, but in doing so, it is important to consider individuals that may fall through the crack, as Crenshaw says.
An Ode to Mya Hall: TRANSpassing the Boundaries of Social Media
Room 217, DiGiorgio Campus Center (DiGs)
An ode to Mya Hall: TRANSpassing the boundaries of social media
In August 2015, actress and activist Laverne Cox declared a state of emergency in recognition of the rising deaths in the transgendered community. The statistics are damning: in 2014, 10 transgendered women of color were murdered. In 2015, the statistics have nearly doubled. During the time of these murders, a movement was created through #blacklivesmatter in response to police brutality that led to the deaths of three black men. Social media erupted, and the movement developed into a larger organization; however, this level of outrage was lacking in recognition of the murders of transgendered women of color. Mya Hall, a black transgender woman, and Freddie Gray were murdered around the same time. Living in the Baltimore area, we could closely see how the coverage of media differed with both incidents. In conceptualizing intersectionality, Crenshaw highlights the importance of including all marginalized community members within the legal sphere. In turn, this presentation argues that it is imperative for all marginalized members to be considered in the inception of social movements. BlackLivesMatter demonstrates the ability that we have as a community to mobilize, but in doing so, it is important to consider individuals that may fall through the crack, as Crenshaw says.
