Say Her Name: Zella Ziona

Zella Ziona is the 21st transgender/gender-nonconforming person murdered this year.

In Gaithersburg, Maryland, Zella was shot in the head in an alley between Montgomery Village Plaza and the Montgomery Village Crossing shopping centers.

Later on, Montgomery County Department of Police has identified and arrested Rico Hector Leblond in connection with Zella's murder. A witness claimed that 4 or 5 men surrounded and Rico pulled the gun.

He has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond.

To Zella's family and friends, my heart goes out to you.

source

Man charged with Murder of Kiesha Jenkins

Today, Pedro Redding was charged with murder, conspiracy and weapons offenses in the killing of Kiesha Jenkins.

Using an anonymous tip, homicide detectives arrested Pedro Redding on sunday This morning, a judge arraigned Pedro on murder, conspiracy and weapons charges in relation to the killing of Kiesha Jenkins.

Pedro has a history of violence which includes: aggravated assault, weapons charges, drugs and robbery. The judge denied Pedro bail and sent him straight to jail. No word on the other men involved with Kiesha's murder

source

Say her name: Keisha Jenkins

Another transgender woman of color was murdered this past week.

In North Philly, 22-year-old Keisha Jenkins was attacked by gang of men and found on the sidewalk. Keisha was beaten and then shot twice in the back by these men. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died.

At this time we don't know anything about why she was attacked, and the police are not called it a hate crime until more investigation is done.

Here's the news report


Keisha was a Philadelphia native and attended Temple University. Her friends said that she was a great and a determined person. Keisha will be greatly missed within her community.

GetEQUAL and Black Lives Matter Activists disrupted Hillary Clinton's Campaign Event

Activists with GetEQUAL and Black Lives Matter disrupted Hillary Clinton’s grassroots campaign event in Cleveland today. They demanded that she divest from private prisons and focus on the safety of Black transgender women.

GetEQUAL posted this statement on their website:

“Bankrolled by private prison companies and lobbyists like Corrections Corporation of America and the GEO Group, Hillary Clinton is part of the system of violence that criminalizes and kills Black trans people -- how can we take her policy suggestions to curb mass incarceration and detention seriously while she’s accepting this money?” asked Angela Peoples, co-director of grassroots LGBTQ network GetEQUAL and a disruptor of the event.

Peoples continued, “These companies and their lobbyists profit from the incarceration and abuse of Black people, especially Black trans women -- an overwhelming 41% of Black trans women report having been arrested at some point in their lives, often after having been profiled by the police.”

“Hillary Clinton must stand with Black people, especially Black trans women, by refusing to accept funds from or bundled by executives of or lobbyists for private prison companies -- and investing the money she’s already accepted from those companies in the work toward Black trans liberation,” said Rian Brown, GetEQUAL state lead and local Cleveland organizer taking part in the disruption. “Until that happens, we cannot for a moment think that Hillary believes Black Lives Matter.”

Brown added: “The actions that took place across the country on Tuesday were a call for cisgender Black folks to show up for Black trans people; we’re here to demand that Clinton divest from private prisons in solidarity with our Black trans family.”