Media Releases

WASHINGTON, DC-- A teen who was reported missing to the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head, officials said. Detectives are investigating this case as an apparent homicide. In response to the ongoing investigation into the death of 17-year-old Ja’Quarius Taylor from New Orleans, as a possible hate crime, National Black Justice Coalition Executive Director David Johns and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Kristen Clarke released the following joint statement: 
“First and foremost, we extend our prayers and support to the family of Ja’Quarius Taylor. The tragic passing of a loved one is heartbreaking.  We hope our words and our actions help to honor the memory of Ja’Quarius and keep his name in the light. 

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) yesterday, joined Susan Taylor, former Essence magazine editor-in-chief, and the National CARES Mentoring Movement to support a youth delegation offering testimony about the experiences of Black youth struggling with trauma, stress, and mental health-- specifically Black queer students-- at “Hearing Their Stories: Students and How They Handle Their Mental Health,” hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health.

 Today, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released a new report, Where We Call Home: LGBT People of Color in Rural America,  which examines the unique challenges of LGBT people of color in rural America and highlights distinct experiences across different communities of color. As the second publication in the Where We Call Home series, this report details how the structural challenges of rural life amplify acceptance of or discrimination against LGBT people of color. 

Yesterday, eight coworkers from the advocacy group Bienestar Human Services were forcefully dragged out of the bar Las Perlas in Los Angeles after being harrassed by a couple using transphobic and homophobic slurs. The couple was allowed to leave the bar without incident, but the eight coworkers were forcefully removed without apparent cause.