Media Releases

WASHINGTON, DC — In response to the  murder of Oluwatoyin Salau, David J. Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition, released the following statement:
“Oluwatoyin Salau, affectionately known as ‘Toyin,’ was a 19-year-old Black woman and Black Lives Matter activist. Salau was recently featured in a viral video where she passionately called for the realization that Black Lives Matter and for that statement to be true Black Trans Lives must Matter too.

NEW YORK — This week, Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells and Riah Milton, two Black transgender women, were killed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Liberty Township, Ohio respectively. 
In response to this tragic news, Sage Dolan-Sandrino, member of the NBJC Black Trans Advisory Council said:
“Violence against trans people has been normalized. This is beyond problematic, especially because Black trans women carry the weight of this violence.

NEW YORK — In response to the leaked memo to Starbucks employees that forbid employees from wearing clothing or accessories that affirmed that Black Lives Matter, David Johns, the Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) released the following statement:
“Boycott Starbucks. It was just two years ago that racism and anti-Blackness at Starbucks led to the arrests of Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson and the closing of 8,000 stores for an afternoon of ‘racial-bias education.’ Starbucks has learned nothing.

MINNESOTA – In response to the brutal beating of Iyanna Dior, the National Black Justice Coalition released the following statements: 
“Too many members of our community, Black trans women who are always on the front line—who put our bodies on the line fighting for the lives of Black cis folx, are afraid that those we’re marching against may inflict violence against us. We’re fighting for the same thing.  We’re fighting for the right to take up space, without fear of violence. If Black lives really do matter, our lives must matter too.