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The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. NBJC's mission is to end racism and homophobia.
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Greetings!
As we continue to commemorate Women's History Month, NBJC highlights some of the profound wisdom shed by our revolutionary Black lesbian, bisexual and transgender sisters.
In this issue of the E-Digest: FBI steps into case of gay candidate Marco McMillian's homicide; NBJC attends President's signing of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); conference empowers Black trans men and women; and more.
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 NBJC Calls on the Department of Justice to Investigate Marco McMillian Murder
NBJC was the first national organization to urge the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the murder of Marco McMillian, an openly gay Black mayoral candidate in Mississippi, as a potential racially-motivated and/or anti-gay hate crime. In a letter to the U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., NBJC Executive Director and CEO Sharon Lettman-Hicks wrote, "After speaking extensively with the family, community and anti-violence coalition members like the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), NBJC feels the perpetuation and validation of the "gay panic" defense is irresponsible. The conflicting reports as well as the current racial and anti-LGBT climate in Mississippi is justification enough for a federal investigation."
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House Reauthorizes Violence Against Women Act, Which is LGBT Inclusive
– San Diego Gay & Lesbian News
 On February 28, the U.S. House voted 286-138 to approve the LGBT-inclusive Violence Against Women Act reauthorization bill. The Senate has already passed the bill, 78-22, and President Barack Obama will sign it. Republicans had stonewalled the bill for weeks, trying to remove protections for LGBT Americans and immigrants, among others. But as public pressure mounted, the GOP relented. In the end, 87 Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the bill. The bill specifically provides protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, a major concession to the equality for all.
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NBJC Attends Signing of the Reauthorization of VAWA
NBJC Programs and Outreach Associate, Je-Shawna Wholley, was proud to join policy advocates, social justice activists and members of Congress at the Yates Auditorium of the Department of Interior for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) signing ceremony. Supporters such as John Conyers, Eric Holder, and Nancy Pelosi shared a stage with the Vice President Joe Biden as he gave his opening remarks. Biden shared that he never would have imagined this bill growing into the inclusive comprehensive legislation that it is today since its start as a hotline for victims of domestic violence. President Barack Obama greeted the audience and congratulated Congress for such a speedy process of getting this bill passed.
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 A Salute to Michael J. Brewer, Programs and Policy Manager at the National Black Justice Coalition
– The Torch of Delta Phi Upsilon
Michael J. Brewer, has been an unknown, yet empowering voice in the political arena at the forefront of the struggle for equality and justice for the Black LGBT community. His rise to fame began as the LGBT Coordinator for the Democratic Party of Georgia, Co-Chair of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's LGBT Advisory Committee and advisor to Georgia State Senator Vincent Fort's (D-Atlanta) 2010 reelection campaign. As a first-time campaign manager, Brewer helped re-elect Georgia State Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan (HD-39) to her fifth term in July 2010, winning 74% of the vote in a primary challenge.
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Celebrating National Women's History Month: GLAAD Speaks to Kimberley McLeod
– GLAAD
 March is Women's History Month, and to begin a weekly feature of women in the LGBT community, GLAAD sat down with Kimberley McLeod. Kimberley is the creator of the online publication ELIXHER and Communications Director for the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC). She is a true trailblazer for women of the LGBT community.
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New Digital Magazine Targets Black Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Women
 A new digital magazine and online destination aims to change the representation of black lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LBT) women in the media. Elixher's creator and editor is Kimberley McLeod, a Washington, DC-based media strategist and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocate, who grew tired of the lack of multidimensional representation of black LBT women.
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Programs and Outreach Associate, Je-Shawna Wholley, Attends Auburn Seminary's Sojourner Truth Leadership Circle
 The Sojourner Truth Transformational Leadership Fellowship is the signature experience of the Sojourner Truth Leadership Circle. This eight month long experience (from October 2012 – June 2013) gathers a cohort of Black women leaders of many faiths, ages, backgrounds and areas of social justice expertise to deeply explore the connection between self-care and prophetic leadership. In the pilot year, the Sojourner Truth Leadership Circle will incubate and develop best practices and innovations in the 'art of self-care' for the women in the fellowship and a broader public that will have real, direct and measurable impact on the capacity of individuals and communities to engage self-care as a bedrock for social justice activism in the 21st century. NBJC Programs and Outreach Associate, Je-Shawna Wholley, was a proud participant.
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Black Transmen Launches Female Group at 2nd Annual Advocacy Conference
The Rev. Carmarion D. Anderson is a trans woman known for many things in Dallas: minister, mom and activist. She is now a minister at Living Faith Covenant Church and is the south regional minister for the national group TransSaints of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries. Her experience got her involved with Black Transmen Inc. She's known its founder Carter Brown for 15 years and is the inspiration for the group's creating an equivalent component Black Transwomen Inc, which will be launched at the organization second annual Transgender Advocacy Conference from March 13-17 in Dallas.
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Passages: Michael "Makayla" Gwinn, Transgender Youth
– Windy City Times
 Makayla Michael Gwinn, a young transgender person whose life work was in mentoring fellow LGBTQ youth among other things died Feb. 16. Gwinn was 23. An active performer, makeup artist and LGBTQ youth advocate, Gwinn loved life and worked to give back to Chicago's LGBT community, said friends. Gwinn, who identified as transgender, used the names Michael, Mikayla and Jaiden as well as both male and female pronouns (a choice that is reflected in this article).
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Lawyer: Caleb Jackson, Ex-FAMU Band Member, Will Plead to Manslaughter, Felony Hazing in Drum Major's Death
– Orlando Sentinel
Remorse drove Caleb Jackson to seek a plea deal with prosecutors in the hazing death of FAMU drum major Robert Champion, his lawyer, Chuck Hobbs, told the Orlando Sentinel today. Jackson, 24, who is in the Leon County Jail, regarded Champion as "a brother," Hobbs said. The agreement, reached in principal during a pretrial conference today in Orlando, requires Jackson to provide prosecutors with a detailed statement and testify truthfully in the cases of his 11 co-defendants, Hobbs said.
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HIV Prevalence Predictions in Gay, Bi Men 'Staggering'
– Windy City Times
If current infection trends continue unabated, the federal government estimates that today's 20-year-old men who have sex with men will face a 50 percent infection rate in 30 years-70 percent for Black men who have sex. Those numbers double the highest prevalence estimates during the height of the epidemic in the late '80s and early'90s experts say. The government also says that the current cohort of 20-year-old men who have sex with men has an overall prevalence today of 10 percent, while Black men who have sex with men have a 20 percent prevalence.
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NBJC Signs onto Letter Urging Congress to Protect Health Equity Programs
As an organization working to end health inequity and disparities, NBJC wrote to express its concern about budget cuts that threaten services to populations with unequal access to high quality health care. NBJC urged Members of Congress to find a solution that does not balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable members of our community.
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David Harris And Tre'Darrius Anderson May Be The Country's Youngest African-American Gay Couple To Marry
– Huffington Post
Cue up Teena Marie's "Young Love" — could this be the nation's youngest African-American gay couple to wed? The Scoop Entertainment certainly thinks so. At the start of 2013, David Harris and Tre'Darrius Anderson of Memphis, Tenn., tied the knot in Washington, D.C., in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Both grooms are just 19 years old, according to the report.
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Obama's Brief Against Proposition 8 Goes Far
– New Yorker
On March 1, just hours before a filing deadline, President Obama's Justice Department submitted an amicus curiae brief asking the Supreme Court to strike down Proposition 8-California's gay-marriage ban. Even more importantly, it did so by asserting a bold claim to full equality for gay and lesbian Americans, which is a significant development in the nation's rapidly moving consideration of the issue.
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Civil Unions To Become Law In Colorado After Final House Vote
– Think Progress
 The Colorado House voted 39-26 to grant final approval to a bill that would offer civil unions to same-sex couples, advancing it to Gov. John Hickenlooper's (D) desk for his promised signature. Colorado has a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, so civil unions are an important extension of partner benefits until that amendment can be repealed or overturned.
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NBJC Joins Coalition to Increase Adoptions from Foster Care
NBJC recently joined a diverse coalition of organizations committed to opening more homes to America's foster youth and submitted testimony for the public record, clearly addressing how a federal band on discrimination against potential parents who are LGBT would increase adoptions from foster care. The Every Child Deserves a Family Act is a federal bill that would open more homes to foster youth by prohibiting discrimination in foster care and adoption on the basis of the potential parent's sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status, and the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child involved.
Top 10 Reasons Why People of Color Should Care About Sequestration
– Center for American Progress
Sequestration will impact all Americans but will have a particularly harmful effect on communities of color, who were hit first and worst by the Great Recession and have yet to significantly feel the effects of the recovery. Our nation's demographics are changing, and communities of color are the fastest-growing group of Americans. It is important that we invest now in these communities, as we prepare for our nation's economic future and upcoming workforce needs.
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Lawrence Robinson Joins Race for Phoenix District 8 City Council Seat, Drama Follows
– Center for American Progress
 The race for the Phoenix City Council seat in District 8 — a seat that has been held by African-Americans for the past 46 years — has been further complicated for those who are determined to keep that streak alive. Phoenix School of Law professor and Roosevelt school district board member Lawrence Robinson, who's African-American, has announced that he's joining the race. Now that Robinson has announced that he's running, the LGBT-rights group Equality Arizona has already made a public statement against Stewart for making "homophobic remarks," although Stewart hasn't even made his candidacy official at this point.
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Black Transmen, Incorporated Annual Transgender Advocacy Conference
Wednesday, March 13 – Sunday, March 17
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas – Campbell Centre
8250 N Central Expy
Dallas, TX 75206
Themed "The Power of You," the Black Transmen, Incorporated Annual Transgender Advocacy Conference will be an empowering compilation of education workshops and lively entertainment that will endow attendees with the understanding of the profound power we all possess to be agents of change. Registration is free and ends on March 16.
Our Own Paths: A Benefit Screening for Queer Women of Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP)
Saturday, March 16
Doors Open: 7:00 p.m. | Screening Begins: 7:30 p.m.
Brava Theater
2781 24th Street
San Francisco, CA
In honor of International Women's Day, QWOCMAP presents a rare collection of powerful documentaries that showcases the artistic contributions and legacies of renowned queer women of color musicians – Avotja, Carolyn Brandy, Afia Walking Tree, Amber Field, and Cuban hip hop trio Las Krudas.
Click here to purchase tickets: $15 to $50.
A Prayer for Love and Justice Interfaith Service
Tuesday, March 26
7:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Lutheran Church of the Reformation
212 East Capitol Street
Washington, DC 20003
New York, NY 10037
On March 26, the Supreme Court will begin oral arguments on Prop. 8 and DOMA. To encircle this moment in spirit, faith communities from many traditions will join together in prayer, music and ritual at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation. Following the service, we will continue in procession together, led by drums, clergy, community and choir singing in liberation spirit to the United for Marriage Rally at the steps of the Supreme Court. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first come basis with ticket.
RESERVE A SPACE HERE
United for Marriage Coalition Rally for Marriage Equality at the Supreme Court
Tuesday, March 26
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Supreme Court of the United States
1 First Street NE
Washington, DC
United for Marriage is organizing supporters of marriage equality to rally outside the Supreme Court on March 26, the first day of Supreme Court hearings. NBJC is a proud member of this coalition.
For more information, visit lighttojustice.org.
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