
NBJC Celebrates the Life and Legacy of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON — Dr. David J. Johns, CEO and Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC), issued the following statement on the passing of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a pioneer in the fight for Black LGBTQ+ liberation since Stonewall:
“Today, our community mourns the loss of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a towering figure in the struggle for Black trans liberation, and a mother to generations of our movement.
“Miss Major lived her truth loudly and unapologetically for nearly eight decades. From surviving the brutality of incarceration at Attica to standing on the frontlines at Stonewall and beyond, she taught us resilience and love in action. Her pioneering work to center and uplift Black trans women, particularly those who have been incarcerated and faced police brutality, made space for the most powerful and most marginalized members of our community and set the foundation for the freedom work so many of us continue today.
“As the first Executive Director of the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project, through her AIDS activism in the 1980s, and by founding the House of GG as a refuge for Black trans women in the South, Miss Major showed us what revolutionary care looks like. Known as ‘Mama’ to countless members of our beautifully diverse community, she mothered us all with fierce devotion.
“At a time when the rights and dignity of trans people are again under relentless attack, Miss Major’s life reminds us what it means to persevere in the fight for equality so that all LGBTQ+/same-gender loving (SGL) people can live freely and authentically. Her spirit will continue to guide us as we fight for a world where every Black trans person can thrive and live a joy-filled life.
“Thank you, Miss Major, for your pioneering advocacy, for making space for us, and for teaching us that love is liberation. We honor you with our continued commitment to justice in your legacy.”