The National Black Justice Coalition Mourns the Stolen Life of Amber Minor
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
KANSAS CITY, MO– The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the death of Amber Minor, a 40-year-old Black transgender woman. Amber was shot and killed on December 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Amber’s loved ones said that she was fun-loving, loud, bright, funny, and loved to get dolled up. She was also strong and persistent and believed things could be better.
“My condolences and prayers go out to Amber’s family and friends as they mourn her murder and fight for justice to be served,” said Victoria Kirby York, Director of Public Policy and Programs. “I appreciate the work of local LGBTQ+ organizations and allies, including the Kansas City LGBTQ+ Commission and GLAAD, who sent letters to local media and are working with local leaders to ensure reports of deadnaming and misgendering Amber are corrected. We must continue to affirm our trans siblings in their deaths, and we applaud the efforts of those who worked to ensure this. There are many trans homicides we do not know about due to misgendering and deadnaming by law enforcement and media that are never corrected, which means we have never gotten a truly accurate count of how many trans siblings we lose to violence each year. This issue has plagued us for many years, and we must remain vigilant about it, especially at the start of a new year.
“The delay in properly naming and visualizing our community members is a leading reason why our murders are not solved. Tips, clues, and witness testimony are lost or not as easily recalled simply because the media and police are investigating the presence of someone with a different name and image than they used in life. If law enforcement is serious about solving cases and providing justice, they must stop using outdated information about our loved ones.”
The Raytown police are currently investigating the death of Amber Minor. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477. Tipsters are allowed to remain anonymous.
Learn more about, mourn the loss, and remember the lives of the Black trans siblings we have lost this year by viewing NBJC’s Stolen Lives campaign HERE.
Learn more about reducing gender-based violence here and here.
Look here to learn more about changing local laws and increasing protections for trans and non-binary community members.