NBJC Mourns the Stolen Life of Davonta Curtis
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
CHICAGO, IL– The National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) mourns the death of Davonta Curtis, a 31-year-old Black transgender woman from Chicago, Illinois. Davonta was beaten to death by her boyfriend on April 5, 2026, who then stole her car, phone, and money. Court documents revealed he searched “how to kill someone with a hammer” and “if a person gets hit in the head with a hammer while sleeping, what happens” before the murder, signaling premeditation. The suspect has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and possession of a stolen vehicle.
“My heart is heavy with grief at the news of the truly horrific murder of Davonta Curtis,” said Victoria Kirby York, Director of Public Policy and Programs. “It is unfortunately too common for trans people to be targeted by the people they loved and trusted, with HRC reporting 26% of trans homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner. Also, unfortunately, misgendering of the victim by law enforcement and the media is common, as we once again saw with Davonta. Misgendering delays wider reporting on her death and, in other cases, can delay justice for the victim. When the dead are misgendered in reports from the media, law enforcement, and emergency medical services, their names are lost to us twice, once in life, and once in the count of those we mourn.”
“The epidemic of violence continues to ravage our community,” Kirby York continued. “Transphobic rhetoric and hostile legislation continue to poison the climate, stoking the very hatred that erupts into physical harm. Our trans siblings deserve more than survival; they deserve to thrive. We must fight at every level of government, not just against anti-trans legislation, but for pro-trans society and legislation that affirms and protects trans people’s safety, access to care and resources, and the right to exist as their authentic selves.”
Remember the lives of all of the Black trans siblings we have lost this year with action by viewing NBJC’s resources for the transgender and gender-expansive/non-conforming community HERE.
Learn more about reducing gender-based violence here and here. Read this OpEd to learn more about changing local policies and increasing protections for transgender and non-binary community members.