NBJC Mourns the Stolen Life of Michelle Henry
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the death of Michelle Henry, a 25-year-old Black transgender woman who was strangled and stabbed to death on May 15th, 2024 in San Francisco.
“Michelle was a source of positive energy and committed to trans liberation. She was a ray of light for our team and so many others she connected with at the (SF LGBT) center,” Executive Director Rebecca Rolf said. “Her warmth and presence were felt in every room she walked in. She was kind, deeply caring, courageous, and fearless.”
Raymani Yuhashi, 33, has been charged with “the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought.” Yuhashi was arrested after police responded to a report of a fight and found Henry stabbed multiple times. According to reports, paramedics attempted to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her murder has not been classified as a hate crime.
“Ending the stigma shrouding trans and gender-expansive identities, and meaningful gun access and control reform, are two important measures to reduce the epidemic of violence stealing the lives of Black trans people—primarily women and girls,” said CEO and Executive Director David J. Johns, PhD. “Too many of the lives stolen this year have been taken by the hands of intimate partners and family members who should be trusted to ensure the safety of those they’ve killed. This is both tragic and preventable. Our trans and gender-expansive siblings deserve better”
“Her murder has not been classified as a hate crime.” Johns continued. “NBJC calls on the Department of Justice to investigate this crime to the fullest extent of the law.”
NBJC continues to push for the passage of the Chyna Gibson Stop the Transgender Murder Epidemic Act of 2023, which would establish a commission to address the epidemic of fatal violence, economic discrimination, and other factors disproportionately impacting members of the transgender community and make recommendations to Congress on appropriate remedies.
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.