NBJC Mourns the Stolen Lives of Starr Brown and Kita Bee in Tennessee and Missouri
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
KANSAS CITY, MO– The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the deaths of two Black transgender women, Starr Brown and Kita Bee, 46 years old.
Starr was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 19, 2024. Her coworker has confessed to and has been charged with her death.
Kita was killed in a hit-and-run after being hit by two cars on May 3, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. The suspects in her death have been identified.
Starr’s family and friends said she was truly loved. She always had uplifting words for them and was sweet with a beautiful soul. Starr was shot last October during an attempted robbery while waiting for an Uber. She was the fourth trans person killed in April and the eleventh in 2024.
Kita was an icon of the trans community in Kansas City and mentored many trans women. She was an entertainer who loved to sing, dance, and perform; her idol was Mary J. Blige. Friends also said Kita was a sweet soul who was her full, authentic persona all the time. She survived another hit-and-run earlier this year.
“My heart breaks to learn about the death of two more of our trans sisters,” said Victoria Kirby York, Director of Public Policy and Programs. “It also breaks my heart how both of these women had already experienced such violence in their lives, which is the case for too many in the community. I appreciate how, in both of these cases, we see those responsible being held accountable, and I hope their loved ones can find peace amid their grief. However, both were misgendered in initial reports about their deaths. The Human Rights Campaign has found that in two-thirds of trans homicides, the victims were misgendered by the media or law enforcement. Misgendering can hinder getting justice in these cases, prevent loved ones from learning about the death, and further exacerbate anti-trans stigma. We all deserve to be respected in both life and death, and I encourage law enforcement and media to pursue a higher standard of accuracy when reporting on the death of trans, gender-expansive, and nonbinary people.”
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.
