Dark
Light

Suggestions

An Open Letter to Cece McDonald

December 15, 2024
3 mins read

By Brothers Writing to Live |With thanks to NewBlackMan (in Exile) & The Feminist Wire

Monday, September 09, 2013.

Dear CeCe,

This letter to you, sister, is past due. We are late to the struggle. And for that we are sorry.

But like so many other moments of solidarity–especially those that come after crises have already ripped apart the lives of would-be comrades–we now show up as allies in your struggle against a system that abhors you as much as it does each of us and so many other black and brown cis, trans, straight, and LGB people.

We write to let you know, first and foremost, we love you and we value your life. Your life is a crossing–an intersection where your youthful black trans female body endures the sting of others’ hatred and rejection…a four-way corner where the state moves about suspiciously looking for a reason to police black bodies, evidencing its failure to make due on its promise to protect and serve those whose lives exceed the bounds of its racist and transphobic gaze.

CeCe, we are late, but we are here now standing with you armed with the willingness to fight during a moment when the nation has been attempting to reckon with its character fifty years after the March on Washington. The workers, writers, lovers, and dreamers who came before us are partially why we are here today, but we must also accept that we are working to build a world where it is safe for women, all women, to walk outside without fear of harassment because we have never made that a substantial part of our American dream. Indeed, the dream has often been a nightmare in the lives of black women. We need new dreams that include your face, your voice. And we need the end of nightmares like the one you are presently enduring behind the confines of rigid metal bars that are still too weak to limit your dignity and freedom.

We dream a new world with you. And we want to create a new world beside you. What are your dreams, CeCe?

We are working on building a world where trans women are respected and valued and not imagined as sex objects, abnormal, sinful, wrong, and anything else other than human gifts. You are a gift. Please remember that when correction officers refer to you as “he” instead of “she” and when the state will tell the story of a heartless murder as opposed to the truth of self-defense on the part of a victim seeking to protect herself.

Indeed, we understand that you had to fight to save your life.

We understand that you were punished for defending your life and now you sit behind bars for refusing to be destroyed. We have to ask ourselves, what would have happened had Trayvon Martin been able to save his life? What would Hadiya Pendleton’s life been like if she was able to save herself? In what state would America be if she failed to fight to protect her borders?

What if Islan Nettles had survived her brutal assault? What kind of world would she be waking up in? Today? Tomorrow? Next week? What about the lives of The Jersey 4? Women who protect themselves against men are often criminalized. Your story is one that women of color, queer, trans, and straight, have to experience too often. And we refuse to allow others’ dreams to become your nightmare. When we fight to save our own lives, we say to a system that has continuously tried to keep us in our place, “More room! I need more room to breathe, to develop. I need freedom from a suffocating system obsessed with death and destruction.” And today, we proclaim your need to breathe, to develop, to live.

We end by summoning the spirit of brother James Baldwin who, in November 1970, wrote a letter of love to another black woman freedom fighter, Angela Y. Davis, when she was similarly imprisoned by the state. He wrote, “…we must fight for your life as though it were our own—which it is—and render impassable with our bodies the corridor to the gas chamber. For, if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night.”

Sister, our apology needs to be met with action. This is our first step, and we ask you and your allies to hold us accountable to our promise. But until such time that we write again, please know that we support and love you.

What do you need us to do to help?

In solidarity,

Brothers Writing to Live
_________________________________

Brothers Writing to Live is a group of black cis and trans-men who hail from spaces across the United States. We come from myriad neighborhoods, diverse familial backgrounds, and different life worlds. We are different, indeed. And yet, in so many ways we are the same. We are black male identified writers whose notions of blackness, manhood, and writing are as assorted as our multifaceted lives. Whether we have come from the red clay roads of Mississippi or the cement paved streets of New York City, through our writings we have mapped out similarities regarding the ways that racism, gender restrictions, capitalism, heteropatriarchy, ableism, economic disenfranchisement, heteronormativity, criminal (in)justice systems, and so much else has shaped the men that we have become and yet to be. This campaign has united the following black male writers:

Kiese Laymon, Writer & Professor at Vassar College
Mychal Denzel Smith, Writer, Mental Health Advocate, & Cultural Critic
Kai M. Green, Writer, Filmmaker, & Ph.D Candidate at USC
Marlon Peterson., Writer & Youth & Community Advocate
Mark Anthony Neal, Writer, Cultural Critic, & Professor at Duke University
Hashim Pipkin, Writer, Cultural Critic, Ph.D. Candidate at Vanderbilt University
Wade Davis, II, Writer, LGBTQ Advocate,& Former NFL Player

Post Views: 1,304

SholaAdenekan

330 Comments

  3. Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Taking the time and actual effort to generate a good articleÖ but what can I sayÖ I put things off a lot and don’t seem to get nearly anything done.

    Reply

  17. I do not even know how I finished up right here, but I thought this submit was once good.I do not understand who you’re but certainly you are goingto a famous blogger when you aren’t already. Cheers!

    Reply

  19. Very nice info and right to the point. I am not sure if this is truly the best place to ask but do you guys have any ideea where to hire some professional writers? Thx 🙂

    Reply

  21. An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment. I believe that you should publish more on this issue, it may not be a taboo subject but generally folks don’t talk about such issues. To the next! Kind regards!!

    Reply

  29. I blog quite often and I seriously appreciate your information. Your article hastruly peaked my interest. I will book mark your blog and keep checking for new details about once a week.I subscribed to your RSS feed as well.

    Reply

  36. Thank you, I have recently been looking for info about this topic fora while and yours is the greatest I have found out till now.But, what concerning the bottom line? Are you positive concerning the source?

    Reply

  38. Hi, I do think this is a great blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to come back yet again since i have book-marked it.Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be richand continue to guide other people.

    Reply

  39. I’m not sure where you’re getting your information, but good topic.I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more.Thanks recommendations for an omega 3 diet great information I was looking for thisinfo for my mission.

    Reply

  41. excellent points altogether, you simply gained a brand new reader. What would you recommend about your post that you made a few days ago? Any positive? Cynde Alistair Vern

    Reply

  42. My spouse and I absolutely love your blog and find the majority of your post’s to be exactly I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content available for you? I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on many of the subjects you write in relation to here. Again, awesome website!

    Reply

  43. Please let me know if you’re looking for a writer for your blog. You have some really good articles and I believe I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d really like to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Regards!

    Reply

  44. What i don’t realize is if truth be told how you are now not actually much more smartly-liked than you might be right now. You are very intelligent. You know therefore considerably when it comes to this subject, made me in my view consider it from a lot of various angles. Its like women and men don’t seem to be interested until it is something to do with Woman gaga! Your individual stuffs outstanding. Always handle it up!

    Reply

  48. Hello my friend! I wish to say that this article is awesome, great written and come with approximately all significant infos. I’d like to peer extra posts like this .

    Reply

  51. You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!

    Reply

  52. Thanks , I have just been looking for information about this subject for ages and yours is the best I’ve discovered till now. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?

    Reply

  55. Aw, this was a very nice post. In concept I want to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and precise effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and on no account seem to get something done.

    Reply

  85. Aw, this was an exceptionally nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to create a really good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and don’t seem to get nearly anything done.

    Reply

  86. Actuɑlly no matter if s᧐mwοne doesn’t know after that its up to other users that theywilⅼ һelp, so here it occurs.My ⲣɑge … Ремонт промышленной электроники

    Reply

  91. Hi! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of mygood old room mate! He always kept talking about this.I will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read.Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  96. What’s Taking place i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’vediscovered It positively helpful and it has aided me out loads.I’m hoping to give a contribution & aid different users like its helped me.Great job.

    Reply

  97. I’ve just graduated use of megalis 20 “As a result of sequestration, Interior’s fiscal 2013 total fire budget was cut by 7 percent, which means we’re currently operating with fewer firefighters and fewer engines,” she told FoxNews.com

    Reply

  112. Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post!It’s the little changes that will make the most important changes.Thanks a lot for sharing!my blog post teens smoking

    Reply

  142. I each and every time accustomed to examine paragraph in information papers but now as I am a user of internet As a result from now I’m utilizing net for article content, due to Internet.

    Reply

  157. very best job motrin uk Cuts of nearly $1 billion over the last five years have led to tuition increases and class shortages, and have strained relations with faculty and staff through the imposition of furlough days and hiring freezes.

    Reply

  161. I want to be with you, even if it is a headless and tailless farce, I will persist until the moment the world fades after you leave the stage, hold a small lamp and stand in the memory waiting for you.

    Reply

  168. fantastic issues altogether, you simply gained a new reader. What could you recommend in regards to your publish that you just made a few days in the past? Any sure?

    Reply

  181. I often used to read through short article in information papers but now as I’m a consumer of Internet thus from now I’m using net for posts, owing to Internet. oreiep.se/map1.php minska i vikt fort

    Reply

  187. I will right away grasp your rss feed as I can not find your e-mail subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly let me realize in order that I may just subscribe. Thanks.

    Reply

  203. Aw, this was an extremely good post. Spending some time and actual effort to create a superb articleÖ but what can I sayÖ I hesitate a whole lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.

    Reply

  218. Hi there i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting anywhere, when i read this piece of writing i thought i could also create comment due to this brilliant piece of writing.

    Reply

  228. We are searching for some people that might be interested in from working their home on a part-time basis. If you want to earn $200 a day, and you don’t mind creating some short opinions up, this might be perfect opportunity for you!

    Reply

  266. A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. I believe that you should publish more on this issue, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people don’t discuss these issues. To the next! All the best!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

The “I Am Troy” Call to Action

Next Story

A Black Doctor Who Is A Tease: Stop Trying To Date Him

Latest from Blog