Black Trans in the Americas

Black Trans in the Americas is a community-based and community-led research partnership that aims to document and celebrate the myriad of ways that Black Trans people survive, create community, build programs, lead movements and make indelible marks in the Americas. There is an urgent need for explicit attention to Black Trans lived experience, in the face of increased transphobic violence and anti-trans legislation across geographies. Humanities scholarship is necessary for this project as it is attuned to narration, translation, and representation as modalities, methods, and forms, but also as reflective of power relations. Our goal is to create a sustainable, web-based BTiA network and archive of community-based interviews, oral histories, films, and other creative outputs built by and for Black Trans communities. Taking the humanities outside the walls of universities by using digital arts and media to connect audiences across national borders, we can cultivate networks of knowledge and care among communities historically excluded by our institutions. We will expand interest and participation in humanistic inquiry, transforming individuals and communities from objects of study to stewards of their own histories and stories. This project builds on a broader partnership between Northwestern University, University of Chicago, the community-based organization OTV | Open Television, along with universities and organizations globally.