A Black Latinx Queer woman was found dead in a Chicago Police Department station, Give to Black and Pink this holiday season, Harambee! It’s Kwanzaa – Monday, December 27, 2021
A Black Latinx Queer woman was found dead in a Chicago Police Department station and her family is seeking answers. Black and Pink is an organization you can support this holiday season. Harambee! It’s Kwanzaa so let’s honor our ancestors and chart a path for the future.
Show Notes
00:00 – Welcome & Intro
00:24 – The Qube Ad
00:47 – Intro Music
01:29 – A Black LatinX Queer woman was found dead in a Chicago Police Department station – and her family is seeking answers
02:56 – Black and Pink is an organization you can support this holiday season
04:28 – Harambee! It’s Kwanzaa
06:18 – Anna’s Got a Word
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An intersectional approach to a daily news podcast where race & sexuality meet politics, entertainment and culture. Tune-in to reporting which centers & celebrates all of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. Hosted by Anna DeShawn. 7 minutes a day, 5 days a week, ready by 9 a.m.
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Transcript
Family, this is your favorite Queer radio personality Anna DeShawn here with our Queer news from today.
A Black LatinX Queer woman was found dead in a Chicago Police Department station. Black and Pink is an organization you can support this holiday season. Harambee! It’s Kwanzaa so let’s honor our ancestors and chart a path for the future.
Our leading story for today came to me via an Instagram DM from a friend. I’m going to preface this story by saying that it might be triggering so take a moment and decide if you’d like to continue listening. Our show notes include timecode so you can choose to move past this one. I’ll give you a second. Okay, so my friend shared a post about a woman named Irene Chavez, 33, who was found hanging in the 3rd district police station in Chicago on December 18th. This is after being arrested for an alleged misdemeanor offense at the Jeffery Pub. An iconic LGBT bar located on the Southside of Chicago. Irene was a Black Latinx queer woman, military veteran, basketball player, Packers fan, dog lover, and activist who loved Christmas and had dreams of creating urban gardens and urgan farms for Black and Brown communities. Her family is seeking answers now and are holding a press conference today at 10am in the plaza of the 3rd district police station located at 7040 S. Cottage Grove. After the press conference the family will approach the police desk to demand answers and to place a memorial altar at the scene of her death. Ya’ll, my prayer is that her family can find the answers they need inside of corrupt system that doesn’t do Black people, Brown people, or Queer folks any favors.
Like I mentioned last week, I want to share some organizations you can think about giving too during this holiday season. Next up is Black and Pink. Black & Pink National is a prison abolitionist organization dedicated to abolishing the criminal punishment system and liberating LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS who are affected by that system through advocacy, support, and organizing. Black & Pink National, founded in 2005, now has a strong grassroots network of 11 volunteer-led chapters and more than 20,000 current and formerly incarcerated LGBTQ+ and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) members located across the country. They currently have their annual card writing campaign taking place and could use your help. Black & Pink National coordinates a nationwide penpal program in which they match incarcerated members with penpals who correspond, build relationships, and participate in harm reduction and affirmation. The holiday season can be a really difficult and an isolating time for folks inside, especially for the Black & Pink National members who might not have loved ones to connect with on the outside. These holiday cards help to bring moments of joy, connection, and community to their members, and serve to send a clear message to correctional staff that people on the outside are watching out, and care for our inside family. If you’re interested in participating visit blackandpink.org or follow them on Instagram for more information.
Our next story , It’s Kwanzaa! Now the burning question, do you celebrate it? Recent data shows only 2% of Black people do these days. I think this is for a few reasons; the founder Maulua Kareenga has a sketchy past with Black women to say the least, Black America’s disconnect from African culture, and most just simply didn’t grow up with it as a tradition. These reasons resonate with me in various ways and at various levels but as an adult the church I used to attend did, so I did. I could give you the history of Kwanzaa but you can absolutely Google that so I’m not going there. I will say that taking time to honor our ancestors, our collective power, and setting intentions for the next year can never be a bad thing. I found the celebration really beautiful and special in its own ways. Now, Kwanzaa started yesterday and it goes through Jan 1st. Habari Gani! Which means “What’s the news?” in Swahili is said before each principle is shared. The first principle of Kwanzaa is Umoja, unity. To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Habari Gani! Kujichagulia, self-determination. Today we focus our energies on defining ourselves, naming ourselves, creating for ourselves, and speaking for ourselves. I’d love for this to be a way for us to interact with each other this week as we welcome in the new year. In the description below there is a link to talk with me via a platform called SpeakPipe. Leave me a voice message and tell me what the Kwanzaa principle for the day means to you. I’d love to share them as part of the podcast. If leaving a voice message is too much, drop a comment. I can share those too. Harambee!
Insecure ended last night and that’s all I can say about that right now. Yea.
These are our top Queer news for today and ya’ll know I always have a word. The word today is inspired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu who made his earthly transition yesterday at 90 years of age. He was a fierce voice for freedom in an apartheid led South Africa. He was an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ community and I quote, “I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven. No, I would say, “Sorry, I mean I would much rather go to the other place.” I would not worship a god who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this. I am as passionate about this campaign as I ever was about apartheid. For me, it is at the same level.” Whew, now feel free to rewind that back, okay. Archbishop Tutu walked in his light and spoke truth to power everywhere he went. May we have the courage to do the same. Rest easy. Well done. Till tomorrow family. Peace.
