Be Reflexive
Having referred back to my previous discussion post, I believe it can be further improved to reflect the intended “celebration of life” feeling. Specifically, several omissions should be made to the previous writing. The post would be more caring if there were no mentions of markers of violence; therefore, words such as “murder” and “killed” should be excluded. In addition, more information about the woman in question, Sumaya Dalmar, a Black Somali Canadian transgender activist, needs to be included in the post. Information about her life, work, and her impact on others can add to the post being a celebration of her life rather than an obituary.
Attending to Black Lives with Care and Dignity
Introductory Biographies
Nina Pop was a Black transgender woman who lost her life at the age of 28. This woman was well known and well-loved in the community, having worked in the local fast-food restaurant (Maurice, 2020). She was described as a loving and caring person who got along well with everyone and lived to care for others. Nina is deeply missed by her family, friends, and everyone she has crossed paths with.
Skylar Heath was a 20-year-old Black transgender woman who sadly lost her life in Miami, Florida. Little information is known about Skylar, but people who knew her described her as a loving and caring young woman with a warm personality and a caring soul (Roberts, 2020). Skylar was just at the beginning of her life and had many hopes and aspirations destined to remain unfulfilled. It is an act of care to acknowledge Nina and Skylar, recognize their genders, their chosen names, and the positive effect they had on the lives of others.
Relationality Check
The written introductory biographies of Nina Pop and Skylar Heath are written with a focus on care as they are free of the markers of violence, place, causes, and conditions of death. The markers of violence such as “murder,” “shooting,” “stabbing,” and others, including times of death, are irrelevant to the lives of the two young, vibrant women who were lost too soon. It would be an unnecessary and painful addition to the family and friends of Nina and Skylar to include the details that in no way reflect the lives they have led. Having substituted the names of Nina and Skylar with my own name, I can argue that care is the central focus of the biographies. I believe that these biographies could be shared with the families of the featured women as they focus on their personalities and the effect they had on others. The inclusion of how other people described Nina and Skylar can show their loved ones the care and love they received in their lives. These introductory biographies are better suited for social media posts, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Elegiac Care and Endearing Portraits
Option B
To the family of Nina Pop, I am so sorry for your loss. Reading about Nina, I am consumed with grief for her and you and cannot imagine the immeasurable pain you are experiencing. I did not know Nina, but I know she lived in a small, close-knit community and worked at a fast-food restaurant. I imagine everyone in the town knew her and, as her personality shone very bright, were enamored with her. I am sure she changed the lives of people she knew, as she did yours. She continues to inspire people to be themselves, including me.
References
Maurice, E. P. (2020). Much-loved trans woman found stabbed to death in apartment as LGBT+ group warns the epidemic ‘can no longer be ignored’. PinkNews.
Roberts, M. (2020). HRC mourns Skyler Heath, Black trans woman from Miami. Human Rights Campaign.