During her life, queer activist Marsha P. Johnson was influential in advocating for the rights of Black transgender people. Today, Google.org is donating $500,000 to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute to help continue her work.
“Through her advocacy for an inclusive LGBTQ+ movement and an end to police brutality, Marsha P. Johnson challenged the world to acknowledge the intersections of Black+ and Queer identity,” Maab Ibrahim, Inclusion Grantmaking Lead at Google.org, said in a statement. “Google.org’s efforts to end racial injustice and support LGBTQ+ organizations includes a grant to The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, an organization working to end violence against Black+ transgender women.”
Named for the Stonewall uprisings figure, the non-profit institute is a response to the alarming number of deaths of trans individuals. Just this year, no less than 17 trans men and women were killed with victims being disproportionately women of color.
Google.org’s generous donation will help relieve Black trans communities affected by COVID-19, among other programs.
“Google.org’s donation will allow us to expand our ever-important COVID relief grants to support and protect the Black trans communities, as they have been disproportionately impacted by COVID,” said Elle Hearns, founder and executive director of The Marsha P. Johnson Institute. “The donation will strengthen our direct cash assistance program, which is empowering individuals to secure housing, healthcare, and other essential supports during this time. Black Trans women are too often forgotten by our society, and with Google.org’s help we’re giving them the support they need.”
