Black Trans Mutual Aid Collective Offers Lessons In Community And Care

Mutual aid campaigns and collectives have become an increasing part of the safety net for Black families and communities. For Gabrielle Souza, these things are even more critical when it comes to providing resources and filling in the gaps for Black and brown Trans people. 

As executive director of The Okra Project, a Black-led Trans mutual aid collective, Souza builds on the legacy of support she received as a young person. Now, entering her third year at the helm of the mutual aid organization, she said that mutual aid is at the heart of everything the organization does. 

“For many of us, crisis is constant,” she said. “And so, the question then becomes, how do we make care consistent? We have to move from this emergency mode to an ecosystem of, like, building networks of care, creating systems that sustain our people, ourselves, our communities.”

Drawing on the importance of okra as a vital source of sustenance, The Okra Project offers the same to Black Trans people. The organization’s work reflects three service pillars: nourishment, safety, and wellness. 

“The okra project was built, you know, on this idea that care for one another cannot wait on the systems that continuously fail us or that were never designed to protect us,” Souza said. “Whether that is a meal, groceries support, or access to therapy and wellness, our work is really about redistributing care.” 

She said that Mutual aid is not about charity, but community. 

“It’s about making sure that our people feel seen, supported, sustained,” Souza said. “Because we know that’s how our people survive and thrive.”

And part of that support and care requires funding. As many nonprofits and other social impact organizations feel the impact of funding gaps, groups like The Okra Project are even further sidelined. Despite being a 501c3 organization, Souza said there is no trickle-down of funds from federal grants and other sources. 

“The average donation at the Okra Project is $36,” she said. The majority, if not all, of our support comes from direct donations. And what II would like to see for organizations like ours is consistent, constant, intentional support.”

But for Souza, this isn’t simply a story of one amazing leader or organization standing in the gap. She explained that The Okra Project is one of several organizations working together to provide resources and support to Black and brown Trans people. 

“I try to lead from a place of just pure radical honesty and humanity,” Souza said. “And I think that balance really just comes from, at least for me, that balance just comes from remembering that, you know, this work is shared.”

With resurgent challenges to Black women’s leadership and expertise, Souza shared that she did feel a lot of pressure around expectations and the responsibility to stabilize and rebuild trust in the organization. But she credited the support of her sisters, such as Gia Love, and sister organizations, including Black Trans Femmes in the Arts and Black Trans Liberation. 

“As a Black femme, we’re just also disproportionately affected and not cared for in many ways, but also we’re propped up to be the caretakers, the leaders, the nurturers of so many people around us,” she said.  “We continuously just pour into each other and bounce ideas off of one another, and also just hold each other accountable. So that’s how I’ve been able to balance that transition into leadership, and that’s how I’m experiencing it right now.”

In the backdrop of this conversation, is the resurgent white supremacist fascism and never-ending scourge of transphobia popping up in everyday aspects of our lives. Our commitment to beating back fascism, racism, and other forms of oppression means our liberation and freedom to thrive are tied to each other.  

The combination of anti-Trans animus and bias, coupled with structural racism and gender discrimination, creates an even more challenging landscape for Black Trans people to navigate. From philanthropy and donors running scared to the piling on for political points, to the dismantling of Black and LGBTQ focused news teams, we are losing ground and space to reaffirm the experiences of Black Trans people. 

Personal opinions or beliefs should not outweigh an individual’s freedom to thrive. And yet, even as people on “our side” denounce the right—and related authoritarian forces—they intentionally target, demean, and scapegoat Trans people for cheap points. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a liberal darling and anti-Trump champion, has been one of the main perpetrators of this in recent months. 

The Okra Project’s work is a reminder that care and connection are a part of how Black people have been able to not only endure tough times but also overcome and surpass white supremacist attacks. Now more than ever, we need to be about community and, where possible, joy. When we are in community with others, we are not alone. 

“Finding community can be hard. It can be very daunting,” Souza said. “It’s imperative and important for Black and brown individuals to move away and deviate from the fear of asking for help, the fear of seeking and building community, because right now, with everything that’s going on, it’s so important.”

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