Black, Trans Woman Vanity Williams Killed in Houston Earlier this Month

In a press release, the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) mourned the loss of Vanity Williams, a 34-year-old Black transgender woman. Williams was shot and killed in Houston, Texas, on August 3, 2024. A man has been arrested and charged with her murder.

Vanity was an Air Force veteran who recently began nursing school. She dreamed of opening a med spa. Friends described Vanity as someone who could always make you laugh or smile, with a resilient soul, brilliant mind, and beautiful spirit. She created a safe space for everyone, was passionate about lifting up the Black community and women, and spoke truth to power about what it means to be a woman of color.

"I am devastated to hear about the death of Vanity," said Victoria Kirby York, director of Public Policy and Programs. "This is the third recorded death of a trans person in Texas this year, and according to HRC, the 37th murder since 2013. The amount of hate-fueled murders facing the Black transgender community in Texas is a concerning trend, especially when paired with the continued introduction of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the state."

She added, "Politicians should be working to protect their constituencies, not further harm and target them. This epidemic of violence cannot end if transphobia is continuously perpetuated by people entrusted with the power to represent and govern us."

Vanity is at least the 25th trans, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming person to be killed this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Remember the lives of the Black trans siblings we have lost this year with action by viewing NBJC's resources for the transgender and gender-expansive/non-conforming community HERE.

Learn more about reducing gender-based violence here and here.

Also look here to learn more about changing local laws and increasing protections for trans and non-binary community members.

The National Black Justice Collective is America's leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+, and same-gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) people, including people living with HIV.