Black Transmen Inc Promotes Charley Burton to New Role of Black Transmen Inc Program Director

Black Transmen Inc Promotes Charley Burton to New Role of Black Transmen Inc Program Director

For Immediate Release
February 17, 2021

For more information, contact
Carter Brown, Black Transmen Inc Founder
corp@blacktransmen.org

 Charley Burton to lead Black Transmen Inc program goals focused on men’s health & wellness, housing and employment.

DALLAS, TEXAS (Feb. 17, 2021 ) – Black Transmen Inc, Inc. (BTMI), focused on acknowledgment, equality, social advocacy and empowering trans men, today announced the promotion of Charley Burton to Black Transmen Inc National Program Director. Burton will lead the BTMI national office efforts in support of the 2021 Black Transmen Inc program goals focused on men’s health & wellness, housing and employment.

“Since 2011, Black Transmen, Inc. has notably pioneered bringing greater visibility and community building for all Black trans people. At this time that our nation is experiencing radical change, we as Black trans people are in the thick of both the suffering and challenging of social and systemic prejudices. As the new Program Director of BTMI, Charley’s activism, passion and knowledge will uplift the voices of Black transmen and Black trans elders, of whom are often left voiceless in the midst of the modern day movement.” said Carter Brown, Black Transmen Inc Founder.

Burton, joined the company in 2011 helping to lay the foundation for the organization serving as a volunteer. When asked how his professional interests and experiences relate to Black Transmen Inc’s purpose and mission, Burton stated:

“My professional interest and experiences have always been to educate myself and others on their craft. I am a huge believer that a healthy mind will nurture a healthy soul.

My relationship with BTMI in the past years has given me a voice today that I never thought I could find. After being a volunteer for 10 years I am ready to take the leadership and knowledge that Carter Brown has taught me and give it to others. You can’t keep what you can give away. The unrest of our Nation in 2020 has opened the eyes to us all. It is time to step up as a Program Director and carry the torch further, stronger and harder. I am excited about partnering with more community partners who have fresh and new ideas on how to take BTMI to the next level. “

Black Transmen Inc (BTMI) is the First National Non-Profit Organization of African American transmen solely focused on acknowledgment, equality, social advocacy and empowering trans men with resources to aid in a healthy transition and human experience. BTMI has created a space of support and care through it’s peer to peer mentoring program for Black trans men of all ages and stages of transition. All BTMI programming aims to give support in an affirming environment that promotes mental and physical health and wellness, self empowerment and positively enhances the development and navigation as a Black man in America

Black Transmen Inc Mourns The Loss of Tony McDade

Black Transmen Inc Mourns The Loss of Tony McDade

For Immediate Release
June 2, 2020

For more information, contact
Carter Brown, Black Transmen Inc Founder
media@blacktransmen.org

Official statement from Black Transmen Inc regarding the
Senseless Loss of Tony McDade Due to Police Violence

Dallas, Texas – Black Transmen, Inc. is in grief over the death of Tony McDade, a Black Trans man, who was fatally shot to death by police, on May 27th, in Tallahassee, FL. Within hours preceding his demise, McDade posted a video on his Facebook page where he alleged to have been jumped and beaten up by 5 other men while no one assisted him, and expressed his intent for retaliation against his attackers.

In a local press conference with the Tallahassee police, TPD Sergeant Revell stated that McDade pointed a gun at an officer who then shot him. Contrarily, eyewitness accounts stated “As soon as he pulled up, I seen him (the police officer) just jump out the car, swing the door open and then just start shooting. I never heard ‘get down, freeze, I’m a officer’ I never heard anything, I just heard gunshots.”

Individuals who are inhumane, racist and transphobic that are employed in law enforcement are constantly killing us. Regrettably the acceptance of this behavior is crafted in the training and nurtured with the laws, policies and procedures that condone their use of deadly force as a first choice instead of a last resort.

Facets of McDade’s story are all too familiar to many Black trans folks as we hear of his trauma, getting locked into the prison system, being attacked and beaten by cops and community, and then killed. The Black trans community has far too long questioned why we don’t see the pain and outrage from our own Black community as it does for our cisgender, heterosexual brothers and sisters when our Black (trans) lives are lost.Founding Board Member Charley Burton stated, “BTMI exists for men like Tony, who expressed feelings of never fitting in anywhere. Men who walk a fragile and unique path between the shoulders of being a Black man in America and being trans in the Black community. Too often we are unseen and our cries go unheard until something like this happens.”

Black Transmen Inc partnered with the National Center for Transgender Equality to provide the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey: Report on the experiences of Black Respondents. Here are a few key findings that bear witness to the many challenges McDade faced that are all to common:

  • More than half (51%) of Black trans men are survivors of sexual assault
  • Black trans men are 72% more uncomfortable asking the police for help
  • 61% of all Black respondents received multiple forms of mistreatment when interacting with police, including verbal, physical and sexual assault.

Founding Board Member Charley Burton stated, “BTMI exists for men like Tony, who expressed feelings of never fitting in anywhere. Men who walk a fragile and unique path between the shoulders of being a Black man in America and being trans in the Black community. Too often we are unseen and our cries go unheard until something like this happens.”

Just a year ago, the world took notice to Muhlaysia Booker, a transgender woman of Dallas, TX when a video was publicized of her being punched and kicked by several men as she lay on the ground. Assumingly, this was a similar scenario for McDade, a transgender man, of being beaten by a mob of men. Booker chose not to retaliate and leave it to police to apprehend her attackers. McDade, who expressed his strong distrust of the government, chose to seek street justice. In both scenarios, the police failed to protect these people who were victims of assault. Read More