Renowned Black transgender activist and author, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, passed away on Monday, October 13, at the age of 78.
The news of her demise was announced on her Instagram account in a statement. Griffin-Gracy, who was fondly known as Miss Major, passed away in her Little Rock, Arkansas home, the statement said, adding that she was “surrounded by loved ones.”
Described as a “beloved leader and revolutionary figure in the TLGBQ liberation movement,” Miss Major founded the House of GG – which is also known as The Griffin-Gracy Educational and Historical Center – to create “safe and transformative spaces where members of our community can heal—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—from the trauma arising from generations of transphobia, racism, sexism, poverty, ableism and violence, and nurture them into tomorrow’s leaders.”
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The website futher states that the House of GG focuses on “supporting and nurturing the leadership of Transgender women and men of color living in the U.S. South.”
Miss Major is said to have “fought for more than fifty years for trans, gender nonconforming, and LGB community– especially for Black trans women, trans women of color and those who have survived incarceration and police brutality.”
The statement added: “Her enduring legacy is a testament to her resilience, activism, and dedication to creating safe spaces for Black trans communities and all trans people.”
During the early 1980s in New York, Miss Majors also provided direct care for people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS before playing a key role in San Francisco’s first mobile needle exchange, the statement said.
“As director of the TGI Justice Project, she’d return to prisons as a mentor to her ‘gurls’ inside,” the statement continued.
Miss Major ultimately founded House of GG in 2019. “Miss Major fought tirelessly for her people, her love as vast and enduring as the universe she knew herself to be a part of,” the statement said.
“She was a world builder, a visionary, and unwavering in her devotion to making freedom possible for Black, trans, formerly and currently incarcerated people as well as the larger trans and LGB community. Because of her, countless new possibilities have been made for all of us to thrive—today and for generations to come.”
The statement continued: “She affirmed that our lives hold meaning and that we stand on the shoulders of giants like her, whose courageous love and relentless fight assured our right to live with dignity. We will forever honor her memory, her steadfast presence, and her enduring commitment to our collective liberation.”
Miss Major is survived by her longtime partner, Beck Witt; three sons Asaiah, Christopher, and Jonathon; her many daughters, including Janetta Johnson – successor of the Miss Major Alexander L. Lee TGIJP Black Trans Cultural Center; and her sisters, Tracie O’Brien and Billie Cooper.
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