Raina Simone Henderson

The Cost of Identity Raina Simone Henderson

"To be Black in America is to be criminalized by 400 years of white supremacist ideologies trapping one in ones' own prison upon birth. To be transgender in America is to be trapped in ones' own prison, and to be criminalized upon breaking free. To be a woman in America is to fall victim to the societal misunderstanding of ones' naked truth. To be Black, transgender, and woman in America is to be trapped in ones' own prison, all while trapped in America's prisons simultaneously. Black transgender women make up the demographic most likely to be both arrested and incarcerated, independently. Once incarcerated, Black transgender women face unique abuses. This is the product of a binary system of housing. This book serves to elevate the narratives on Black intersectionality and criminal justice reform in the name of transgender rights.