A $15,000 Mental Health Recovery Fund Launches for Black Trans People

By N. Jamiyla Chisholm Jun 03, 2020

To honor “the many Black Trans people who [have] been murdered by state-sanctioned violence”—including Nina Pop (28) and Tony McDade (38)—the grassroots Okra Project will dedicate $15,000 to create the Nina Pop Mental Health Recovery Fund and the Tony McDade Mental Health Recovery Fund, according to a recent announcement shared on Twitter

On May 3, Nina Pop, a Black trans woman, was found stabbed to death inside of her Missouri apartment; and Tony McDade, a Black trans man thought to be the 12th trans person to die violently in 2020, was shot five times in the back and killed on May 27 by a Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) officer. Responding to these deaths and the emotional toll they ultimately take on a community, the Okra Project launched the Pop and McDade recovery funds to provide Black trans women and men with a free mental health session with a licensed Black therapist.

As the organization noted in a statement, “the Okra Project recognizes that Black Trans people are feeling the weight of our siblings being murdered while their murderers, whether it be the assailants or the police force that puts very little effort into finding their killers, walk free.” 

To help sustain the initiative, the Okra Project is accepting monetary donations from the public for either fund, here, with the subject line: “Nina Pop Fund” or “Tony McDade Fund.” And they’re calling for Black mental health professionals to donate therapy hours. To learn more about each project, visit Tony McDade and Nina Pop’s releases.