Today Marielle Franco would have been 43 years old. But, because of patriarchy, fascism, anti-blackness, homophobia and the blatant hate for poor working class Black women, she isn’t here. I traveled to Bahia in Brazil to attend the Decolonial Black Feminist school in 2019, a year after she was assassinated and intensified my commitment to transnational organizing and work. As a migrant who grew up undocumented in Miami, I have always struggled to see myself in movements. But, really women like my grandma, my neighbors and Marielle. There’s a litany of Black women, gender-expansive people and little girls who have been taken from us because of state and interpersonal violence. Marielle is one of them, she should be here. Her philosophy of doing “Politics in a different way” has sustained @jaimeeswift and I’s work over the past year to plan and execute the 2nd Defend Black Women March this weekend. Defending Black Women is a political priority, not a cute slogan we came up with. If your work isn’t making the connections from a transnational lens or finding value in it, I implore you to interrogate those things for yourself. It doesn’t matter what side of the border you were born in, your liberation and freedom is tied to our siblings everywhere. If you’re in the DMV, come to @theoutrageonline from 6-8pm as we celebrate her life. 💕 Happy Birthday Marielle, you should be here and I’m still mad about it and I won’t ever stop learning about your work or forget about you. May the statue being unveiled in your honor today help to immortalize you and your life. Ibá to you forever more. 🕊🤍🇧🇷⚔️