Today would have been Marielle Franco’s 43rd birthday. She should still be here in the flesh, but today I am choosing to celebrate her life knowing that she gave it in the fight for freedom and dignity for Black Brazilians and those living across the diaspora. To be clear, no Black woman should die in the quest for human rights, but I believe that Marielle is among the powerful ancestors continuing to fuel our movement and it is with this belief that I am looking forward to this weekend’s Defend Black Women March! This year’s march will honor Marielle’s life and legacy and she’s light on the connections between the struggles of Black feminist freedom fighters in Latin America & the Caribbean and those in the U.S. We have a full weekend planned with opportunities for political education in addition to Saturday’s rally so pull up and help us defend Black women, girls, femmes and gender expansive people! ✊🏾🖤 #defendblackwomen #mariellefranco #mariellepresente #protectblackwomen #protectblackgirls #wearebg #blacklivesmatter #lgbtq #brasil #caribbean #freebg #mariellevirousemente #knowyourcaribbean #bringbrittneyhome #blacklesbians