Carter Brown

Carter Brown: Black Transman- One is not Born a Man, He Becomes one.

Carter Brown is a key part of representation and a voice for those in the black and trans community. Carter noticed that there wasn’t a space that shared and voiced openly his identities. Carter stated that there were some folks that were part of the black community but were cis-gendered and there were groups that were openly trans but didn’t understand or feel the same barriers and challenges that Carter felt. Carter joined Facebook in 2011, it wasn’t until the founding of this organization that he fully came out as transgender. Carter stated that there is a need for support and community, and that one black trans person alone isn’t enough.

Early Life

In an interview with the Human Rights Campaign, Carter Brown discusses his early life coming from a dysfunctional family, being homeless at 14. Carter stated that he continued through high school and eventually college, he climbed out of that situation and was living the American dream, which he described as working hard, excelling in life and career, and building a family. Carter describes that he was learning the mortgage and realty business well and was described as a go-getter and a motivated coworker. Then one day he was invited to a conference room by his coworkers. They asked him very personal and direct questions about his gender, asking him if he had a vagina. This made work very uncomfortable and soon he was the target of prejudice and discrimination in his workplace. Carter then stated that he was fired based on his identity. Carter had a family to take care of and struggled with that next step in life. Carter is now a key supporter of the equality act stating that if the equality act had existed when he was being discriminated against, he would have had hope.  

Assembly and Activism

Carter then started the Facebook group in 2011 and was shocked at the number of people that shared his identity. Eventually Brown saw that his Facebook group was providing a large service to his community, so he changed it from a Facebook group to an official organization. One of the things that the Black Transmen group does is ensure that folks that are part of this community receive proper care and resources that are trustworthy. The Black Trans groups then grew to incorporate the needs of many other communities like Black Trans women and eventually grew into national groups like Black Trans MX. This forms a larger network and coalition called the National Trans Black advocacy coalition. Currently, Carter Brown functions as the Executive Director of the Nation Trans Black Advocacy coalition and is the founder and president of the Black Transmen Inc.   

Recognition

Carter Brown is number 88 in the top 100 most influential African Americans in 2020 according to Root.com

Black Transmen- https://blacktransmen.org/

Black Transwomen- https://blacktranswomen.org/

National Trans Black Advocacy Coalition- https://blacktrans.org/about-us/  

Fired for being LGBTQ- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVAah48Gt3M&t=193s

Top 100 most influential African Americans- https://interactives.theroot.com/root-100-2020/