Black History Month - Black Trans Women - February 10th

Today's wonderful woman is Mya Taylor, a Black transgender woman whose life story represents resilience and visibility in a way that felt new at the time it happened. Mya Taylor grew up in Texas and experienced homelessness and survival sex work after being rejected by family as a teenager. For years she lived on the margins, navigating safety, housing, and basic stability while still holding onto humor and self confidence. Her life changed when she was cast in the independent film Tangerine (2015), where she played a character inspired by experiences she knew firsthand. Her performance earned her an Independent Spirit Award, making her the first openly transgender actor to win a major U.S. film acting award. More than the award itself, her impact came from audiences seeing a Black trans woman portrayed with personality, flaws, and humanity rather than tragedy alone. Taylor’s visibility helped open doors for future performers and reminded people that trans women had always been telling their own stories, even when the world was not listening. Mya's performance in Tangerine is actually in my top 5 favorite supporting actress performances of the 2010s and I wish and hope she gets more work in the future.