In a room filled to almost twice its capacity with eager students and community members, equality advocate CeCe McDonald spoke blatantly and pragmatically about her life as a transgender woman of color and how she discovered an avenue for advocacy.
McDonald shared her understanding of the prison system and institutionalized racism and discrimination in her talk about racism, mass incarceration and trans liberation Thursday at the Elvehjem Building.
Following last week’s debate between Young, Gifted, and Black Coalition and Madison Police Department Chief Mike Koval, McDonald’s words resonated with many members of the audience, who snapped with enthusiasm for the subject.
She recounted her time in prison following two murder charges resulting from what she said was self-defense against a neo-Nazi. The sentence, given to her by a predominantly white jury, served as an example of what YGB is fighting to end in the Dane County jail.
“I know that as a person of color, once you’re in the system there’s no way out,” McDonald said. “But I decided to fight the system because I wanted them to know that I’m not going to just give in … I wanted to tell them I’m not disposable, and you aren’t just going to throw me away, and you’re not just going to use me up.”
She said community support helped urge her to take her case to trial instead of accepting a plea deal. In the process of fighting, she learned more about her role as an educator and self-advocator.
McDonald said she began to understand the importance of living the life of an individual, not society’s mold of what one should look like. Her layered identity—person and woman of color, transgender woman and now ex-convict—served as a push to advocate for equality for all people.
“We really have to think about where we are in life ... when it comes to advocacy,” McDonald said. “It’s easy to stick to what we know but it’s better to think outside the box.”
After questions from the crowd, McDonald said she hoped people who are serious about this kind of advocacy will help to change the world and begin having these kinds of conversations.
“We are all immortal in the work that we leave behind,” McDonald said. “Love yourself and enjoy life.”
