Aaliyah Johnson died in McKeesport in May. Her family and friends say there was never a proper investigation.
by Juliette Rihl and Ryan Loew
On Friday, a crowd held candles outside of the apartment building in McKeesport where Aaliyah Johnson lived. They were there to honor her life — and demand a proper investigation of her death.
Johnson, a transgender Black woman, died on May 26 after falling from her window in Midtown Plaza Apartments. She was in her early 30s. Her death was ruled a suicide, but friends and family say there wasn’t an adequate investigation and demanded answers.
“Her death is not gonna be in vain,” co-organizer Dena Stanley told PublicSource. “We’re going to get the justice we deserve.” Stanley is the founder of activist organization TransYOUniting and a close friend of Johnson.
Johnson was a hairstylist, entertainer and commentator for the ballroom scene, an LGBTQ subculture started by Black and brown LGBTQ people.
The Allegheny County police are investigating her death.
Over 200 people joined the two-hour march and candlelight vigil that looped around downtown McKeesport, stopping at police headquarters, the apartment where Johnson lived and the intersection of Walnut Street and Sixth Avenue.
Rashod Brown, 29, of East Liberty holds a candle alongside others outside of the McKeesport apartment building where Aaliyah Johnson lived. (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource)
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE AT:
https://www.publicsource.org/rally-held-in-mckeesport-to-demand-justice-for-aaliyah-johnson-and-other-black-trans-people/
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