New Podcast Marsha’s Plate Wants to Make Every Black Life Matter

By N. Jamiyla Chisholm Jan 22, 2020

In the spirit of iconic Black trans activist Marsha P. Johnson, Marsha’s Plate: Black Trans Podcast tackles politics, gender and current events, while addressing the systems that reinforce oppression, all from the lens of three Black trans folks—Diamond Stylz, Mia Sloan and Zahir Alexander. “I wanted to create a platform for Black trans folks, where we can talk about what we care about, what really affects our lives and our survival,” Stylz said in a January 21 article on The Root.

The idea for the show was born during the 2016 presidential election, when the majority of questions for people who are trans were about bathroom politics and not healthcare, housing and workforce discrimination. “They weren’t asking us what we cared about,” said Stylz. Enter Marsha’s Plate. Episodes touch on everything from gender expression to colorism; the hosts want listeners to drop in and learn about their community, from people who are actually in the community. 

“I just want people to broaden their scopes and enrich their work by including trans people in their analysis,” Stylz told The Root. “I think that we are a collective of people who are trying to do this type of dismantling White supremacy work, dismantling patriarchy work," Stylz continued. "Our goal is just to widen everybody’s mentality about transness so that we can really make all Black lives matter. Like, all of them.”

To listen to the podcast, click here.