Black History Month - Black Trans Women - February 19th

Today I want to highlight Aria Sa'id, a Black transgender woman whose work has focused on housing, safety, and economic stability for trans people. Aria Sa’id is a San Francisco based organizer and advocate who co-founded the Transgender District in the Tenderloin, recognized as the first legally recognized transgender cultural district in the world. The project was created to preserve a historic neighborhood where trans women, particularly Black trans women, had lived for decades while also addressing displacement, homelessness, and violence. Her work goes beyond symbolic recognition. The district supports housing initiatives, workforce programs, and economic development aimed specifically at transgender residents. Sa’id’s leadership reflects a long standing reality in Black trans history: many of the most important changes come not from visibility alone, but from creating stable places where people can live, work, and remain in their own communities without being pushed out.