The Mahogany Project

The Mahogany Project was founded in 2017 by Verniss McFarland, III, in Houston, TX. TMP, Inc. was sparked after the death of Chyna Gibson, a Black woman of trans-experience who was shot in New Orleans on February 25. Chyna was a much-loved performer in the pageantry community who was visiting friends and family in New Orleans at the time of her death. That year, 30 individuals of transgender experience (that we know of) died of anti-trans violence. As a response, we released The Trans Empowerment and Alliance Party: a safe and affirming space for trans-identified individuals to be uplifted in the community. This would quickly evolve into what is known as Black Trans Empowerment Week in 2018. As a non-profit organization, TMP, Inc. has cultivated intersectional spaces that center the Black diaspora while dissolving social isolation, stigma, and barriers of social injustice.