The Frances Thompson Writers Studio For Black Trans Study is a free, immersive two-week virtual conference & workshop experience exclusive to Black trans*, gender variant & nonbinary folks led by Black trans*, gender variant, & nonbinary faculty. By the end of the workshop, selected participants have the ability to publish in the inaugural virtual participants' folio & to engage in a public reading of their original work. 

Who Is Frances Thompson?

Frances Thompson (1840-1876) was a formerly enslaved Black transgender woman, anti-rape activist, & survivor of the Memphis Massacre of 1866. Thompson is believed to be the first transgender woman to testify before the United States Congress in 1865-66. In July 1876, she was fined & arrested on charges of "cross-dressing." She was condemned to the city's chain gang, where she was made to wear men's clothing & faced abuse while serving her sentence. After her release, Thompson relocated to North Memphis but passed away the same year as her arrest. After it was established that she was seriously ill, she was brought to a hospital where she died of dysentery. 

The Workshops

The Frances Thompson Writers Studio workshops prioritize Black trans*, gender variant, & nonbinary voices, carving out space for the power of testimony to enact liberation within literature & beyond. Within two weeks (excluding weekends), about 20 poetry workshop participants will study with two alternating faculty members each week. Public craft talks by faculty will occur during the first weekend of the workshops. By the end of the workshop, participants have the opportunity to participate in a virtual reading of their original work & to publish their writing in the inaugural virtual participants' folio. Writers will be paid a $50 honorarium for their work in the folio. The workshops are generative & interactive. Dates for the workshops are TBA, & will likely occur in early August 2023.

How Will the Funds Be Used?

In order for programming to be free to all participants & to fund the virtual folio — we require your material support. Our goal is to raise $8,300. The funds will be put towards the tuition of up to 20 workshop participants, to support the creation of the participants' folio, to pay contributors, to pay editors, & for website creation. All participating contributors will receive honoraria ($50 per contributor). For donations of $500 or more, we will place your name in the virtual folio as an esteemed donor to the workshops & journal.  

--Jada Renée Allen, Founder & Director of The Frances Thompson Writers Studio For Black Trans Study