MINNEAPOLIS — Family and friends of Savannah Williams gathered on Friday to commemorate the life of the 37-year-old indigenous transgender woman, exactly one year after her tragic murder in Minneapolis.
The memorial service, held at Williams' childhood church in South Minneapolis, was filled with Native American drumming and heartfelt tributes. Gabrielle, Savannah's younger sister, read aloud love notes written about her sibling, whom she credits with teaching her how to survive.
"A lot of us sometimes don't even know who we are, but Savannah knew who she was, and she died who she was," Gabrielle shared.
Savannah, a Native and Cuban transgender woman, was killed by Damarean Bible, who admitted to shooting her in the head after Savannah approached him for a sexual encounter. Bible was sentenced to 30 years in prison, the maximum sentence for intentional second-degree murder in the state.
Kim, Savannah's mother, spoke of the daily void left by her daughter's absence. "She used to call me every day, and I miss that call," Kim said. She described how she now talks to a large picture of Savannah at home, saying good morning and good night to keep her memory alive.
Known for her ability to make people laugh, Savannah's legacy did not die with her. Amber Muhm, the trans community specialist at The Aliveness Project, announced plans for a mutual aid fund in Savannah's honor.
"It's specifically going to be for trans women of color," Muhm said. "Trans women of color with intersecting identities face a lot of challenges," Muhm said, adding the aid will help individuals with housing, schooling and food costs among other things.
In September, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said investigators in her office conducted a thorough review to determine whether the killing was motivated by bias, but concluded they could not prove bias beyond a reasonable doubt. The county attorney did say Williams' murder is part of a pattern of escalating attacks against trans women, particularly those who are of color.
According to the Human Rights Campaign foundation, since 2013, there have been 372 recorded transgender deaths by violence.