Flood’s Hall is a nondescript building in Hyde Park, next to the back patio of Mellow Yellow restaurant, that houses nonprofit offices. I visited on a hot day in August, sweating under my cloth mask. There was a sticky note plastered to the front door, instructing people to bring donations to the third floor.
Bags of groceries, tampons, soap, hand sanitizer, baby supplies, and other essential items were stacked on shelves and floors. It was a full-blown mutual aid operation.
Skora said BSA is an abolitionist organization that doesn’t work with the police, “founded on the values of mutual aid and community good and collective liberation.” BSA’s vision is to empower Black and Brown trans folks with what they need to be brave, to carve their own spaces in a world where their safety is systemically compromised.
BSA’s existing foothold in the community and mutual aid network made it possible to pivot and expand programming during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted Black and Latinx communities in Chicago. The organization launched the Trans Relief Fund, which mobilized to assist trans individuals with getting microgrants, food, and other essentials within days. By Skora’s count, BSA distributed over $120,000 before becoming completely overwhelmed with requests. The Crisis Pantry had similar success, servicing 3,000 individuals in its first two months.
