Say Her Name: The Rewriting Of Terra Swann’s Obituary

On a somber Friday morning, I sadly learned of the passing of a creative force in my local arts and culture community. Again, another moment I discover someone’s passing while mindlessly scrolling on social media. A constant occurrence in the last 7 years that I refuse to ever acknowledge as usual. Frequent, yes, but I will never accept that as acceptable. We all deserve more kinship and consideration than that.

Upon further asking and searching, I discovered the obituary of their passing across various sites and repostings that could only misgender and dead-name her in what should have been a celebration and documentation of the fullness of her life. It’s incredibly heartbreaking to live in this world. Where is the honor and integrity? Even in death, her legacy was still intentionally disrespected and not protected.

In All About Love: New Visions bell hooks writes the following: “When we understand love as the will to nurture our own and another's spiritual growth, it becomes clear that we cannot claim to love if we are hurtful and abusive. Love and abusive cannot coexist. Abuse and neglect are, by definition, the opposites of nurturance and care.... An overwhelming majority of us come from dysfunctional families in which we were taught that we were not okay, where we were shamed, verbally and/or physically abused, and emotionally neglected even as we were also taught to believe that we were loved. For most folks it is just too threatening to embrace a definition of love that would no longer enable us to see love as present in our families. Too many of us need to cling to a notion of love that either makes abuse acceptable or at least makes it seem that whatever happened was not that bad.”

Love, reverence, witnessing, and celebration do not exist in places and spaces that do not and refuse to acknowledge the very most basic parts of that person’s existence and identity. Within the culture of death and dying across much of the diaspora, Obituaries are sacred records we rely on to connect us back to the ancestors who laid the paths we walk on this side of the veil. A declaration of presence and personhood, acknowledging the parts of us that our loved ones cherished and valued the most. To use such a sacred space for erasure and misinformation is disappointing at best, and violence against all transgender people in the world we stand in today.

Who is this woman? Her name is Terra Swann, and I am so unbelievably sad to write that she is no longer with us on this side of the veil. Though Terra became our beloved ancestor on August 7th, 2025, she arrived with us on April 21st, 1983. Yes, a true Taurus queen through and through. In addition to being a creative force within her own practice, Terra was also a constant presence and support for other artists working in Baltimore City. I can’t remember a single town hall, community feedback meeting, or arts advocacy event over the last 7 years that I didn't see her show up for. And when she showed up, she made a point of greeting all her friends, colleagues, and peers with a warm hello, an elegant wave, or a comforting hug.

As a mixed-media artist, Terra utilized fiber and textiles as a primary medium that expanded into different areas of 2-D design, Sculpture, and Fabrication, forming a unique and diverse collection of works across her interdisciplinary art practice. Terra studied Fashion Design and Tailoring at Baltimore City Community College and, under the artist identity “SWANN” hosted and produced many fashion and fine art-focused exhibitions like “Haute HONS: A Fashion Illustration Exhibition” at 410 Lofts Gallery and “Wild Side: A Fashion Jungle” at MAXGallery under “House Of Swann”. Terra has also exhibited work in group exhibitions at Baltimore City Hall and Gallery CA.

At the time of Terra’s passing she was working as an assistant in the Sewing and Design department at Baltimore City Community College. Outside the sewing studio, Terra frequently attended ballroom events, enjoyed expressing herself through voguing, and spent quality time with friends and loved ones, enjoying live music or excellent food. Terra always left the house in an outfit that let you know she was the fashion girlie in every room, and her creative spirit and bright personality are embedded in the hearts of her friends and loved ones, as well as the rich history of arts and culture in Baltimore City.

She was preceded in death by her father, Eddie Branch; Maternal grandparents, Gertie M. Swann & Rudolph B. Price; grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Pauline & Charles Wright; uncles, Reginald Price & Eric Swann; aunts, Deborah Swann and Theresa Watts.

She is survived by her mother, Myra Swann (Ahmad); aunts, Donna Swann, Patricia Brown & Josephine (Shinka) Branch, and a host of cousins and other relatives.

Our ancestor, Terra Swann, leaves behind a rich legacy in the hearts and minds of her queer and trans community, who love her and will honor her name and creative contributions in passing, as we did when she was alive.