An artist and anti-prison activist, McDonald was sentenced to 41 months in prison for manslaughter after defending herself against a racist and transphobic attack in Minneapolis in 2011. While imprisoned, she began speaking out against the criminal justice system and its inhumane treatment of prisoners, and has since become a transgender leader fighting to end the prison system and build community support for trans women of color. Her case was the subject of the 2016 documentary Free CeCe, produced by Laverne Cox.