Celebrating the Work of Black Disabled Activists

Black History Month brings some familiar names. Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, Sojournor Truth, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, James Baldwin and Nelson Mandela are all well known for their contributions to the struggle for racial justice. They are just a few of numerous civil rights leaders worth knowing.

Some of those leaders are working for inclusion through the intersection of race and disability. I’d like to give you an introduction to three with the hope you’ll explore more.

People with disabilities face extraordinary barriers to employment, housing, health care, transportation, access to private enterprise and a safe and supported living environment. Disabled Black people are even more likely than their white peers to live in poverty, lack access to their basic needs and face violence. The need for disabled Black voices to be amplified could not be more acute.

In the 1970s, disability rights groups actively campaigned and protested to improve access to public services and provide vocational support and training to people with disabilities. Instrumental in that fight was Brad Lomax, a disabled activist and member of the Black Panther party. Lomax’s connections and leadership prompted the Black Panthers to help with the protests that led to the implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Millions of people have benefited from Section 504, which prohibits discrimination based on disability in any program that receives federal money. This includes many educational, health care, mental health and long-term care settings.

Another important figure in Black disabled activism is Lois Curtis. Curtis grew up in institutions because her mother was told that was the best place for “a child like Lois.” But as she became a young adult, Curtis aspired for more. Her state did not offer sufficient community supports for her to succeed outside the institution. Because of her vision and persistence, Curtis’ lawsuit against the state of Georgia went all the way to the Supreme Court. That 1999 Olmstead v L.C. Supreme Court decision established the right for people with disabilities to choose where they live and receive individualized supports to be fully integrated members of our society.

Thanks to Curtis’ advocacy, today, more than 4 million Americans with disabilities receive community supports created to be alternatives to institutional care.

A contemporary Black disabled activist is Keri Gray. Gray is passionate about her work as an advocate for greater inclusion through the lens of intersectionality, which is the concept that there is an interconnection of the different aspects of our social identities. This intersectionality can create layers of discrimination and oppression.

Gray has helped thousands of Black and disabled people secure competitive employment and professional positions, identify transferable skills, build an influential network, and gain notable opportunities. Her use of social media and modern strategies for connection and advocacy demonstrate how activism manifests in the 21st century.

These are only three of countless people making a huge difference our world. Visit https://bit.ly/3oFFaYY for 29 days of inspiring stories of Black disability activists. (Spoiler alert: Day One is Harriet Tubman!) #DisabilityRightsinBlack