Race & Disability
Disability Justice Must Include All Marginalized Identities
When Rooted in Rights first accepted me for their inaugural Rooted in Writing Fellowship program last year, my reaction was one of pure disbelief. For all that I have struggled in my post-grad life to make writing a full-time career, …
The Disability Intersectionality Summit: A Gathering for Justice
On a damp and chilly Saturday in mid-October, I rolled out of bed several hours earlier than I usually would have in order to attend the biannual Disability Intersectionality Summit in nearby Cambridge, Mass on the MIT campus. Groggy but …
It’s Time for LGBQTIA+ Communities to Celebrate Disabled People
LGBQTIA+ spaces are supposed to be environments where we can be our true, authentic selves without stress. Where we can revel in being surrounded by our people, feeling safe and at home; places of queer joy, shared rage and frustration,…
Celebrating the Disability Community’s 2017 Wins
Disabled people have accomplished some really kickass things in 2017 that we should recognize. It’s not easy existing as a disabled person in an ableist world (and even tougher if you’re multiply marginalized), but I believe in celebrating our successes, …
Activist Spotlight: Keah Brown, Writer and Creator of #DisabledAndCute
When she started the hashtag #DisabledAndCute, Keah Brown wasn’t thinking she’d start a movement. She woke up one day, and as she says, “I looked in the mirror and said something kind about myself.” She decided that she’d make …
Reflecting on the Impact of #DisabilityTooWhite
It’s been just over a year since activist and Rooted in Rights’ new Digital Manager, Vilissa Thompson, created #DisabilityTooWhite (the hashtag turned a year old on May 18), and started meaningful conversations about race and intersectionality in the disability community.…
My Journey with Disability Language and Identity
Are we “handicapped” or “disabled,” “disabled people” or “people with disabilities,” “differently abled” or “special needs?” The debate over disability language is exhausting and exasperating. But I come back to it because the ever-changing ways we talk and think about…