29 Search results for "disability justice"

The Onus of Belonging: On Disability, Disney Princesses, and Finding My Tribe
By: Sarah Jama There comes a time in any healthy, developing friendship when a shift from acquaintance, to friend, to close friend—and if luck is at hand—to sibling or family occurs. The concluding shift, in my opinion, can only occur once one is made to feel thoroughly seen, thoroughly visible— flaws and all—by the counterpart […]
Justice Department Says People Can’t Be Jailed Because They Can’t Afford Bail
The criminal justice system has several holes in its processes that have existed for generations. That’s no surprise. But, thanks to President Obama’s latest efforts to reform some of the most flawed and common legal practices, a new trend is developing. The Justice Department recently filed a brief claiming that it’s unconstitutional to jail people simply […]
How Digital Media Aids—And Complicates—The Struggle for Justice
Black organizers are still mobilizing against police brutality, divestment from communities and other facets of institutionalized racism. And while digital media is hailed as their key tool in fostering connectivity and documenting information in real time, the use of media sites like Twitter and Facebook has presented its own challenges regarding issues of surveillance and […]
The siblings of disabled youth are committed to building more accessible worlds
by C. Imani Williams Findings from The National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs reports 1 in 5 children between the ages of 12-17 have special needs. For Black children, however, that number increases as they are more likely to be identified as persons with disabilities. On top of this stark disparity, Black […]
Black people self harm, too
With so few studies exploring self injury and race, I imagine there is actually a dearth of information on the subject and that Black people under report.
Black liberation requires making room for uncomfortable manifestations of mental illness
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and National Masturbation Month. This is also the month that we celebrate Mother’s Day. At BYP, we will be exploring these topics alongside the theme of Imagination and the Arts, and we are interested in publishing works that address these topics and the things surrounding them. We want to […]
Chills down my spinal degeneration: Why we need Black queer disabled kink
Editor’s Note: March is National Disabilities Month and our themes at Black Youth Project are Ableism & Physical and Mental Health. We are interested in publishing works that address these topics and the things surrounding them. We want to hear from you! Send us your pitches at info@blackyouthproject.com By Jade Perry After our shower, she […]
What do we need for a new freedom?: A proudly fat, disabled, bisexual enby’s vision for #Juneteenth
By Denarii Grace Some days I wonder if the work that I do is worth it. On the surface, Black artists/cultural workers, healers, teachers and activists who live most on the margins have the least to gain in their lines of work. And in a society based on the allure of social and financial capital, […]
T-Boz announces lawsuit against Peoria Police Department for death of her cousin
“The police aren’t equipped to deal with mentally ill patients,” Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins said. She told TMZ that police shot and killed her cousin last week. Watkins also announced that her family would file suit against Peoria Police Department for her cousin Eddie Russell Jr.’s death. Russell, Watkins said, was mentally ill.
We can’t ignore Marrianne Williamson’s fatphobia and ableism just because she supports reparations for slavery
Marianne Williamson makes me physically ill, and seeing people support her compounds my nausea. The Democratic candidate made waves last week when she delivered an impressive answer about reparations to Don Lemon post-debate: “[T]here were 250 years of slavery followed by another 100 years of domestic terrorism… given that there were 4 to 5 million […]
We are no good to the dead, and yet we believe the grieving owe us their tears
In my family, we have a tradition of cooking and sitting with the grieving, especially when they have no words. Especially when the tears have been ripped out and the well to produce more has disappeared. We honor the lives of the folks who’ve been lost, beaten, and violently shredded from this world by sitting […]
Our calls to action against anti-Black state violence cannot be ableist
by Tahirah Alexander Green Since the global COVID-19 health crisis began, my post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have intensified. With non-stop discussions of hospitals and medical care in the news, in our homes, at our jobs, my memory keeps reaching back towards every violent hospitalization I’ve ever experienced or witnessed. While my chronic illnesses are […]