In her newest book, Black Disability Politics, Dr. Sami Schalk, Associate Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison discusses the parallels between racial activism and advocacy for those with disabilities. The book partners the archives of the Black Panther Party and the National Black Women’s Project with interviews of present day Black disabled cultural workers.

“I define disability politics generally as engagement with disability as a social and political issue rather than as simply an individual and medical concern.” said Dr. Schalk. ” Black disability politics specifically then are anti-ableist arguments and actions performed by Black cultural workers which address disability socially and politically within the contexts of anti-Black racism. Black disability politics are often performed in solidarity with disabled people collectively, but Black disability political work does not necessarily center traditional disability rights language and approaches, such as disability pride or civil rights inclusion.” More on this story here.