Black History Month is a time to honor the rich cultural heritage, significant contributions, and enduring resilience of Black and Black disabled communities. This month remains crucial as it fosters a deeper understanding of the struggles and triumphs of Black people throughout our history—and reminds us that Black history is American history.
Relay Resources celebrates the many influential Black leaders throughout history who also had disabilities. Their stories are crucial to recognizing Black disabled history as a vital aspect of our collective narrative. This includes Black disabled leaders such as Imani Barbarin, disability advocate & founder of Crutches & Spice, who will be joining us as a featured speaker at our DisabilityNEXT Summit coming up in April in Portland. This also includes leaders like Fannie Lou Hamer, Brad Lomax, Joyce Jackson, Audre Lorde, Lois Curtis, Johnnie Lacy, and many more who championed civil rights and fought hard against ableism and racism.
Celebrate Black History Month by supporting, purchasing from, volunteering at, and sharing your skills and resources with Black-owned businesses/organizations. Check out some great organizations helping to advance the Black disabled experience this month and all year.
Events:
Where: 433 NW 4th Ave., Portland
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through February
Where: Various locations around Portland
When: Feb. 1 through Mar. 3, 2025
For more celebrations and events, check out Black History Month in Portland | The Official Guide to Portland.
Resources:
Black Disability | National Black Disability Coalition
Black & Beyond the Binary Collective
A Short List of Black Disabled Leaders:
Talila “TL” Lewis is a black, queer, and neuroqueer community attorney and organizer—and the leader of several impactful organizations. One of them is HEARD, a cross-disability abolitionist organization that unites across identities.
Andraéa LaVant is the founder of LaVant Consulting, a social impact firm working to improve and accelerate disability initiatives with major companies around the world. Her firm was recently one of the official accessibility partners of the Grammy Awards, where they provided production crew consultations.
Neal Carter, founder of The Black Consultant Group and principal of Nu View Consulting, is a political consultant and champion of progressive policies
Celebrating disabled Black history reminds us of the ongoing fight for equality and justice while honoring the diverse and vibrant culture that has profoundly shaped our society. By reflecting on the past and honoring the present, we can inspire future generations to continue the pursuit of a more inclusive and equitable world. Because all disabled people belong. Everywhere.
Relay Resources offers employment and business solutions for and with people with disabilities. Learn more about what Relay Resources does here, along with how you can support inclusive workplaces or find employment.