February is Black History Month. A time to learn, to celebrate and to grow.
This year we are focusing on the intersectionality of race and disability, which are often seen as two separate classes of oppression. They do, however, intersect. We see this in our own practice. Having a disability ultimately means barriers. Barriers to education, to information, to inclusion. Having a disability and identifying as part of the Black or other racialized community means additional barriers and complexities to navigate. Particularly when it comes to accessing care, justice, or supports.
As a social justice law firm, our commitment is two-pronged. First, we are committed to ensuring that our staff have the tools and agency to call out anti-Black and other racially motivated discrimination they may experience. Second, we want to provide our clients with information that appropriately supports your diverse needs. We want to provide inclusive advice, free of racially motivated biases.
To help, we have compiled some resources that offer insights on understanding the connections between racism and ableism, we thought we’d share them with you:
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- An Introduction to Anti-Black Sanism Journal: Global Journal of Social Work Analysis, Research, Polity, and Practice (2016) Vol. 5 No. 3 by: Sonia Meerai, Idil Abdillahi, and Jennifer Poole
- Racialized Communities, Producing Madness and Dangerousness Journal: Global Journal of Social Work Analysis, Research, Polity and Practice (2016) by Frank Keating
- Racial Justice and Disability Justice: The Complex Journey – by Stanfort J. Perry and Nicole Zerillo for Non-Profit Quarterly
- Racism and Ableism – Article by Isabella Kres-Nash, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
- Intersections Between Racism and Ableism – a list of resources by Disability & Philanthropy Forum
- Intersectionality – Book by Patricia Hills Collins and Sirma Bilge
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PooranLaw has been intentionally building its EDI foundation, and we fully plan on growing our efforts in 2023.
Happy reading!
