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Demanding Solidarity
A Black Woman's Critique of the Disability Rights Movement
1 of 1 copy available
For over twenty years, Dara Baldwin has often been the only person of color in the room when significant disability policy decisions are made. Disenfranchisement of people of color and multi-marginalized communities within the disability rights community is not new and has left many inside the community feeling frustrated and erased.
In To Be a Problem, Baldwin candidly shares her journey to becoming a disability activist and policymaker in DC while critiquing the disability rights community. She reveals the reality of erasure for many Black people and people of color in the disability movement and argues that, in turn, many white disabled people center themselves within the work without addressing their own white privilege.
Disability rights groups have been centering white, straight, cisgender people while racial justice groups often fail to center disabled people, leading many Black and Brown disabled people to start their own Disability Justice organizations. Drawing from her unique vantage point, Baldwin calls readers to understand the shortcomings of the disability rights movement while inspiring us to push all movements towards a more inclusive and authentic liberation.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
July 9, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780807013984
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780807013984
- File size: 819 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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June 1, 2024
Baldwin, the Director of National Policy for the Center for Disability Rights, is an outspoken advocate who makes what civil rights activist and politician John Lewis called "good trouble." Discussions around disabilities often leave out factors of race and gender, which Baldwin actively pushes back against. She begins by providing helpful definitions to remind readers not only of the meaning of terms like ""misogynoir"" and ""erasure"" and encourages readers to engage with them more meaningfully. More than a biography, Baldwin's book calls on readers to put themselves in her shoes and imagine a different perspective. In particular, she breaks down things like the regulatory process, frustrations of dealing with lawmakers, and other behind-the-scenes work in advocating for better rights and living conditions for people with disabilities. She also discusses how the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) has evolved since its inception in 1990. Overall, To Be a Problem is an essential guide to how race and gender intersect with disabilities. Readers who admire the works of bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, and Alice Wong will appreciate the issues that Baldwin unravels here.COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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July 12, 2024
In this new work (BISAC'ed as Biography & Autobiography / Social Activists, but perhaps more accurately described as a call to action), activist and scholar Baldwin critiques the disability rights movement. She describes being labeled a troublemaker in disability rights circles and demonstrates that she's not afraid to point out the racism, disability policy inequities, and other injustices she's experienced. She argues that disability rights organizations mostly center the needs and experiences of white people and do not effectively address the needs of people of color. This situation is perpetuated, she attests, by people whom she believes have a strong interest in preserving the status quo. She asserts that includes some of the nondisabled, upper-middle-class white women in leadership positions within disability rights organizations. Her book holds funders--some reluctant to allocate funds to key areas--accountable too. This book includes definitions of key concepts as well as legislative and policymaking primers. Baldwin offers recommendations to address inequities, which include reworking the current structure so that disabled people of color who have lived experiences and will be directly impacted are included in the policy decision-making process. VERDICT A frank critique of the disability rights movement. Recommended for readers interested in activism and social justice.--Rebekah Kati
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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