Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability - disability justice https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/tags/disability-justice en We Received An Important New Grant! https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/we-received-important-new-grant <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We are incredibly excited to share that we received a generous award from the Ford Foundation for core support for the Longmore Institute!</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thanks to this new funding, <strong>we will have the flexibility to continue and expand online programming that became popular during the COVID pandemic,</strong> such as Superfest Disability Film Festival, our Disability Justice panel series, and the annual Longmore Lecture in Disability Studies. All events offer spaces for disabled people to recover collectively from wider discrimination by providing opportunities to learn and to connect. At each one’s core, participants discover innovative forms of access and hard-hitting content that come from foregrounding disability expertise. Together, they help fulfill the Longmore Institute's vision to create a society where everyone believes the world is better because of disabled people.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Our biggest new initiative</strong>, "The 5A Club," is a partnership with our new Longmore Senior Fellow <a href="https://longmoreinstitute.sfsu.edu/people/staff/josephine-shokrian" style="text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(51, 0, 51); font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">artist and SFSU alum JS Shokrian</a></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> to expand her interactive workshop model and toolkit to promote disability justice discourse within, and ultimately beyond, the disability community. By fleshing out the 5A's of Access, Anti-Incarceration, Anti-Oppression, Accountability and Abundance, the initiative will create a publicly available toolkit of curriculum, handouts, and resources that allow other groups to use the 5A's rubric for teaching and facilitation. We will begin this project with a cohort of those most impacted by the 5A's, and then extend to a five-part summer 2022 series of public programs sharing the model while educating about the 5A's. Throughout, we will create opportunities for San Francisco State University students with disabilities to learn about the 5A's while gaining professional development as they work to support this project.</span></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/paul-k-longmore-institute-disability">Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/longmore-student-fellows">Longmore Student Fellows</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/disability-justice">disability justice</a></div></div></div> Tue, 01 Jun 2021 21:09:17 +0000 Nathan Burns 1696 at https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/we-received-important-new-grant#comments Superfest Panel: God Given Talent, Blackness, and Disability Identity in Media https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/superfest-panel-god-given-talent-blackness-and-disability-identity-media <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><h2 class="p1"> Panel Transcript</h2> <h3 class="p2"> October 16, 2020<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></h3> <h4 class="p2"> Disability, Blackness, and Representation: A Conversation with Black Disabled People in Filmmaking</h4> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thanks so much for having me.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hello.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Good evening to everyone.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So thrilled to be a part of this conversation this evening talking about Disability Blackness and Representation:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>A Conversation With Insiders that I think is certainly important to me.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I'm really excited to be able to do this with such a powerful group of Black disabled performers and filmmakers. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So before we begin the Q&amp;A portion or the panel portion of this discussion, please do ‑‑ we will hopefully have some time for questions later.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So if you have those, please feel free to use the Q&amp;A box.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I would like to have our panelists come and introduce themselves and provide an audio description. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So if we can, can we start with Rodney. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Rodney Evans:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hello.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I am Rodney Evans.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I am an African American male and I'm wearing a black shirt with a blue T‑shirt underneath.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Sitting in my kitchen with Film Forum New York City poster in the background in the hopes that they will be reopening soon for in‑person screenings. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I'm in front of a white wall and a black hallway.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I have hair that is shaved on the sides with little twists on the top.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I am the writer, director, producer of the recent documentary Vision Portraits which chronicles the experiences of blind and low‑vision artists including myself as the film's director. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thanks, Rodney.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So thrilled you are here.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Forgive me for not providing my own audio description.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I am in my home office/living room with a teal couch behind me and some pictures.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I am wearing a black and white patterned dress, a purple beaded necklace, purple lipstick, turquoise and purple and black cat‑eyed glasses, and I have shoulder length curly black hair.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So, thank you. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Now I would love to bring in Thomas.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>If you wouldn't mind to provide your introduction and audio description. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Thomas Reid:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hello everybody.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Can you hear me okay?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Thomas Reid:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Good.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>My name is Thomas Reid.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I am the host and producer of Reid My Mind radio podcast featuring compelling people impacted by all degrees of blindness and disability.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Occasionally I share my own story as a man becoming blind adjusting as an adult.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I do voiceover work as well, which includes narrating audio description.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I've done several independent projects as well as have things on Netflix.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm currently seated in my home office/den/workout room.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's one of those slash rooms. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">In the Poconos in northeast Pennsylvania which is probably 90 minutes outside of New York City, the place I still call home. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I am an African American male with brown skin, freshly shaven bald head with shades on and a goatee.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I have what I believe is a tan shirt, which I'm told highlights my undertones by my daughter, and I don't even know what that means.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's who I am. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I love it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I know exactly what that means.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We're thrilled that you're here.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Let's have Diana. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Diana Elizabeth Jordan:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hello, everyone. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Can you hear me? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Diana Elizabeth Jordan:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Okay.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hi, everyone.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm Diana Elizabeth Jordan.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I am an African American woman.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I have brown skin, red lipstick, short curly woo woo hair that's kind of all over the place.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Woo woo hair. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I'm wearing a black floral dress.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Big flowers on it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I am an actor in theater and filmmaker, solo artist, and a disability including artist.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Artist educator.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I like to do a lot of things.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I am based in Los Angeles.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>My film Stand Up, directed by Kitty Hu and Dasha ‑‑ I don't want to mess up the last name.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Costarring with Tatiana Lee in that movie at Superfest I believe on Sunday.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm very happy to be here with these distinguished artists. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you, Diana.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And now I would love to bring Charles Blackwell in whose film just ‑‑ we just had the pleasure of witnessing or seeing.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Charles, would you provide more of an introduction and an image description for us, please. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Charles Blackwell:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Okay.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm Charles Curtis Blackwell.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I got two lives.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>As a visual artist I'm Charles Blackwell.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>As a writer I'm Charles Curtis Blackwell.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There's another Charles Blackwell that's a writer.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm sitting here right now with my co‑worker and friend Jimmy Evans.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We work at Youth Spirit Artworks in Berkeley.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He's a visual artist and has a baseball cap on.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Chocolate brown.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He's a good brother.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And me, I'm African American.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What kind of?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Am I tan?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I have to ask him.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm partly blind.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I got a tan color.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I got this shirt from a vendor.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I think it's like an African design.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's the triangles going down.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What color is it?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Red? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Jimmy Evans:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Green, gray, and black. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Charles Blackwell:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Green, gray, black, and white.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Let's see.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I said I'm tan.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I still got a little hair on my head.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's gray or white? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Jimmy Evans:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>White. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Charles Blackwell:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I have to ask.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So I'm ‑‑ I write in terms of poetry, short stories, theater plays, and trying to get the novel put together right now. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And lyrics.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I'm a visual artist doing abstracts.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Pieces on musicians like jazz and movement.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Create movement and color and design.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And also I've been doing dances.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The same thing, trying to capture movement. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And one of my favorite pieces I did some pieces on Rahsaan Roland Kirk.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He was a totally blind horn player out of Newark, New Jersey.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Originally from Columbus, Ohio.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He resided in Newark, New Jersey at one time.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I think that covers it. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you so much.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So I actually would love for you to stay on, on video, because I'd like to begin our discussion since we just, your film was just shown.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>God Given Talent.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Charles, I was wondering if you could share, your film shows ‑‑ let's make sure our interpreters are here with us.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Your film shows an effort to create a space for Black disabled identities as the discrimination that you faced can't be reduced to just race or to just disability.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So I'd love for you to speak about the impact that sharing your story through the film had on you personally and also how you think that it's been received so far. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Charles Blackwell:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Wow.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's a lot.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I like the way you put that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You know, I think I've learned to ‑‑ what can I do to be an inspiration and an encouragement?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I did a research report one time.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It was the Sacramento County low‑income/disabled in Sacramento, California.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You know, me with my disability and I was meeting other people with disabilities and the low‑income.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And it's kind of sad because the struggle and, you know, being cut out, left out, forced out.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And it's there.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And having a disability makes it even worse. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And so, you know, finding myself interviewing people and sometimes even trying to help them and I know it's kind of crazy, but me being disabled trying to help somebody.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yeah, it is real, and probably some of you all have done the same thing. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So I guess I try to put to work Martin Luther King.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He didn't want to be remembered as someone that received the Nobel Prize.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What did I do to help somebody? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">It's kind of like in a sense it's like putting a philosophy to work.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>If you remember Vietnam, the Vietnamese didn't win the war based on military might.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They had a philosophy.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That philosophy, I don't know the name of it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I've heard it before.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It said if it took us one year, two years, ten years, 20 years they did not want to be ruled by someone.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They were determined based on that philosophy.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>In the end it was the philosophy that they continued on and they beat the big military might. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And so, I take this thing of taking the arts, trying to be an inspiration and encouragement because the fact of the matter is, African American people are beat down.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And covered in the film I was working in the prisons.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>When I admitted to the inmates I was at Soledad Prison. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">You know, I've suffered from poor self‑esteem.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Immediately somebody said, yeah, that's what got me in prison.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I wasn't going to go in college but Vietnam was going on.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Man, Vietnam got me in trouble.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>People made me feel like they had a Ph.D. I was taking the setbacks, the bad breaks, the things that happened to me and I'm using all this stuff in a classroom at Soledad Prison.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>These people made me feel like I had a Ph.D. when I left.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I felt like I had given something from inside of me. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I hope I'm answering what you're saying. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>This is great.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>This is great.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I want ‑‑ I'd love to bring in some others for us to see, I think even adding to the story and to hear more from you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Let's do that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>This is amazing.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Your story is so powerful. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So, I'm going to bring in, let's see here.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>This is kind of a free‑for‑all question.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So I would love to start with anyone who is ready.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I would just really like for you to kind of discuss the dualities.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We just mentioned it with Charles and just talking about the dualities that you face as storytellers living at the intersection of Blackness and disability. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And I'd really love to hear your thoughts around how disability is or is not represented within Black film making and storytelling. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So perhaps Diana, would you be open to sharing here? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Diana Elizabeth Jordan:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Um, I always like to say this is a billion dollar question because there is so much to unpack about the intersection of those identities.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>But I think what I'll do is I'll make it very, very personal.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The question is that I can't deny ‑‑ it's part of my identity both.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I can't want to deny either one of those identities.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I've had cerebral palsy all my life.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I don't know any other identity but having a disability and being Black.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I came into the world Black.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's always been my identity.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>But what I've found is the barriers I've faced being in this career no matter what.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Either ‑‑ I'm usually ‑‑ no matter what marginalized group I'm a part of, I still feel marginalized.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>For example, maybe if I'm in a group of other disabled artists I might be one of the only African American ones.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I feel that sense of being one of the only ‑‑ or woman, woman of a certain age.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Even in the African American community and films I still have a disability.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So I experience these marginalizations within communities that are still marginalized.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We're not visible for the most part on film.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I've made a decision to say who do I want to be as an artist?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What stories do I want to tell as an artist?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I want to be part of the humanity of storytelling as an artist.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Therefore it's important to me, no matter what story is being told, that there are diverse images and culturally diverse images of disability.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We are the largest minority and we're the most diverse minority.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Not just someone who uses a wheelchair.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There's diversity on this panel.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>If we're truly going to use storytelling to tell our stories, there needs to be diversity within that storytelling, and hopefully as artists we are continuing to chip away the barriers.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We've come a long way, but we have a long way to go.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The majority of them have been Caucasians.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm very happy for my friends.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We still have a million barriers to break within Hollywood and within the Black Hollywood community, too.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I think that's what I'll say for now. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Good.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I realized I was doing my church head nod. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Diana Elizabeth Jordan:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>High five. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes, honey.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I hear.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You hit it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm not even going to say any more.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You hit it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Anyone else?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Rodney?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thomas?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Charles, your thoughts as it relates to that intersection.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Rodney.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I see you. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Rodney Evans:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yeah.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I can talk a little bit about that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yeah.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I would say similar things in that, you know, I'm Black.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm openly gay.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm partially blind.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And all of those are different aspects of my identity.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I feel like when I walk into the room I want to bring all of me into the room.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And all of those are aspects of my identity that are going to be reflected in my storytelling, you know, and some of it is going to, you know, maybe draw on, you know, one aspect of my identity more than the other.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>But I think directly speaking to that intersection, I think the film that I just finished, Vision Portraits, you know, was really me kind of coming out publicly within the industry as a low‑vision director. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And, um, and, you know, that was something I really grappled with and I thought it was important to actually see me grappling with it in the film. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I do think there is still stigmas attached to doing that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>As a director you hear the words "low‑vision" and, you know, that is going to put me into ‑‑ I think Hollywood loves to pigeonhole people.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's going to put me in a box of maybe not so competent.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Maybe not the most visual director.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What can he see?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What can't he see?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Even I've been doing it with this diagnosis for the past 23 years and building this body of work, those are still obstacles I'm going to come up against. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So, you know, I do feel like, you know, given the fact it's one in five people in the U.S. that has a disability, I do feel ‑‑ and I know people e‑mailed me after the film came out.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They were really saying thank you for doing this. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Telling me that they were, you know, had vision in one eye.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Never had vision in another eye or were always scared their entire life that someone would find out and they would lose their livelihood because they were a graphic designer or they were a filmmaker and it was this burden that they carried around for decades. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">You know what I mean?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And so for me the film was really a way of stepping into the fear of publicly acknowledging that disability and not being afraid of it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And really incorporating it as part of my identity and looking at the ways that other artists who are either blind or low‑vision incorporate that into their art and how that changes their art whether they are a photographer.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You know, there's an African American dancer in the film who speaks about some of the challenges she faces.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There's a writer in the film.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I got to do a lot of exploration in this documentary. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So yeah.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I don't want to have to hide certain aspects of myself.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I want to fully come in as the multifaceted Rodney, as Black and as gay and as disabled as I am. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I hear that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And it's so interesting because that even what you were sharing about kind of people sharing afterwards, you know, how it impacted them and I hear that in film spaces.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I hear that in corporate spaces.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>When one person comes out of sorts with regard to disability and then more folks coming forward. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So that's super powerful especially as storytellers.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And yet also I'm sure we look forward to the day when there's ‑‑ it doesn't take that, too. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Rodney Evans:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And not have to prove ourselves to move forward.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you so much. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Rodney Evans:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No problem. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Let's move on.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thomas, I'd like to bring you in.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I know that as an advocate for access in cinema, how do you think good audio description needs to be?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Can you share a little bit about it not being just about disability, but also understanding Black identity. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Thomas Reid:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yeah.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So let me break that down into some of the components of what I think is good audio description and talk about it in that sense. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Good audio description or AD has several components.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's about being respectful, meaning you don't try to explain the plot because blind people can figure out the plot by themselves.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You don't over describe the movie.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>For example, when a phone is ringing, there's no need to tell me a phone is ringing.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I heard the phone.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So you don't censor those things you find offensive.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Because if it's on the screen and if it's in the story, we should know about it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Good AD means good audio.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I shouldn't have to ride the volume control up and down to hear the audio describer and then higher or lower to hear the actual film. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">You take the time to make that audio right.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Good audio description doesn't step on dialogue.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>At its core, good audio description is about providing access to the visuals.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Those who see ‑‑</p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Sorry, one second.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We are going to switch interpreters. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Thomas Reid:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>If I'm talking too fast. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No worries. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Thomas Reid:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You let me know when. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We're ready now. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Thomas Reid:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Okay.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yeah.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>At its core it's about providing access to the visuals.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Those who see the film learn certain information about a character that can be their color, sometimes ethnicity, or race.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Other indicative information about the person, it can be relevant to how they interpret that film. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Blind viewers also should have access to that information.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right now the so called rule that's in effect is that race or color is only given when it's important to the plot. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And people like me, we like to say this is America and race is always important.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's usually in the plot. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">There are other situations, too, where it's important.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>For example, how about a blind child who should know that there are people on their screen who look like her.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Or just as important, there are people on her screen that don't look like you and in different roles, playing different roles. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">They should know whether or not a film is or lacking in diversity.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And then it's up to the consumer, the viewer to do whatever they do with that information the same way a sighted person can see it, know it and they interpret it the way they interpret it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So, unfortunately the rules were literally written by a white man who has the benefit of thinking that race only matters sometimes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That sounds a little provocative, but it is the truth.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Unfortunately the intent may not be malicious.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I think the intent is similar to the idea of being color blind when it comes to race, that approach.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We all know how that worked out. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Bad audio description in that same vein assumes that white is the default and bad audio description can literally erase people of color from a movie.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We don't know they are there. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And, you know, that's problematic to me.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Good audio description is sensitive to language, pays attention to people and places, and is culturally competent.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Good AD won't draw you away from the film.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>This can include the voice of the person who is narrating.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I like to talk about Black Panther because it is such a great example of that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We know that Black Panther was more than a movie.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It was a cultural moment. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And it was all about beautiful Blackness on screen, and not just in terms of the visuals and the people, but in terms of the representation. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I like to say it was all Black everything.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You know what I'm talking about. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">For blind consumers it was not that. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Because the voice of the AD narrator was literally that of a colonizer, meaning it was a British white man who is probably a very nice person, but why was he narrating?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It took me, literally it's not supposed to disrupt you from the film.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It took me out of Wakanda and put me into Wa‑can‑da.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's literally how he said it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Good AD takes all this into consideration and allows the blind consumer to have a experience that's as close to a sighted viewer as possible.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Good audio description, I like to say, is about inclusion. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And on that note, and just real quickly, and this in no way represents ‑‑ this is my opinion and it doesn't represent Mr. Blackwell, who was the subject of the film or Superfest for that matter.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>For me, watching a film that has the subject matter of a Black man who is blind, and there's poor or very limited audio description, to me it feels, and this is my opinion, it just feels a little exploitive. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">To me, getting the opportunity to talk to Mr. Blackwell and as you heard, encouragement is such an important thing to him and his story is such an awesome story for people who are adjusting to blindness.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yet a person adjusting to blindness will not get the full story because of the audio description.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's one example.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm not coming down on that movie.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What I'm saying, in general, when there's a movie, and the subject matter is a person who is blind, and this has happened before and the person ‑‑ or I'm sorry, the audio description is maybe not even existing, I think the message is that it's not for blind people.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yet the subject matter is about blind people.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That to me is a problem.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I know I've given passes in the past to people who have done that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>As my daughter says, it's 2020.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We have Google.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And to me, if you're writing a movie, if you are going to do a movie about a blind person, one of the first things you are going to do is how is a blind person going to access this film?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>If you make a decision to not do that, that's your decision. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I personally say no more passes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I don't think we should be giving out passes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I mean this about access in general.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No more passes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hopefully, Andraea, that answers your question. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>When I tell you I'm like, I'm speechless.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>First of all, your daughter and I want us to be friends, just let her know.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>All of that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No more passes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That is so huge.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>These are things, and I think what happens so much, and I've learned this most recently working as impact producer for Crip Camp, even as disabled folks, you know, we don't know everything about the experiences of our peers with disabilities that have different disabilities.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm a wheelchair user.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm sitting here like, oh my god.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Wakanda.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm grateful.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you so much for schooling us.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's not even sharing.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That was schooling us.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Rodney, as a follow up in a previous discussion that we had you shared about audio descriptions being an art form. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And can you share a bit more of your approach to this for your film? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Rodney Evans:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Sure. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">You know, I just want to say that I, you know, fully echo everything that Thomas just said.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And, you know, so my approach was coming from the blind and low‑vision community because when I would mention what film I was working on they were like you are not going to do one of those awful audio description tracks are you?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They are so bad.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You know, they have no emotion.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They are like monotonal.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>For all of the reasons that Thomas just said, you know, the word on the street was they were bad.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You know what I mean? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And so I want to, I'll say real briefly I went to a talk that a disability studies scholar who is blind named Georgina Kleege who teaches at UC Berkeley was giving about audio description and showing examples of that audio description.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I raised my hand.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Do you have anything to say to a filmmaker and any advice how to do audio description that doesn't suck?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>She basically was like be involved in the process.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's part of the film making process.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Don't let people take it away from you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You labor so hard on all of these other aspects of the film.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Like stay involved in the audio description.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Like make it a part of your creative process. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And so I took that advice. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And when I hired Erin Deward to do the audio description, she did a first pass on it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I will say that I'm a filmmaker that likes to have moments for a film to breathe.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So there were visual montages. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">There were places for her to do audio description where she wasn't stepping on interview bites or observational dialogue or things like that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So just creating the space for that audio description to happen was already something that was in the cut.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And so, but, you know, I was involved in the language she was using.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We discussed different words.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We passed the text back and forth.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Just really specific one word things like should it be orb?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Is that the shape of light that's coming up from the bottom of the screen?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I think of it as poetry in its ability to be really succinct but really detailed and give you that visual image through language. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And I was also there when Erin was recording so I could give her direction.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We were there and the sound editor was there.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We could drop it into the cut, see how it was playing. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">You know, try something different.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Try a new phrase<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>even as we were recording.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So it was still a creative process as we were doing it, as we were recording and testing it out and seeing if it worked. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So, yeah.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's my thing.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's just like be one of the filmmakers that stays involved in the captioning and in the audio description of your film.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Don't let that just get farmed out to some place where somebody else is going to take care of it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Then it will come back and it won't be satisfactory and you won't be able to do anything about it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So this way I had control of it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I had the say it could go out with the audio description to festivals the way that I wanted it to. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Love this.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you so much.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Oh my god. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Diana, I have a question for you, and then, Mr. Blackwell, there's some great questions in the Q&amp;A that I'd like to bring you into as well.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>First, Diana.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We talked a little bit about this when you were speaking just a bit ago, but I want to talk a little bit more about representation because we have seen reformation in other movements with regard to who portrays who.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And yet there's still so much misrepresentation in the media where non‑disabled actors are often playing disabled actors.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'd love for you to speak to this issue specifically as relates to representation or lack thereof of disabled people of color. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Diana Elizabeth Jordan:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Sure.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You know, again, you know, we have questions that could lead to a yearlong conversation which I know we don't have. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I'll break it down a little bit.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes, it has been a long accepted practice in Hollywood for non‑disabled actors to portray actors with ‑‑ to portray characters with disabilities.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Actors have won Oscars.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I did my research, blah, blah, blah.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Disability is a lived experience, not a trained skill.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>People don't ‑‑<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>When you said it the other day.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Oh yeah. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Diana Elizabeth Jordan:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You would never hear Russell Crowe play Martin Luther King.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I researched what it was like to be Black and I hang out in the Black neighborhoods and ate some soul food and I really feel like I can embody Martin Luther King now.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You know, we would be up in arms.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Most recently where actresses have said, oh I'm not going to play that role.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Halle Berry said I'm not going to play a transgender character.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I am not a transgendered woman. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">It's been accepted.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I think we as an audience need to voice our opinions about why it's not acceptable because Hollywood is a money thing.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We're not as a community saying this is not okay and continuing to say this is not okay.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I think we need, you know, we are doing that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I think the more we can continue to say that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I think, again, we hear, "it's acting."<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Of course it's acting.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Again, you wouldn't say that with the transgender community.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Again, that's not said to other communities. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">One of the things that needs to happen, and, you know, as we need to continue to bang at the door.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>But then I think we have to create our own work.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The whole Black community, Black Hollywood in the thirties and 40s.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's what Black Hollywood did.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>White Hollywood wouldn't let them in.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Continuing to bang and the door.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We need to create our own tables.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's what Rodney did.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's what people on this panel did.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We don't need to wait for someone, especially now.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There's so many platforms, so much.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We don't need to wait for someone to give us an opportunity.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We can create our own opportunities.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And that's easier said than done.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Is that a challenge?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>But if we're not going to be let in, then we just need to build another door and go in another way.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Right?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's the thing.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hey.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We can build.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There's enough talent in our community to build and create our own work.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We don't need to wait for somebody, especially now, to give us an opportunity.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It is nice when we get that opportunity and I've had really good opportunities and I'm very grateful, but again, we need to create our own work. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And also use our voices. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">This is a business where you need to ‑‑ where finding a way to say what you want is really important.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Is it easy?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Is it important?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There's a huge ‑‑ I was talking to someone the other day.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I have a community and they are producing a show right now.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I would love to come play with you sometime.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>She said I'm glad you asked.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Maybe next season because they had the season this year.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Why did that opportunity happen?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Because we asked. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">You have a panel here of people who created opportunities of finding those ways to break down those barriers and we are breaking them down ourselves. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes, yes, yes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>All of that. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I want to bring Mr. Blackwell.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There's all your fans in the Q&amp;A box and so consistent question in the film you mentioned that a prisoner asked you if you lost your will to live when you lost your sight and says you answered quite honestly that you did. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Some folks are wondering, as it relates to your story, what was the motivation to keep contributing, to keep moving things forward?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Where did that come from?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And you are on mute.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>If you wouldn't mind unmuting for us.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Not quite.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We can't hear you yet. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Charles Blackwell:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>How about now?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Can you hear me now?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You mentioned a while ago about the intersection, and let's say when I lost my eyesight I was maybe at the intersection.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I was devastated.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You know, I would stay in the room.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>People would come over to the house.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I was at my mom and dad's house.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I was 20.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I didn't know what to do. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">I wouldn't come out and visit.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I shut myself out which is really not good.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I had given up.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I would stay in the room.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I remember I was crying once, twice a day. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And it was a thing of hope and to see.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I had this girlfriend and I wanted to go see her. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And I was in love and couldn't do nothing about that either. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And I didn't want her to come to the house because my folks were hardline.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hardline Mississippi.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>My mother would say things.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So I want ‑‑ I didn't want to hear none of that which is really bad situation all the way around. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And it was a cousin, this cousin I had was trying to get me into the university.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>She came, she was going to fill out the application for me.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Let's do that later.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Come on.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Let's go. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">We went and somebody had ‑‑ there was a party at an apartment complex.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There was that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hey, come on.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Some of her friends got a bottle of wine.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I was doing things.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And you might say kind of like the rocket ship that takes off and part of it breaks out of and then it keeps going and something breaks off.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Drinking wine and hanging out and this friend and that friend.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Things that would keep me alive. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And then somebody, I remember I went to a church and a minister came with a sermon.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm going to set that down because there's someone here that's really given up.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm preaching the sermon.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He was preaching to me to rise up and live and don't shut yourself off.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You might say to me I'm a down home church going brother.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm a hip Christian.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm not a right‑wing Christian.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm not a fundamentalist.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm going to say I'm a hip Christian.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It was God and Jesus Christ that kept me alive in a real strange spiritual sense. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Let me add something else at that intersection. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Because I was 20/20 eyesight and things changed in a short amount of time. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">So I was in the sighted world and I was trying to be, I wanted to be that person I was.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And that was that kind of left me reckless.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>When I did get back into the swing of things, not staying in the room and out mingling with people and doing things, I was still trying to be what I was before.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>My friends, going to the nightclubs.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Couldn't get a job.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So I was hanging out.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I got into college and approaching somebody.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hey, would you like to go out?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hey, I'll pay for the dinner.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'll pay for the movie.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I was really just almost like selling myself short and getting rejections and that it just came more and more.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Finally it was a friend of mine said look here man if Train would have been playing what he thought he wanted people to hear, he wouldn't have been Train. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">You got to realize that, you know, I ain't buying and I ain't selling if you don't like what you see.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I started adopting that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Realize becoming more and more like self‑esteem was being built.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So the more and more I got into that.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I was out of art for seven years, and in between that time I discovered that God gave me the talent to write.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The same thing not knowing where to go with it. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And so I remember I took a class from the writer Eugene Redmond and I was in graduate school and I was talking with a brother, his name was Gralon Johnson.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He met with Fidel Castro.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The brother was from my neighborhood.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Shows you how dynamic he was.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I took a class from Eugene Redmond.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He gave me an A.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Blackwell, let me tell you something, Redmond doesn't give out As.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>If you got an A, you earned it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You must have been doing some serious work.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He hit me between my forehead.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Part of my problem was self‑esteem and trying to get to that place.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Realizing I have a talent.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Realizing I can be an inspiration to other people.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Realizing I moved from that point of giving up and losing hope and moving to a plane of being assertive and creative and a moving force.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And the other side of that was when I did get back into the swing of things, I remember I had to go to voc rehab.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It was kind of a brutal experience. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">The guy says, interviews me for about an hour. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And then at the end of the interview.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Okay.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Boy, I'm going to have you come back.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I was thrown off.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The guy was totally blind.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hey, I can talk freely to him.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He understands me, my blindness.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He's blind.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I got hit with a rude awakening.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>My dad told me something.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He said ‑‑ I was angry.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>My dad was in the car.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I told him what happened.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He said he's testing you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>This is Mississippi talk.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Testing me?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What are you talking about a test?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It took me a while to figure it out.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I realized what Ralph Ellison was saying in the book Invisible Man. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Charles Blackwell:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>You fill them with yeses and stuff them with nos until they drown in their own vomit.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's a sad thing to put to work, but it did work. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And I realized that I had changed when I lost my eyesight and God and Christ worked in my life.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I had changed, but the world was still the same.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The brutality of what I had to deal with.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Years later I've been in this exhibit in the Chicago, used to be called the Chicago Guild For the Blind.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They changed their name to Second Sense.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I really commend them.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's a beautiful organization.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Instead of saying you lost your eyesight, you got to get busy.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Let's see if we can get you back into the work force.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It don't work that way.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The Chicago ‑‑ the Second Sense, the Chicago Guild for the Blind, number one they say hi, how are you doing today?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>How do you feel?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's very simple, but it's important.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And then it worked from there.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What would you like to do? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">They wasn't busy trying to push you into some cafeteria management program for the Randolph‑Sheppard Act or push you into a computer program trying to push buttons.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They said, "what would you like to do?"<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They pushed to make people, whatever it is you'd like to do, they are going to help you do it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I recommended people from the other end of the country.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>If you've lost your eyesight, try to get in touch with the Chicago Second Sense. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Anyway.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I say that because they are, I've been in the exhibit about ten years now at the Chicago Guild for the Blind. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Charles Blackwell: Hope I didn't talk too much. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm not going to talk this fast.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I want to do a lightning round.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I just want everyone, one thing apiece.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I just have a final question.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>If you were to prioritize and just say what's next regarding Blackness and disability in the media.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What ‑‑ give us one priority.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>What's the first thing that needs to happen?<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Let's start with you, Diana. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Diana Elizabeth Jordan:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>One thing is we need to break down barriers so artists can have opportunities to work no matter what side of the camera it is.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Making sure we have, you know, access.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There are many points to access, but in order for us to work we need access.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Physical access.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The one thing I would say is making sure we have equity inclusion in access behind and in front of the camera. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Wonderful.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Rodney.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>One thing. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Rodney Evans:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That was kind of my thing.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I will say that maybe I'll put it a different way.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Disabled storytellers being the first in line to tell stories that center disabled characters.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Like we get to the top of the lot.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We get the first call on those stories because that's our lived experience.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>That's what we bring to the table and it has incredible value. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Awesome.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm with you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The snaps.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thomas. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Thomas Reid:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yeah.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I'm going to take this straight from Mr. Blackwell because one of the things that stand out to me is collaboration.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And I think we have so much talent among this community that if we work together like you learn from one another and we can build together to me there's so much power in that and I don't think we make as much use of that as we really should.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I say collaboration and let's work together. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Mr. Blackwell.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Any final words? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Charles Blackwell:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I want to do a thanks to Jeff Giordano.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He did the film and was walking around following me from one place to another with his camera.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Even though there's a bit of criticism.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He did some put toil and sweat into it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Special thanks to Jimmy Evans who hooked up this equipment to help me do this.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>To respond to the question we can't really expect a whole lot from Hollywood.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>One thing is if the story is told, a person can be themselves.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And the other side is that like Thomas is saying about collaborations and quality wins out every time.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No matter what the story is, quality wins out every time. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">If I could throw this, there was a movie years ago called Let No Man Write My Epitaph.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Motley kept his identity hidden.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And he went to live on skid row Chicago and he didn't want people to know he was Black and he wrote this book that was turned into a theater play and became a movie.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>By keeping his identity hidden he got published.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There was a scene in the movie, you might remember years ago, maybe every once in a while you might see it now.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Very seldom.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The man was on a little cart.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Like a flat, a wooden cart that had some wheels on it.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He didn't have any legs.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So this was real.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And the man is trying to get across the street and he barely makes it as this automobile almost runs over him.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It hits you because it tells you how ruthless the society is. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">And so I guess I'm saying the same thing.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>As long as it's quality it's going to win out.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Quality wins out every time. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Andraea LaVant:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Amazing final words.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you all. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2">Thanks everyone for joining us this evening.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I know there are two more days filled with amazing events and I know there will be updates e‑mailed to you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you to Mr. Blackwell, to Rodney, to Thomas, Diana.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you for joining me for this powerful conversation and I know I have some work to do.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Have a great night. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><style type="text/css"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 25.9px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 25.9px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 72.0px; line-height: 25.9px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p> <p class="p4">&gt;&gt;&gt;:<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Thank you.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/charles-blackwell">Charles Blackwell</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/thomas-reid">Thomas Reid</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/andraea-lavant">Andraea LaVant</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/diana-elizabeth-jordan">Diana Elizabeth Jordan</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/rodney-evans">Rodney Evans</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/disability-justice">disability justice</a></div></div></div> Mon, 02 Nov 2020 19:57:00 +0000 Emily Beitiks 1684 at https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/superfest-panel-god-given-talent-blackness-and-disability-identity-media#comments Good News: You Can View the Longmore Lecture with Alice Wong Remotely! https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/good-news-you-can-view-longmore-lecture-alice-wong-remotely <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Join us! The 2018 Annual Paul K. Longmore Lecture on Disability Studies will feature an interview with Alice Wong on <strong>"Storytelling as Activism: The Politics of Disability Visibility."</strong> <br /> <strong>Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - 5:00pm-7:00pm (includes reception)</strong><br /> <strong>San Francisco State University, J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 121</strong></p> <p><img alt="Alice in front of a graffiti mural, wearing a bright scarf. Alice is Asian American, wearing bright red lipstick and a breathing mask that covers her nose." class="size-full wp-image-5211 alignright img-responsive" src="https://longmoreinstitute.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/alice-wong.jpeg" style="width: 400px; height: 438px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: left;" />You won't want to miss this chance to learn more about Alice Wong, Founder/Director of the <a href="https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/">Disability Visibility Project</a> and co-partner of <a href="https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2016/01/27/cripthevote-our-voices-our-vote/">#CriptheVote</a>. Together we will explore disability justice, savvy strategies for social media, intersectionality, and political engagement through storytelling. This event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. RSVP encouraged to <a href="mailto:pklinst@sfsu.edu">pklinst@sfsu.edu</a> or (415) 405-3528. Please refrain from wearing scented products, so that people with chemical sensitivities can join us. ASL and open captioning will be provided.</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"> CAN'T JOIN US IN PERSON</h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;"> BUT DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON THE FUN?</h3> <p>We're excited to announce that for the first time, we'll be streaming the Longmore Lecture! Register now: <a href="https://sfsu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tZ6NrhItShCA5VhCKTcRQw">https://sfsu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tZ6NrhItShCA5VhCKTcRQw</a> After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the stream. We recommend you download Zoom in advance if the platform is new to you. Please note, if you are blind and use a screen reader, we recommend that you use the dial-in information to access the live-stream audio rather than the zoom computer link, as it may not play nicely with your screen reader unfortunately. (US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 761 651 225) If you are Deaf or hard of hearing, please press the CC button once you open the Zoom platform to access the live captioning stream. And feel free to tweet your thoughts/questions with #LongmoreLecture / @LongmoreInst / @DisVisibility</p> <p>*** This year's Longmore Lecture was made possible thanks to several donors who gave in honor of Nicole Bohn's many years of service to San Francisco State University.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/cripthevote">#Cripthevote</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/alice-wong">Alice Wong</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/disability-justice">disability justice</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/disability-visibility-project">Disability Visibility Project</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/longmore-lecture">Longmore Lecture</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/social-media">social media</a></div></div></div> Fri, 23 Mar 2018 22:59:27 +0000 Visitor 1625 at https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/good-news-you-can-view-longmore-lecture-alice-wong-remotely#comments Mia Mingus Longmore Lecture Video Now Available! https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/mia-mingus-longmore-lecture-video-now-available <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>By the Longmore Institute Staff</p> <p>Each year, the Longmore Lecture in Disability Studies hosts a speaker who continues Paul Longmore's legacy of scholar-activism.</p> <p>On April 11, 2017, we were pleased to welcome Mia Mingus who presented on "Access Intimacy, Interdependence, and Disability Justice" and the importance of making connections and building relationships with those who understand, help meet, and make efforts to achieve your access needs.</p> <p>Thank you to San Francisco State University's academic technology for capturing this video!</p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONpqOHGIbZM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONpqOHGIbZM</a></p> <p>For the transcript, please <a href="https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/2017/04/12/access-intimacy-interdependence-and-disability-justice/">click here</a> for it on Mia's blog.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/access-intimacy">access intimacy</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/disability-justice">disability justice</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/interdependence">interdependence</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/longmore-lecture">Longmore Lecture</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/mia-mingus">Mia Mingus</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/uncategorized">Uncategorized</a></div></div></div> Thu, 25 May 2017 20:16:33 +0000 Visitor 1578 at https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/mia-mingus-longmore-lecture-video-now-available#comments An Interview with Mia Mingus: 2017 Longmore Lecturer https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/interview-mia-mingus-2017-longmore-lecturer <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><em>In anticipation of the upcoming Longmore Lecture in Disability Studies, Associate Director Emily Beitiks interviewed this year's speaker, <a href="https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Mia Mingus</a>, who will present on "Access Intimacy, Interdependence, and Disability Justice" and the importance of making connections and building relationships with those who understand, help meet, and make efforts to achieve disabled people's access needs. Mingus is a community organizer and national social justice leader, a queer, physically disabled, Korean, transracial woman and transnational adoptee.</em></p> <p><em>The Longmore Lecture will be held <strong>Tuesday, February 7th</strong> in the J. Paul Leonard Library (SFSU campus), room 121, from 5-7pm; for more information, see <a href="http://longmoreinstitute.sfsu.edu/pages/1873" target="_blank">the event page here</a> and <a href="mailto:beitiks@sfsu.edu">please rsvp</a> by January 27!</em> <img alt="Headshot of Mia Mingus smiling, sitting on a blue bench, wearing a beige knit sweater and circular earrings." class="size-full wp-image-3675 img-responsive alignright" height="284" src="https://longmoreinstitute.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/2-miamingus.jpg" width="195" />Emily Beitiks: You'll be talking about "Access Intimacy, Interdependence, and Disability Justice" at the Longmore Lecture. Why are you choosing to focus on this topic?</p> <p>Mia Mingus: I am choosing to focus on these because I think they are a crucial part of disability justice that we will need if disabled people will ever be free. I chose these because I notice how they have a huge impact on my daily life. As I wrote in "<a href="https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/feeling-the-weight-some-beginning-notes-on-disability-access-and-love/" target="_blank">Feeling the Weight: Some Beginning Notes on Disability, Access and Love</a>,""These are the parts of disability justice and liberation that keep me up at night, that have hurt more than any ableist remark, that have left more scars than any surgery. This is the underbelly of ableism. This is what I fear we will be left to wrestle with after every building is made accessible and every important policy is passed." These are the pieces of disability justice that often get overlooked and undervalued.</p> <p>EB: The goal of the annual Longmore Lecture is to feature a speaker who continues Paul Longmore's legacy of scholar-activism. How do you feel about us giving you that label? Does that resonate with your approach?</p> <p>MM: I don't think of myself as a scholar, though I appreciate that folks would think of me that way. Really, I just started writing the writing I was looking and longing for and couldn't find. I wrote to save my own life in a way and in doing so, ended up finding others like me and helped to forward a framework that continues to grow today. I wrote to leave evidence for others like me who were also looking and longing for an approach to disability that was not single-issue and that was...for lack of a better word--human. I wanted writing on disability that didn't just speak to the facts or statistics or policy, but that spoke to the whole experience of disability: the messiness, the pride, the isolation, the invisibility, the pity, the love, the struggle and the magnificence. I wanted writing that could make me feel, not just think.</p> <p>EB: We lined you up for this lecture months ago. Now, we are seeing a dramatically different political climate and your work will be more valuable than ever. What impact has this had on the way you approach your work, if any?</p> <p>MM: Much of my work has been building alternatives, specifically building transformative justice responses to violence within our own communities. This work is vital to our past, current and future political realities because if we don't build alternatives at the same time we are resisting, then we are only resisting--hamsters on a permanent wheel. It is not sustainable and building alternatives helps us actually build the world we long for, rather than only just rejecting the world we don't want. And I want to be clear that both resistance and alternatives are absolutely important and are deeply connected, yet distinct from one another--and they are also not mutually exclusive. If this current political climate teaches us anything, even in just the first handful of days under this new administration, it is that we need to build alternatives to our current systems because it has been made abundantly clear that they are not made for us, by us and in many cases, are actively working to erase us. I think about this for disability and how we will build alternatives to institutionalization and incarceration, since this is where so many disabled people are. What will it take for us to build the kind of communities, relationships and world where disabled people do not have to be so dependent on or ensnarled by the state or the medical industrial complex? I want us to not only focus on things like the ACA--critically important work--or specific policies and budget cuts, but to also use this moment to really think about where we want to go as a people and what we're fighting for and building, not only what we're resisting and fighting against. If anything this current political climate has deepened my commitment and determination to my work and the role it plays in supporting all the amazing and inspiring mass-resistance and direct actions we have been witnessing.</p> <p>EB:  What have you read or who have you met recently that you're really excited about?</p> <p>MM: Lately, I have been struggling just to keep up with the never-ending cycle of news and work every day.</p> <p>EB: We work with a lot of students on campus who have disabilities. What do you wish you'd known when you were in their position?</p> <p>MM: Wish I had known that there was a vibrant network of queer disabled people of color out there. I wish I had known that, no matter what anyone tells you, disability and ableism are important political pieces to the work of liberation. That ableism, though often overlooked, is a key part of how oppression--all oppression--functions and that our experiences as disabled people are valuable and unequivocally political. <em>It means something to be disabled</em>. And I wish I hadn't wasted so much time waiting for someone else to create the thing I needed, when I know now that we can and must create what we need with what we have. We are the ones we have been waiting for.</p> <p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Learn more from Mia on Tuesday, Feb 7. Visit <a href="http://longmoreinstitute.sfsu.edu/pages/1873" target="_blank">the event page </a>now!</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/disability-justice">disability justice</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/disability-studies">disability studies</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/longmore-lecture">Longmore Lecture</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/mia-mingus">Mia Mingus</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/uncategorized">Uncategorized</a></div></div></div> Thu, 26 Jan 2017 19:45:54 +0000 Visitor 1315 at https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io https://for-import-sfstatelongmoreinstitute.pantheonsite.io/interview-mia-mingus-2017-longmore-lecturer#comments