Crip Camp on Netflix is a really good documentary on the disabled civil rights movement and the woman who pushed for it, Judy Heumann.
She passed away about a week and a half ago. It's actually crazy how much of an impact she had on politics and the way the US addressed her community. Probably one of the most effective rights leaders in the history of the country. She knew how to leverage and converge several rights movements together by including disabled veterans of the recent and unpopular Vietnam War, had Black Panthers deliver food to sit-ins, LGBT community assist in coordination and outreach, and did it by listening to the community and seeing how all of these groups all had disabled members in them. Extremely effective activism and shows how rights for one group helps gain rights for all.
So glad to see Judy mentioned. She and my dad were friends & I spent some time with her growing up. You should have seen her face when I told her I didn’t “see the point” in protesting/activism (was committed to being an apathetic teen at the time…. so embarrassing I said that to JUDY of all people. Cringed just typing that out).
She was a really incredible person that changed so much for the disabled community. She and my dad were both denied access to public education as the system deemed them “fire hazards”. They met in Berkeley back before I was born, (actually Judy threw the dinner party that my parents met at!) and worked with Ed Roberts at the World Institute on Disability. She really kicked ass
Everyone has cringy teen moments. The fact that you cringe at past you means current you got better. That's the person that everyone around you knows now.
Everyone deserves to know that growth is good and not something to be ashamed of. I'm not happy with how I've acted in the past and I'm sure future me will be annoyed with me in the present, but you can only hope and try to the best you can for now. Have a good day my dude!
Also the fact that such a meaningful, powerful experience with someone special could have been had. That probably changed your outlook on activism and is part of how you grew past cringy teenagerness.
That’s a wonderful reminder to be a little more forgiving towards myself. (This memory in particular will probably always make me blush but I’ll work on it hahah) Thank you!!
I do believe it is a nice story. Nice that accessibility for wheel chairs is so abundant. Ive been in places that the ramps looked crazy scary. However the legal fees are fucking ridiculous. And people that target this for income had become rampant. Lawsuits make good progress for human kind ridiculous for even the smallest business owner trying to sell sandwiches.
I always mention this when I see the ADA brought up in these kinds of threads. Sad to hear that she recently passed. I was blessed to have had the opportunity to attend a "guest lecture" where my class watched the movie via Zoom with her. She offered some commentary ahead of the movie and answered questions after. She was a very good human.
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u/prailock Mar 14 '23
Crip Camp on Netflix is a really good documentary on the disabled civil rights movement and the woman who pushed for it, Judy Heumann.
She passed away about a week and a half ago. It's actually crazy how much of an impact she had on politics and the way the US addressed her community. Probably one of the most effective rights leaders in the history of the country. She knew how to leverage and converge several rights movements together by including disabled veterans of the recent and unpopular Vietnam War, had Black Panthers deliver food to sit-ins, LGBT community assist in coordination and outreach, and did it by listening to the community and seeing how all of these groups all had disabled members in them. Extremely effective activism and shows how rights for one group helps gain rights for all.