During National Black History Month, the DC Special Education Cooperative is proud to celebrate the legacy of Black Americans. Black History Month is a time to celebrate the fullness of African American history and culture, but that cannot be contained in one month alone. The vibrancy of Black history and culture has enriched every aspect of American life. When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the public’s attention. The Black History Month 2024 theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” highlights the visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary, and other forms of cultural expression in which the African American influence has been paramount. The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience but to bring to the public’s attention significant achievements that are often discredited and overlooked by mainstream culture.
Despite fighting against the evils of slavery, segregation, and injustice, Black Americans have consistently held a mirror up to our Nation. Systemic racism and ableism have been intimately woven into the fabric of this country since enslaved people first arrived on the shores of this stolen land. Indeed, 5.5 million Black Americans are living with a disability. Thirty-six percent of disabled Black Americans live in poverty, compared with 26 percent of all disabled Americans. The employment rate for working-age Black Americans with disabilities was 20.5% compared with 31.3% for individuals with disabilities of all other races.
Disabled Black people often have to battle harder to get correct diagnoses and services. This is especially true for “invisible disabilities” such as autism, which educators are more likely to dismiss as behavioral issues in Black children than in white ones. Black students with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by suspension in schools, with more than one in four boys of color with disabilities — and nearly one in five girls of color with disabilities — receiving an out-of-school suspension. Black students with disabilities are 1.5 times more likely to drop out of school than white students with disabilities, with many of these students inevitably falling victim to the school-to-prison pipeline. Black people with disabilities are especially likely to have issues with police officers, who can misinterpret their behavior—such as a deaf person who keeps walking when told to stop—as a threat. In the United States, 50 percent of people killed by law enforcement are disabled, and more than half of disabled African Americans have been arrested by the time they turn 28—double the risk compared to their white disabled counterparts. We MUST do better!
Join the Co-op all year long, not just during Black History Month, as we “resist” and fight against the structural barriers of systemic racism and ableism that sadly permeate all facets of our society. Today and every day, we must champion truth, equity, and justice despite those who want to silence and “whitewash” our true history. We must stand in the gap at every opportunity, bridging barriers with fearlessness and determination to fight against the evils of racism and bigotry. Together, we can make this nation finally live up to its promise of equity and freedom for all.