#blackandbrownspoonies
Text
#SpooniesofColor 101: Library of Disabled POC in Literature, Hollywood, and Politics
Here is an extensive list of narratives, features, and famous icons in the media and politics who are/were disabled or chronically ill people of color.
If you know of any other famous people or narratives that feature disabled POC, feel free to reach out!
(This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclaimer for more details.)
*Note: These films and novels may feature ableist stereotypes, like inspiration porn or negative tropes, or minimal features of disabled POC characters. Feel free to watch or read at your own risk.
Disabled POC Narratives in Literature*:
The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde
Sick: A Memoir by Porochista Khakpour
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Days of Grace by Arthur Ashe
A Sick Life by T-Boz Watkins
The Pretty One by Keah Brown
The Collective Schizophrenias by Esme Wang
Hunger by Roxane Gay
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture by Roxane Gay
Resistance and Hope: Essays by Disabled People by Alice Wong, et al.
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Bodymap by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Disabled POC Fictional Characters in Literature*:
Maddy, “Everything, Everything” by Nicola Yoon (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency)
Precious, “Push” by Sapphire (PTSD, HIV)
Disabled POC Narratives in Film*:
Unrest (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)
Wilhemina’s War (HIV/AIDS)
What Happened, Miss Simone? (Bipolar Disorder)
Irreplaceable You (Cancer)
Everything, Everything (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency)
Richard Pryor: Icon (Substance Abuse Disorder, Multiple Sclerosis)
Frida (Polio, possible Spina Bifida, Accident-induced Spinal Injury)
Ray (Glaucoma, Blindness, Substance Abuse Disorder)
The Soloist (Schizophrenia)
Basquiat (Substance Abuse Disorder)
Precious (PTSD, HIV)
Bohemian Rhapsody (HIV/AIDS)
The TLC Story (Sickle Cell)
Disabled POC Fictional Characters in Film/TV*:
Aunt Violet, “Queen Sugar” (Lupus)
Maddy, “Everything, Everything” (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency)
Stevie Kanarbin, “Malcolm in the Middle” (mobility impairment, undisclosed pulmonary issues)
Duc, “Here and Now” (Ulcerative Colitis, PTSD)
Ramon, “Here and Now” (Psychosis)
Dr. Farid Shokrani, “Here and Now” (Bipolar Disorder, PTSD)
Precious, “Precious” (PTSD, HIV)
Helen Paterson, “Being Mary Jane” (Lupus)
Penelope, “One Day at a Time” (PTSD, Depression)
Disabled POC Artists, Writers, and Actors:
Frida Kahlo, artist of “Self-Portrait” (Polio, possible Spina Bifida, Accident-induced Spinal Injury)
Audre Lorde, writer of “Sister Outsider” “The Cancer Journals” and “Zami” (Cancer)
Amy Tan, author of “The Joy Luck Club” (Lyme Disease, Epilepsy, and Depression)
Salvador Dali, artist of “The Persistence of Memory” (Parkinson’s Disease)
Maya Angelou, writer of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “And Still I Rise” (PTSD, Selective Mutism)
Lorraine Hansberry, writer of “A Raisin in the Sun” (Pancreatic Cancer)
Nina Simone, R&B singer of “Feeling Good” and “Mississippi Goddamn” (Bipolar Disorder)
Jennifer Lewis, star of “Blackish” (Bipolar Disorder)
Mariah Carey, singer of “The Emancipation of Mimi” (Bipolar Disorder)
Kanye West, rapper of “The College Dropout”, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and “Watch the Throne” (Bipolar Disorder)
Demi Lovato, singer of “Confident” and “Sober” (Bipolar Disorder, Eating Disorder)
Richard Pryor, comedian and star of “Blazing Saddles” and “The Toy” (Substance Abuse Disorder, Multiple Sclerosis)
Montel Williams, host of “The Montel Williams Show” (Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke)
Michael Jackson, singer and creator of “Thriller” “Bad” and “This Is It” (Vitiligo, possible Lupus)
Nick Cannon, creator of “Wild ‘n’ Out” (Lupus)
Selena Gomez, singer of “Revival” “It Ain’t Me” and “Back to You”, star of “Wizards of Waverly Place” (Lupus)
Toni Braxton, singer of “Unbreak My Heart” (Lupus)
Seal, singer of “Kiss From a Rose” (Lupus)
J Dilla, member of Slum Village and hiphop producer for The Pharcyde, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest (Lupus)
Freeway, rapper of “Flipside” and “What We Do” (Chronic Kidney Disease)
Morgan Freeman, star of “Shawshank Redemption” and “Bruce Almighty” (Fibromyalgia, Nerve Damage)
Halle Berry, star of “Monster’s Ball” and “Boomerang” (Type 1 Diabetes)
Sherri Shephard, co-host of “The View” (Type 2 Diabetes)
Anthony Anderson, star of “Blackish” (Type 2 Diabetes)
Danny Glover, star of “Lethal Weapon” and “The Color Purple” (Epilepsy)
Lil Wayne, rapper and creator of “Tha Carter III” (Epilepsy, Asthma)
Bernie Mac, comedian and star of “The Bernie Mac Show” and “The Original Kings of Comedy” (Sarcoidosis)
Larenz Tate, star of “Love Jones” (Sickle Cell)
T-Boz Watkins, member of TLC “CrazySexyCool” and “Fanmail” (Sickle Cell)
Prodigy, member of Mobb Deep “The Infamous” (Sickle Cell)
Aubrey Plaza, star of “Parks and Recreation” and “Ingrid Goes West” (Stroke, chronic TIAs)
Padma Lakshmi, star of “Top Chef” (Endometriosis)
Tia Mowry, star of “Sister, Sister” and “The Game” (Endometriosis)
Gabrielle Union, star of “Bring It On” and “Being Mary Jane” (Endometriosis, Adenomyosis)
Jessica Williams, star of “The Daily Show” and “2 Dope Queens” (Endometriosis, OCD)
Whoopi Goldberg, star of “The Color Purple” and “The View” (Endometriosis, Dyslexia)
Monica, R&B singer of “The Boy is Mine” and “So Gone” (Endometriosis)
Halsey, singer of “Bad at Love” and “Eastside” (Endometriosis)
Wendy Williams, host of “The Wendy Williams Show” (Graves’ Disease)
Missy Elliot, rapper of “Supa Dupa Fly” and “Under Construction” (Graves’ Disease)
Gina Rodriguez, star of “Jane the Virgin” (Hashimoto’s Disease)
Adrienne Bailon, member of 3LW and the Cheetah Girls, co-host on “The Real” (Hashimoto’s Disease)
Robin Roberts, co-host of “Good Morning America” (Cancer)
Stevie Wonder, singer of “Songs in the Key of Life” (Retinopathy)
Ray Charles, singer of “Georgia on My Mind” (Glaucoma)
August Alsina, singer of “I Luv This Sh*t” (Autoimmune Hepatitis)
Solange, singer of “A Seat at the Table” (Dysautonomia, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD)
Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” (AIDS)
Disabled POC Athletes:
Magic Johnson, LA Lakers (AIDS)
Muhammad Ali, boxing (Parkinson’s)
Arthur Ashe, tennis (AIDS)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LA Lakers (Leukemia)
Venus Williams, tennis (Sjogren’s)
Serena Williams, tennis (Pulmonary Embolism)
Tiki Barber, NY Giants (Sickle Cell)
Wilma Rudolph, track & field (Polio)
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, track & field (Asthma)
Curtis Pride, NY Mets (Deaf)
Simone Biles, gymnastics (ADHD)
Disabled POC Historical Figures:
Harriet Tubman (TBI, Epilepsy, Narcolepsy)
Fannie Lou Hamer (Polio, CKD, Forced Sterilization)
Rep. Tony Coehlo (Epilepsy)
Rep. Barbara Jordan (Multiple Sclerosis)
Rep. Donna Edwards (Multiple Sclerosis)
Rep. Lauren Underwood (Supraventricular Tachycardia)
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (amputee)
NY Governor David Patterson (optic nerve damage)
Bradley Lomax of the Black Panther Party (Multiple Sclerosis)
Malala Yousafzai (TBI, hard-of-hearing/Cochlear Implant)
#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#resources#masterpost#spoonie#chronic illness#chronic pain#chronic fatigue#chronically ill#chronic disease#spoonie life#but you don't look sick#disability#invisible disability#invisible illness#health#poc
85 notes
·
View notes
Text
#BlackHistoryMonth: Disability History is Black History is American History
[Image Description: A graphic featuring a vintage brown photo of Harriet Tubman against a white background next to gray, black, and brown text that reads “disability history is black history is american history.” @blackbrownspoon]
Each year in February, America reflects on milestones and achievements in the Black community, as well as its role in shaping American history. Often left out of this discussion is the integral role that disability, healthcare, and the treatment of black bodies played in shaping Black history and American history as a whole. So please enjoy a timeline of #DisabledBlackHistory that shows some of the most well-known Black historical events-- and the influence of disabled POC and black bodies on those events.
(This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclaimer for more details.)
*TW/Note: These events may feature ableist/racist stereotypes or notably graphic/triggering depictions of abuse, mistreatment, or trauma of disabled POC. Feel free to read at your own risk.
1619-1808:
Slaves are legally transported from Africa to the Americas through the Middle Passage, the route slaves traders took across the Atlantic Ocean via slave ships. Captives were housed in tightly confined, unsanitary compartments in the ship, at times stacked onto each other. Physical and medical neglect and abuse were the norm, and as a rule captives were forced to release bodily fluids where they were seated, leading to the spread of infectious diseases. An estimated 15% of captives did not survive the journey, with a total of up to 2 million deaths as a result of the Middle Passage until the importing of slaves was outlawed in the US in 1808.
Read more: “Slavery at Sea: Terror, Sex, and Sickness in the Middle Passage” by Sowande M. Mustakeem
1600’s-1800’s:
“The Dozens” is a well-known, rich tradition within the African American community in which participants playfully (or not so much) drag not only each other, but often their moms with a series of incisive, targeted jokes. Less well known about the tradition is its roots during slavery, as it was often used by slaves to judge and devalue other slaves on the basis of their flaws-- frequently of their apparent disabilities. According to Krip Hop Nation, “The name itself [“The Dozens”] refers to the sale of slaves who had been overworked, were disabled, or beaten-down – their physical (and often mental) conditions affected their value and they were sold by the dozen, which was considered by slaves, the lowest position within the community.” The game was played as an “outlet of aggression” for slaves who could not yet fight or prevent their oppression or the discarding of slaves on an ableist basis, but could instead encourage each other to develop a thick skin emotionally in the meantime.
Read more: Yo Mama! New Raps, Toasts, Dozens, Jokes, and Children's Rhymes From Urban Black America by Onwuchekwa Jemie
Mid-1600’s:
Colonies develop “Slaves Codes” that, for the first time, codify that slavery will happen on the basis of skin color alone. Previously, indentured servants and slaves were of every race. Once Slave Codes limited slavery solely to African Americans, physicians and academics became instrumental in the medicalization of slavery and pathologization of blackness to justify continuing slavery.
Read more: Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement by Kimberle Crenshaw, N. Gotanda, G. Peller, and K. Thomas
Late-1700’s:
Physician Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence and Surgeon General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, theorizes a disease known as “negritude”, which he considered a form of congenital leprosy, to explain dark skin tones, which could be treated with aggressive rubbing of the skin.
Read more: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
Mid-1800’s:
Physician Samuel Cartwright theorizes diseases to explain disobedient or rebellious slaves. “Drapetomania” is a curable mental illness in which slaves develop the desire to run away from their masters and obtain freedom, which is treated by keeping slaves “well-fed and clothed” and “not overworked”. “Dysaethesia Aethiopica”, or “rascality” in layman’s terms, is another mental illness marked by a “difficult [...] mind and sensibility” that are “apt to do much mischief” and “slight their work” whose root cause is “negro liberty”, which is curable via whippings and abuse.
Read more: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
Early-to-Mid-1800’s:
Slavery ends in the North, and continues in the South, sparking the Abolitionist Movement. The Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses owned by freed African Americans and White allies from the South leading into the Northern US and Canada, is established to allow slaves to escape often by foot. The most well-known “conductor” of the Railroad was Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave woman who developed a traumatic brain injury and consequently epilepsy and narcolepsy while enslaved and eventually facilitated the freedom of more than 70 slaves.
Read more: Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory, and History by Milton C. Sernett
Mid-1800’s:
While growing medical literature distinguishes blackness as a syndrome and Black people as a separate species, physicians simultaneously primarily use slaves for experimentation of new procedures and treatments to generalize for use in mainstream white populations. J. Marion Sims, known as the father of modern gynecology, created the speculum and a procedure to repair post-childbirth vaginal fistulas by buying and experimenting on slaves. Despite being available in 1845, Sims did not use anesthesia on his black female subjects because Black people were believed to experience less pain from injury. This has long been debunked.
Read more: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
Mid 1800’s-Early 1900’s:
Traveling vaudeville and circus acts are the leading form of entertainment in the US. Many vaudeville acts prominently feature minstrelsy or “blackface”, the act of White (and eventually some Black) actors painting their skin to take on a caricatured, deliberately mocking impression of African Americans. The first popular blackface act was “Jumping Jim Crow” in the 1820’s, said to be inspired by the dance of a physically disabled slave by the same name. Travelling circus acts prominently feature “freakshows” featuring performers displaying their rare conditions and disabilities, including dwarfism, albinism, and other conditions. African Americans were frequently used in these acts. Sarah Baartman, known as the “Hottentot Venus” was put on display due to having an exaggeratedly large bottom due to a condition called steatopygia.
Read more: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
1861-1865:
The Civil War is fought, and won by the North following the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which eventually led to the freedom of slaves starting on June 19th, 1865 (otherwise celebrated as Juneteenth). Black soldiers were an integral part of the Union’s victory, with more than 15 soldier earning a Medal of Honor after the war. Those who fought in the war are also the first African Americans to receive federal disability pensions for veterans.
Read more: Intensely Human: The Health of the Black Soldier in the American Civil War by Margaret Humphreys
Late 1800’s:
Following the abolishment of the 13th Amendment and of slavery, all Southern States eventually passed “Black Codes” and “Jim Crow Laws” to segregate and restrict the rights of former slaves and their descendants during Reconstruction. This leads to segregations of most major institutions and facilities, including hospitals, schools, and facilities for people with disabilities. Black physicians build their careers during this time via segregated hospitals, nursing and medical schools, medical journals and-- in response to the whites-only American Medical Association at the time-- establishing the National Medical Association specifically for African Americans.
Read more: Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care by Dayna Bowen Matthew
1880’s-1920’s:
Booker T. Washington establishes the Tuskegee institute, which initially teaches nursing and eventually established the first Veterans Hospital for African Americans. He also founded “National Negro Health Week” in the 1920’s to spotlight unaddressed health disparities in the African American community. It spotlights diseases prevalent in the Black community, particularly syphilis and tuberculosis. At the time, African Americans are believed to be predisposed to these diseases due to genetics. Germ Theory later emerges in the 1930’s that reveals that both diseases are infectious. Their prevalence in Black communities is later explained by segregation and poverty concentrating and restricting African Americans to living under unsanitary conditions in low-income communities.
Read more: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
Early 1900’s:
The field of “Eugenics” is created and mainstreamed in the United States via the American Eugenics Society. The eugenics movement, which originally promoted selective breeding for exceptionally positive traits in affluent communities, eventually focused on eliminating negative traits across society. Eugenicists lobbied for legislation in many states to forcibly sterilize groups with high rates of “undesirable” traits, primarily in poor, disabled, and minority communities. The US Supreme Court upheld the practice in the case Buck vs. Bell in 1927. This resulted in the forced sterilization of over 64,000 people (a low estimate) in the United States alone. The rise of the Nazi movement in Germany and the Holocaust eventually led the movement to lose power by the 1940s, but the practice of involuntary sterilization continued until the mid-1970s, and laws are not codified explicitly banning it until as late as the 2000s.
Read more: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
1930’s-1940’s:
Hitler assumes power, begins the Third Reich, and eventually begins the Holocaust by segregating, interning, and engaging in genocide of Jewish people, other ethnic minorities, and disabled people across Germany and Western Europe, triggering World War II. Hitler cites American eugenics and sterilization laws as his inspiration for ethnic cleansing and segregation. Over 100,000 African Americans fight in World War II, under segregated conditions. The victory of the US in World War II is thought to be one of the catalysts of the Civil Rights movement and ending of segregation in the US.
Read more: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
Mid 1930-1970’s:
The “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male”, also known as the Tuskegee Experiments, is initiated by the United States Public Health Service in the 1930s. Contrary to the popular misconception, the study did not infect any African American participants with syphilis. However, a small, predominantly African American community in Alabama was targeted for its high rate of syphilis infections before treatment existed. The goal of the study was to gain an understanding of the long-term effects of syphilis and to discover a potential treatment. Very early into the study, penicillin was discovered as a treatment for syphilis and other bacterial infections and mainstreamed quickly into medical practice around the country. Up to 600 Black participants in the study, however, were left untreated for syphilis during the course of the decades-long study. Many participants were never offered treatment, not formally diagnosed with syphilis but told they had “bad blood”, enticed into continuing treatment in the participating hospital with free healthcare, and given placebos and experimental treatments in place of penicillin. The study was later stopped and abandoned due to these unethical practices, and revealed to the public in the 1970’s with led to lawsuits and congressional hearings. A number of medical studies followed a similar practice of withholding treatment during this era, which disproportionately targeted Black civilians and prisoners in the US.
Read more: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
1950′s:
A number of advances in the medical field and science emerge starting in the post-World War era, among them the discovery of the Polio Vaccine in the 1950′s, advances in cancer treatment, and by the end of the 20th century the study of the human genome. A little-known fact about each of these discoveries is that they are in part thanks to a black woman named Henrietta Lacks. Lacks died in 1951 of a rare form of cancer that produced the first known “immortal cells” that would reproduce outside of the human body indefinitely. Her cancerous tissue, now known as “HeLa cells”, have since been used by researchers to develop treatments and cures of many diseases. Her contribution to medicine is controversial, however, because her tissue was taken without her consent and her family initially was neither made aware of, nor as of today compensated for, the medical discoveries her tissue facilitated.
Read more: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
1950’s-1970’s:
The Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education finds “separate, but equal” segregated facilities unconstitutional and inherently unequal, which slowly leads to the integration of schools, hospitals, and other public facilities. This win eventually sparks the Civil Rights Movement and victories such as the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act in the 1960’s. Among prominent leaders in the movement is Fannie Lou Hamer, who helped organize the Freedom Summer in Mississippi to register Black residents to vote. Fannie Lou Hamer is a survivor of an involuntary hysterectomy, which occurred without her knowledge during a procedure for chronic kidney disease and was a result of forced sterilization laws that targeted Black women and were popular in the South. Another prominent group was the Black Panther Party who, while advocating for Black power, also provided for local Black communities with free healthcare clinics and food pantries. Bradley Lomax, a Black Panther with Multiple Sclerosis, helped to organize the occupation of regional offices of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) for disability rights, knowns are the “504 Sit-ins” that led to the addition of Section 504 of the American Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a precursor to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Read more: Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight against Medical Discrimination by Alondra Nelson
1980’s:
The HIV/AIDS epidemic begins in the early 1980s. It’s first clinically observed in gay communities and receives the name “gay-related immune deficiency” (GRID) until it’s observed in non-LGBTQ communities and receives the name AIDS in 1982. The disease eventually gets the reputation of affecting “the 4-H Club”-- primarily attacking 1) heroine and intravenous (IV/needle) drug users, 2) hemophiliacs and chronically ill patients who give and receive blood in medical settings, 3) homosexuals and the LGBTQ community, and 4) Haitians and poor Black communities in the US and, eventually, globally. The United States government was slow to fund research for AIDS through much of the 1980’s, and one of the Reagan Administration’s first references to the disease was to propose a travel ban on immigrants and tourists with the disease in 1987. While treatment and prevention methods eventually cut infection and mortality rates for HIV, both cisgender and transgender women of color are disproportionately infected and die from AIDS.
Read more: And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts
1990′s:
Disability rights advocacy leads to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The ADA ensures the right to “reasonable accommodation” for people with disabilities in public spaces in the US. The ADA is the basis on which Olmstead vs. L.C. and E.W. is decided, which allows people with disabilities to be able to live in their communities rather than be put in nursing homes and other institutions. One of the plaintiffs in the case is Louis Curtis (L.C.), a black woman with a developmental disability.
Read more: Americans with Disabilities: Exploring Implications of the Law for Individuals and Institutions by Leslie Francis and Anita Silva
2010’s:
A series of highly publicized, viral extra-judicial killings of unarmed African Americans by police and white civilians in the news and social media sparks the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement, which advocates accountability for police brutality and discriminatory treatment of Black people by American institutions. Several of the most high-profile victims of the BLM movement, such as Eric Garner, Keith Lamont Scott, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Deborah Banner, and Laquan McDonald had some form of disability, medical or mental condition. Disabled and deaf people are disproportionately targeted by police brutality due to police hyper-reliance on “compliance” by those facing arrest.
Read more: Disability Incarcerated: Imprisonment and Disability in the United States and Canada by L. Ben-Moshe, C. Chapman, A. Carey
You can find many of these milestones and more events in Black Disability History at the online Museum of Disability History.
Were they any major milestones in Black History that were missed? Please reach out to add it to the list!
#spooniesofcolor#spoonies of color#blackandbrownspoonies#black and brown spoonies#blackhistorymonth#disabledblackhistory#spoonie#spoonies#spoonie life#chronic illness#chronic fatigue#chronic pain#chronic life#chronically ill#chronic disease#rare disease#blacklivesmatter#disabledblacklivesmatter#DisabilitySolidarity#disabilitytoowhite#disability#disabilties#invisible disability#invisible illness#mental health#mental illness#health#disabledpocday
79 notes
·
View notes
Text
#SpooniesofColor 101: Medicine, Health, Disability and PoC Reading List
Here is a list of academic or nonfiction narratives that center topics related to disabled or chronically ill people of color or PoC experiences with the medical field or public health.
If you know of any other great books that feature disabled POC, feel free to reach out!
(This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclaimer for more details.)
*TW/Note: These books may feature ableist stereotypes, minimal features of disabled POC experiences, or notably graphic/triggering depictions of abuse, mistreatment, or trauma of disabled POC. Feel free to read at your own risk.
Blackness and Disability: Critical Examination and Cultural Intervention by Christopher Bell
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
Invisible Visits: Black Middle-Class Women in the American Healthcare System by Tina Sacks
Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight against Medical Discrimination by Alondra Nelson
Clean and White: A History of Environmental Racism in the United States by Carl A. Zimring
Blood Sugar: Racial Pharmacology and Food Justice in Black America by Anthony Ryan Hatch
Medical Bondage: Race, Gender and the Origins of American Gynecology by Deirdre Cooper Owens
Black and Blue: The Origins and Consequences of Medical Racism by John Hoberman
Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care by Dayna Bowen Matthew
DisCrit-- Disability Studies and Critical Race Theory in Education by David J. Connor, Beth A. Ferri
The Pedagogy of Pathologization: Dis/abled Girls of Color in the School-Prison Nexus by Subini Ancy Annamma
Fantasies of Identification: Disability, Gender, Race by Ellen Samuels
Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction by Sami Schalk
Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting by Terrie M. Williams
Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#spoonie#spoonies#resources#masterpost#chronic illness#chronic life#chronic fatigue#chronic pain#chronically ill#chronic disease#disability#invisible illness#invisible disability#but you don't look sick#spoonie life#health#mental health#mental illness#rare disease
77 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Today I'm excited to launch two ways to connect with other #SpooniesofColor. The first is our new FB group (https://facebook.com/groups/1061232377385916)! The second: now that there are more faces on the hashtags on IG, with your permission I'll add your IG posts to my IG Story so followers will get alerts about your post! My hope is that both will encourage discussion, support, virtual meetups, and sharing of resources between like-minded folks.
.
Please note the group's for adults 18+ and the goal is for this to be safe space for Disabled POC. The group is closed, i.e. no one can see who's in it or any posts until they're approved as a member, for precisely that reason. I'll refer you to public comments made by able-bodied people on #DisabledPoCDay for more reasons why the group's private.
.
P.S. New members of the group will get a 25% discount in the Black & Brown Spoons shop from now until March 31st!
.
[Image description: graphic with brown filtered photo featuring a Black and Hispanic woman sitting together with two black boxes with white text layered over them that reads "you are cordially invited to discuss chronic illness and disability in the Black & Brown Spoons Facebook Group. Community | Support | Events | News from POC perspectives. Click the link to request to join. @blackbrownspoon"]
#spooniesofcolor#spoonies of color#spoonie of color#spoonieofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#black and brown spoonies#chronic illness#chronic pain#chronic fatigue#chronic life#spoonie#spoonies#invisible illness#invisible disability#butyoudon'tlooksick#rare disease#disabilitytoowhite#disabilitysolidarity#disabledblackgirlmagic#blacklivesmatter#disabledblacklivesmatter#disability#disabilities#mental health#mental illness#health
15 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Gentle reminder: all forms of love are valid and should be celebrated, and all bodies are deserving of love. This Valentine’s Day, celebrate your version of disabled love, spoonie love, neurodivergent love, and most importantly, self love.
P.S. It's too late to get these in time for Valentine’s Day but if you need a belated gift, click this link for a 10% off flash sale in the Spoonies of Color shop that ends tomorrow!
#spooniesofcolor#spoonies of color#spoonie of color#spoonieofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#black and brown spoonies#chronic illness#chronic pain#chronic fatigue#chronic life#spoonie#spoonies#invisible illness#invisible disability#butyoudon'tlooksick#rare disease#disabilitytoowhite#disabilitysolidarity#disabledblackgirlmagic#blacklivesmatter#disabledblacklivesmatter#disability#disabilities#mental health#mental illness#health#happy valentine's day#valentine's day#flash sale#merchandise
1 note
·
View note
Link
Today in #SpooniesofColor101: Erasure. In light of the response to #DisabledPOCDay where those who identified loved the celebration, but those who didn't questioned if disabled POC even exist, I thought this was timely.
.
.
This shows why community for POC with disabilities and illnesses matter. It's in that spirit that we're announcing our new Facebook Group and Newsletter! Check the link in my bio to sign up before the launch, learn more, and find ways to get involved with Black & Brown Spoons.
.
Check out the blog for more from the #SpooniesofColor Glossary, other resources, and a celebration of #DisabledBlackHistory during #BlackHistoryMonth.
.
Definition credit: @ autistichoya
.
[Image Description: Graphic with light brown background and black spoon and brown spoon in the center reads “#SpooniesofColor 101 word of the day: Erasure: the usually deliberate removal of the viewpoints, experiences, and existence of oppressed people from a discussion or narrative; the systemic omission of the identities of oppressed people. Check out more #SpooniesofColor terms @blackbrownspoon”]
#spooniesofcolor#spoonies of color#blackandbrownspoonies#black and brown spoonies#spoonie#spoonies#spoonie life#chronic illness#chronic fatigue#chronically ill#chronic pain#chronic disease#invisible illness#invisible disability#disability#disabilities#rare disease#disabilitysolidarity#disabilitytoowhite#blacklivesmatter#disabledblacklivesmatter#blackhistorymonth#disabledblackhistory#disabledpocday#bhm#mental health#mental illness#health#spoonie of color#spoonieofcolor
1 note
·
View note
Link
Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend. Along with celebrating the upcoming holiday season, we're thankful to celebrate the one year anniversary of Black & Brown Spoons. It'll be exciting to see what's next in the year to come, but getting there can't happen alone. The goal of Black & Brown Spoons is to grow a community of #SpooniesofColor for support and resources, so here's a chance to show your support!
Followers who saw our IG story got a special preview, but from now through 11:59 PM on 11/27, check out our Flash Sale for 25% off Black & Brown Spoons merchandise! Visit teespring.com/stores/black-and-brown-spoons?pr=babsflash to get the discount. Miss the sale? DM me for a one-time raincheck that expires 11/30.
We also have another 25% off promotion going on through December 31st. Use the #SpooniesofColor or #blackandbrownspoonies hashtags on IG, Twitter, or Tumblr: talk about life during the holidays, this year, in the year to come, or anything about your chronic illness or disability. Feel free to update old posts with the tags too. If I see you on the tags, look out for a DM with your holiday discount. If I miss you, DM me. :)
In the meantime, keep a lookout for IG stories and highlights with links already on the blog, like:
Get Involved (share your story, give feedback, or join the team!)
Resources (info on patient advocacy, rights, and assistance)
Black & Brown Spoons Shop
News & Social Action Digests (for articles on PoC illness & healthcare, and crowdfunding campaigns or petitions)
#SpooniesofColor 101 Terms
Donate Directly
[Image Description: graphic that reads "Coming soon to Black & Brown Spoons Stay tuned" on white background with grey border and black and brown stripes in upper right and bottom left corners]
#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#chronic illness#invisible disability#spoonie#disability#disabilitytoowhite#butyoudontlooksick#rare disease#giving tuesday#cyber monday#small business saturday#black friday#mental illness#lupus#eds#fibromyalgia#lyme#pots#sickle cell#type1#health#chronic fatigue#chronic pain#chronic life#spoonie life#invisible illness#mental health
3 notes
·
View notes
Video
instagram
Just thought I'd bless your timeline with a song from Blackish actress and Bipolar Disorder advocate Jennifer Lewis. Listen to her: if you haven't already, get out and vote!
.
.
Video by @jeniferlewisforreal
.
.
Post about how important voting is and get 25% off #SpooniesofColor merch! See our "Vote November 6" post for details.
#vote#getoutthevote#cripthevote#healthcarevoter#beavoter#when we all vote#go vote#midterm elections#midterms 2018#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#spoonie#chronic illness#invisible disability#mental illness#butyoudontlooksick#disability#accessibility#intersectionality#disabilitysolidarity#disabilitytoowhite#blacklivesmatter#disabledblacklivesmatter#health#chronic fatigue#chronic pain#chronic life#spoonie life#invisible illness#mental health
4 notes
·
View notes
Link
Today in #SpooniesofColor101: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare). I thought it was particularly timely to feature this on the day of the Midterm Elections since today will decide if Republicans will get another chance to repeal the act and endanger the lives of those of us with pre-existing conditions. Make sure this doesn't happen: go vote!
.
.
Check out the blog for more from the #SpooniesofColor Glossary and other resources.
.
.
Definition credit: Investopedia
.
.
[Image Description: Graphic with black spoon and brown spoon in center reads “#SpooniesofColor 101 word of the day: Affordable Care Act: a comprehensive healthcare reform act signed into law in 2010 that guaranteed that individuals can't be denied healthcare coverage for preexisting conditions and set up a marketplace of non-employer-based insurance plans; also known as Obamacare. Check out more #SpooniesofColor terms @blackbrownspoon”]
.
.
Remember: anyone who posts about voting on the #SpooniesofColor or #blackandbrownspoonies hashtags can get 25% some merch! See my "Vote November 6" post for details.
#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#disabilitytoowhite#DisabilitySolidarity#disabledblacklivesmatter#blacklivesmatter#blm#poc#intersectionality#spoonie#invisible disability#chronic illness#butyoudontlooksick#cancer#eds#Lupus#mecfs#rare disease#depression#anxiety#autoimmune#fibromyalgia#pots#lyme#sickle cell#chronic fatigue#chronic pain#chronic life#invisible illness#mental health
4 notes
·
View notes
Video
instagram
From Padma Lakshmi, the author, actress, TV show host and survivor and advocate for Endometriosis: "I’m voting like my rights depend on it, because they do!" So much is at stake, so use your voice and vote!
.
.
Source: @padmalakshmi
.
.
Let everyone know you voted on the #SpooniesofColor or #blackandbrownspoonies hashtags to get 25% off merchandise from our shop. See our "Vote November 6" post for details.
#vote#getoutthevote#cripthevote#healthcarevoter#beavoter#go vote#when we all vote#gotv#midterm elections#midterms 2018#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#spoonie#chronic illness#mental illness#invisible disability#butyoudontlooksick#disability#accessibility#intersectionality#DisabilitySolidarity#disabilitytoowhite#blacklivesmatter#disabledblacklivesmatter#health#chronic fatigue#chronic pain#chronic life#invisible illness#mental health
3 notes
·
View notes
Video
instagram
Listen to Former Congresswoman with Multiple Sclerosis Donna Edwards explain why she is a #healthcarevoter. Then, if you haven't already, go vote! Polls might be closing soon near you.
.
.
#Repost @cirilomanego3 @donnafedwards(@get_repost)
.
.
Talk about voting on the #SpooniesofColor or #blackandbrownspoonies hashtags and get 25% off in our shop. See our "Vote November 6" post for details.
#vote#getoutthevote#cripthevote#healthcarevoter#beavoter#when we all vote#go vote#gotv#midterm elections#midterms 2018#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#spoonie#chronic illness#mental illness#invisible disability#butyoudontlooksick#disability#accessibility#intersectionality#DisabilitySolidarity#disabilitytoowhite#blacklivesmatter#disabledblacklivesmatter#health#chronic fatigue#chronic pain#chronic life#invisible illness#mental health
1 note
·
View note
Photo
So if you've been following Black & Brown Spoons, you've seen that we're trying to make #SpooniesofColor happen. The goal is to have a hashtag where chronically ill people of color can find each other easily on social media. If you're down for a #SpooniesofColor hashtag to happen too, I'd love your help making this happen, with something in it for you too!
Here are the rules:
1) DM Black & Brown Spoons from the account you'll be posting from to request an item from our Black & Brown Spoons Shop, plus the size/color you're interested in. (Entries on twitter, tumblr, and instagram will be accepted.)
*Also feel free to send a link to your wishlist or crowdfunding campaign if you have one! We'll happily help signal boost!
2) Either a)Write a tweet/post/blog with this link to the Teespring Shop: bit.ly/2zn77zu and the hashtag #SpooniesofColor -and/or-
b) As you're living your life, posting pics or speaking about your chronic illness or disability on social media, add the hashtag #SpooniesofColor.
One lucky person will be chosen on #GivingTuesday 11/28 to win their choice of a FREE Spoonies of Color item.
Entries will be accepted on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram until 6 PM EST on 11/28 and the winner will be announced at 8 PM EST. Good luck!
[Image description: graphic with light brown and white background and white and black text reads: #GivingTuesday Giveaway, one lucky winner will get their choice of a *free* spoonies of color item (t-shirt, sweatshirt, mug, tote, phone case, sticker), see below for rules & details @blackbrownspoon]
#spooniesofcolor#spoonies of color#blackandbrownspoonies#black and brown spoonies#disabilitytoowhite#disabilitysolidarity#disabledblacklivesmatter#disability#blacklivesmatter#blackhealthmatters#blm#intersectionality#spoonie#blackspoonies#latinxspoonies#invisibleillness#invisible illness#invisible disability#invisibledisability#minorityhealth#minority health#chronic illness#chronicillness#butyoudontlooksick#raredisease#mentalhealth#mental health#mentalillness#mental illness#depression
26 notes
·
View notes
Text
Welcome to Black & Brown Spoons!
Thanks for visiting the site. Our hope for Black & Brown Spoons is to spotlight and open dialogue about the experiences of people of color with chronic diseases (i.e. “Spoonies”) as well as physical, sensory, and mental disabilities.
Here you can find Resources, Events, and Spoonie Heroes in literature, pop culture, and everyday life.
In the meantime, learn more about the “Spoon Theory” for chronic pain and medical conditions.
You can also check out our TeeSpring Shop and support our work.
Want to tell your story? Feel free to submit your stories and be featured in the blog! Short bios, as well as full length articles, op-eds, personal narratives, poetry, and photography will be accepted.
You can add to the conversation anytime using #SpooniesofColor or #BlackandBrownSpoonies.
Best,
T.
#chronic illness#spoonie#chronic life#disabilties#disability#lupus#autoimmune#ehlers danlos syndrome#mecfs#millionsmissing#fibromyalgia#blacklivesmatter#poc#minority health#healthcare#iamapreexistingcondition#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#disabilitytoowhite#disabilitysolidarity#dysautonomia#cancer#sicklecell#sicklecellanemia#depression#anxiety#ptsd#mentalillness#resources
27 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Today in #SpooniesofColor 101: Internalized Oppression. Check out the blog for more from the #SpooniesofColor Glossary and other resources.
Definition credit: @autistichoya
[Image #1 Description: Graphic with black spoon and brown spoon in center reads “#SpooniesofColor 101 word of the day: internalized oppression. Check out more #SpooniesofColor terms @blackbrownspoon”]
[Image #2 Description: Graphic with border of alternating black and brown spoons on the left reads “ Internalized Oppression: Aspects of oppression (via racism, sexism, ableism, classism, transphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, islamophobia, ageism, etc.) that an oppressed person believes to be true and will often enforce on other members of the same oppressed community; often co-occurs with self-hatred. Check out more #SpooniesofColor terms @blackbrownspoon”]
#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#disabilitytoowhite#disabilitysolidarity#disabledblacklivesmatter#blacklivesmatter#chronicpain#chronicillness#chronicfatigue#mecfs#autoimmune#ableism#invisibleillness#invisibledisability#butyoudontlooksick#lupus#fibromyalgia#raredisease#eds#pots#neurodivergent#actuallyautistic#intersectionality#dysautonomia#cancer#sicklecell#sicklecellanemia#depression#anxiety#resources
5 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Today in #SpooniesofColor 101: Solidarity. Check out the blog for more from the #SpooniesofColor Glossary and other resources.
Definition credit: thefreedictionary.com
[Image #1 Description: Graphic with black spoon and brown spoon in center reads “#SpooniesofColor 101 word of the day: solidarity. Check out more #SpooniesofColor terms @blackbrownspoon”]
[Image #2 Description: Graphic with border of alternating black and brown spoons on the left reads “Solidarity: An identity, union, or coincidence of interests, purposes, or sympathies among the members of a group; the feeling or expression of union in a group formed by a common interest. Check out more #SpooniesofColor terms @blackbrownspoon”]
#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#disabilitysolidarity#disabilitytoowhite#disabledblacklivesmatter#blacklivesmatter#chronicpain#chronicillness#chronicfatigue#mecfs#autoimmune#ableism#invisibleillness#invisibledisability#butyoudontlooksick#fibromyalgia#lupus#eds#pots#raredisease#neurodivergent#actuallyautistic#intersectionality#dysautonomia#cancer#sicklecell#sicklecellanemia#depression#anxiety#resources
4 notes
·
View notes
Link
I occupy a few intersections of identities. Black. Second generation African Immigrant. American. Cis-woman. Hetero. Millennial. Liberal. And last but not least, a chronically ill patient with Autoimmune Hepatitis, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, and a history of Juvenile Arthritis– i.e. a Spoonie. It was a while though before I realized and fully owned my identity as a Woman of Color with a Disability (WoCwD).
For anyone who’s curious about who’s behind the blog, the “About” Page was just updated. Feel free to reach out with questions or feedback, or just to say hi. :)
#spooniesofcolor#blackandbrownspoonies#spoonies of color#black and brown spoonies#spoonie#autoimmune hepatitis#autoimmune#mctd#mixed connective tissue disease#wocwd#woc#arthritis#juvenile arthritis#chronic illness#disabilitysolidarity#disabilitytoowhite#disabledblacklivesmatter#blacklivesmatter#intersectionality
2 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
euronswife-blog
Gold Hand
unmeteredserver
Business-site-hosted-online
incaseyoutravel
In Case You Travel
dreamofweddings
Dream of weddings
cellophaine
Ennui-sur-Blasé