Hello, My Chocolate Wonders 🥰🥰

Last week I attended a black history celebration at The Family Resource Center in my town. It was really great. It celebrated our present successes as well as our past triumphs. It also showcased some of our town's wonderful student work. Some students had the honor and challenge of interviewing people who were honored that night for the wonderful work they do in our town. Another group of students collectively recited Maya Angelou's poem, "And Still I Rise". I gave them a standing ovation. They deserved it. They did an amazing job.

The tone of the night was acknowledging our black students as scholars and helping them to continue to develop the habit of excellence. The message was well received.

As I sat and watched, participated in discussions, and enjoyed all the presentations, I couldn't help but be happy to see so many black faces together in Peekskill. I have rarely seen that. As I walked home though, the thoughts that came to my mind made me sad. I began to think......

Where was the representation of black special needs students?

Do they not have the potential to be excellent?

Are they not excellent already?

Do they not qualify to be considered scholars?

In the midst of a celebration meant to uplift, spotlight, and include, I felt my children and other children like them were excluded. It's not the first time I felt that way and it won’t be the last. But it’s one of the reasons I started this newsletter. In so many ways special needs children are excluded from the conversation and even from the celebration.

It's not malicious or mean, but it is hurtful. Our children matter too.

I would argue that they need to be celebrated and encouraged even more than typically developing children. In addition to being black, they are categorized and sometimes stigmatized because of that categorization. That doesn't even begin to consider their everyday struggle just to complete the same tasks as their typically developing counterparts.

Our kids need to see themselves on the screen too. They need to see that others who look like them made it through also.

What our people don't see is that because of how black people have been treated over the years, mental health has this stigma attached to it and special needs sits right in the same no thank you corner with mental illness. It is not okay. It needs to be addressed and I am here to make that happen.

All special needs children deserve to be part of the general assembly. The separation because of education is necessary but the exclusion to a life well lived as a functioning and loved part of the black community must end.

I intend to use my work with the black special needs community, to pronounce the benediction. I welcome all black parents to stand with me. We are stronger together.

Brad Lomax was an essential part of the disability rights movement. He was a member the Black Panther Party and founded the East Oakland Center for Independent Living which provided support and resources to Black individuals with disabilities. He is especially remembered for his vital role in the 1977 504 sit-ins, where the Black Panther Party supplied food and support to the disability protestors. Many people share that with this support, the 504 sit-ins would have likely failed.

Lois Curtis is an influential Black artist and disability activist with intellectual and developmental disabilities and schizophrenia. She spent a large part of her early adult life living in an institution despite her care team stating she could live in the community. She is best known as the famous plaintiff LC in the landmark Supreme Court case 'Olmstead vs L.C.' which ended unjustified segregation of people with disabilities and established the right for people with disabilities to live independently in their communities as opposed to in institutions. Her lifelong advocacy has impacted the lives of many Americans and got her invited to the White House under the Obama administration.

Kathy D Woods is the 1st African American fashion designer for little people. Recognizing disparities in access to clothing for little people, Kathy D Woods founded and is the CEO of her own clothing company designed for adult little people. This was not an easy feat, as she experienced discrimination from people in the fashion industry who did not see a need to make clothing for people her size. Her business and advocacy centering the experiences of women with disabilities has gotten her invited to the White House on multiple occasions.