Carly Rose Hughes; Major Paper\/Project Submission
\nChris Foss Dis\/Lit 384
\nApril 10th 2019
\nAmerican society runs on a competitive system of power hierarchies, which are seen in race, gender, and abilities. This system depends on society\u2019s \u201cothering\u201d of groups, or the ranking of their value in society by comparing them to the perceived \u201cnorm.\u201d This norm\u2014generally a white, heterosexual, able-bodied male\u2014is not only often seen as the most powerful type of person, but the only type of normal person. Any type of person who deviates from this \u201cnorm\u201d has their future and their social definition picked out for them. This idea is described in Kafer\u2019s article, \u201cImagined Futures,\u201d where an ableist society categorizes lesser goals and futures for the disabled author. This ableism is described in Jay Timothy Dolmage\u2019s article, \u201cAcademic Ableism,\u201d as a social assumption that able-bodied people are the norm and the most valuable types of people to society. In this way, ableism gives able-bodied people privilege and social benefits that can be compared to white privilege gained through systems of racism. This privilege is described in Robin DiAngelo\u2019s article \u201cWhat Fragility\u201d as living \u201cwithout race-based(i.e. oppression based)stress,\u201d.(DiAngelo) Through the Civil Rights movement, black people started to prove their worth to white society, flipping this racist narrative of white dominance to one of black empowerment and value. It is clear that the motivations and effects of ableism and racism are similar, however, the disability movement has not made the same steps of unification or achieved the same general goals as the Civil Rights movement as of yet. However, through their similar experiences, it becomes clear that the Civil Rights movement can be a good model and symbol of hope for the newly-developing Disability Movement through emulation of its unifying first steps which create a more positive social representation of its oppressed group.
\nDominant white, heterosexual, able-bodied Americans achieve and maintain their supremacy through oppression and \u201cothering\u201d of groups who deviate from the norm they define themselves as. In this way, biased, oppressive power hierarchies seen in race, gender, and disability are a necessity to the success of the \u201cnormal\u201d group in America. For example, Robin DiAngelo, author of \u201cWhite Fragility,\u201d explains that dominant whites feel threatened by black groups self-advocating against oppression, because this type of discussion challenges the power structures that gave whites the power they hold and therefore their power itself. In fact, DiAngelo says that oppressed peoples are \u201cthe backdrop against which white society rises\u201d(DiAngelo). This implies that white people have taken opportunities away from oppressed people such as blacks and given the opportunities to themselves, monopolizing success and profiting off of black people\u2019s suffering. Since this is true, it is clear that if black people were viewed with and given the same respect, opportunities, and status as whites give themselves, then white supremacy would not be a reality because more blacks would be able to achieve success in America. In other words, there is no validity to the racist assumption that whites are more capable and deserving of success than blacks. Black people only live a disadvantaged life because of the disadvantages white supremacists impose on them through segregation, lack of funding of programs, and police brutality. In this way, race is a social construct; difference in value is created only by social assumption.
\nThese racist assumptions and disadvantages impressed upon black people are similar to the effect of ableism upon disabled people, and thus can also be proven a false social construction. Jay Timothy Dolmage defines ableism in his piece titled \u201c\u2018Academic Ableism\u201d as an assumption that the able-bodied are more deserving of success because they are more capable than the disabled. This ableist bias is seen strongly in author Kafer\u2019s experience as described in his piece, \u201cImagined Futures.\u201d To society, disability means a life of \u201crelentless pain, isolation, and bitterness\u201d, all qualities that obviously categorize disabled life as lesser than able-bodied life (Kafer 2). However, these qualities are all created by purposefully created ableist disadvantages to the disabled that can be compared to the purposeful disadvantages set up against black people discussed at the end of the last paragraph. Examples of the same types of disadvantages to the disabled can be seen in the staircase described in Dolmage\u2019s \u201cAcademic Ableism.\u201d The staircase is both a symbol and a harsh physical reality of the tools used to keep disabled people out of academia, which in America is a key ingredient to success. Dolmage asserts: \u201cSomething like the steep stairs outside of a university lecture hall can be critiqued as a spatial and architectural feature that excludes; the stairs can also be understood as making a rhetorical argument or sending a message at the same time\u201d(Dolmage). In this way, the stairs outside a lecture hall are physically inaccessible to disabled bodies, which makes their disadvantage abundantly and specifically clear. Not only are the disabled physically unable to enter the lecture hall, but the stairs and lack of wheelchair equipment and other accessible tools send the message that the university does not even want them to. Additionally, this specific staircase that Dolmage describes can metaphorically stand for the other ways that all types of disabilities are disadvantaged: lack of accessible equipment, lack of helpful accommodations, lack of differentiation in learning styles, and overabundance of expectations like deadlines, time availability, flexibility in types of environments to reduce triggers, etc. In other words, in the same way that racism through segregation, lack of government funding of resources, and police bias precludes blacks from achieving success, it can be seen that the disabled are kept from success not because of their inability, but because of their inability to attain success in a mainstream way that matches the dominant \u201cnorm\u201d of society. In this way, it is clear that being disabled is not a tragedy, not an abnormality, but an expected happening in human life.These purposeful disadvantages which are based in factually incorrect assumptions exist then only because white and ableist supremacist oppressors profit from their oppression. The oppression monopolizes the opportunities for success all in favor of the oppressor, and is the only way they achieve their superior status. White Able-bodied control of minority groups is perpetuated by imposing negative identities upon the minorities.
\nHowever, the general success of the black Civil Rights movement in the 1960s in fighting these types of disadvantages can give the newly developing disability movement a model of the steps to take to start changing their experience of oppression and bias, because their struggles are so similar and so base level to America\u2019s societal structure. Not only are the disabled and black American experiences similar in the way of the oppression they face, but because of this similar oppression, their movement\u2019s needs are also similar. Both groups needed to forget their differences and unite under a common identity to change the way their group is perceived and represented by society. This idea is backed up by disability scholar Tobin Siebers, who says in their article \u201cDisability in Theory\u201d: \u201cDifferent bodies require and create new modes of representations. What would it mean for disability studies to take this insight seriously? Could it change body theory..?\u201d(Siebers)
\nThe need for unity and organization can be seen clearly in the divisions and disagreements that exist in the disability movement, showing its new wave, developing status as a movement. Much like how the people of the Civil Rights movement disagreed on religious preferences such as Islam versus Christianity, or political approaches to their issues such as nonviolence versus violence in self defense (All seen in Malcolm X vs. MLK), there are also many divisions and differences in opinion found in the disability movement. For example, \u201cThe language surrounding autism, and disability more generally, is itself often a minefield full of argument and opinion. Many claim that the term \u2018autistic person\u2019 is demeaning, because it suggests that the individual concerned is somehow defined by their autism, and that this is prejudiced and problematic. For the majority who work in social or healthcare, and in education, the phrase \u2018person with autism is preferred\u201d(Murray, \u201cAutism\u201d)Not only are professionals such as the ones mentioned here divided on how to refer to disabled people, but disabled people are divided in how the view themselves: some want to identify in the value and uniqueness of their disability, some want to see themselves as no different from the norm. In some ways, both can be true, because disabled people are only not the \u201cnorm\u201d because of how society has defined them. Additionally, it is widely known that there are many different types of disabilities, and not all disability scholars agree on what counts as a disability or even how different disabilities should be dealt with in society, such as transgender issues, mental health, and other sorts of \u201cinvisible\u201d disabilities.
\nAs a divided, first wave movement, the disability movement needs to focus on representing themselves under a common positive identity to achieve base line unity. This is supported by author Davis\u2019 assertion in his article, \u201cThe End of Identity Politics and the Beginning of Dismodernism,\u201d that \u201cthe political and academic movement around disability is at best a first-or second -wave enterprise\u201d(Davis 2). This is because he says \u201cthe first wave of any struggle involves the establishment of the identity against the societal definitions that were formed largely by oppression\u2026a pulling together of forces, an agreement to agree for political ends and group solidarity, along with the tacit approval of an agenda for the establishment of basic rights\u201d (Davis 2). These quotes show that a successful movement needs to be unified within itself first, creating a base so that they can take further steps such as creating a well defined common goal. Unity is created by normalizing or \u201cturn(ing) positive\u201d a marginalized group\u2019s identity, since what they all have in common is oppression (Davis 2). The idea that unity is the first step to a successful movement is exemplified in the marginally successful Civil Rights movement, making it a perfect example for the \u201cfirst wave\u201d disability movement to model off of.
\nSocially-oppressed black citizens followed these first step ideas found in Davis\u2019 article at the beginning of their movement, making their steps of unity and reinforcement of a positive identity a perfect example for disability. James Baldwin and Malcolm X encouraged their followers to unify under their truthful common identity. The \u201ctruth\u201d is that they are all oppressed, but the oppression is unfounded because they are valuable especially because they have overcome the oppression they are subjected to. This type of \u201cidentity politics\u201d(Davis) can be seen in Civil Rights leaders James Baldwin and Malcolm X\u2019s assertions that black is beautiful and powerful. To James Baldwin, promoting the feeling that \u201cblack is beautiful\u201d means to \u201crejoice\u2026. Respect\u2026 and to be present\u201d (Baldwin) in the value of himself and his life as a black man. He calls for black society to love and appreciate themselves in this way, because this will reject their lower social definition of powerlessness that racist American society has given them by directly juxtaposing it. He demands that black people become \u201cracially conscious\u201d(Baldwin) of their own value and entitlement to fair treatment and status in American society in this way. Racial consciousness means to be aware of the truth\u2014they are not lower in society because they deserve to be, but because they have been systematically oppressed into that position with the methods and tools discussed above. This racial consciousness is the defining point of unification in the Civil Rights movement. It promotes positive identity politics for all blacks no matter what their differences are, as Davis asserts a first wave movement should. In fact, Malcolm X advocates for blacks to forget dividing differences such as religion and class, because no matter what, all blacks are oppressed and should push for respect that a people as beautiful and powerful as they are deserve. This unification and uplifting of the black race was essential to the movement for civil\/human rights, because, as Baldwin says, if black people demonstrate their racial consciousness by standing up for themselves in self defense and advocating for their worth, they will \u201c\u2026create, the consciousness of the others\u2026\u201d (whites) \u201cand end the racial nightmare, and achieve our country, and change the history of the world\u201d.(James Baldwin) The knowledge of worth and value that racial consciousness embodies also encompasses the truths previously discussed. Hierarchies in power based on deviation from the perceived \u201cnorm\u201d are socially-constructed and have no validity. All in all, this analysis shows that the Civil Rights movement was strategic in its success by taking calculated steps to build throughout their movement, which is even now still progressing against racial bias.
\nLike the Civil Rights leaders, disability leaders and scholars need to focus on what makes them the same: The stigmas seen in Kafer\u2019s \u201cImagined Futures,\u201d the lack of respect, lack of feeling of safety, and lack of rights that they all experience, instead of focusing on differences in opinions and approaches that were discussed above. Because of these similarities, disabled activists, leaders, and scholars should focus on changing the negative stereotypes that society defines them by and promote the more positive truth: disability is beautiful, valuable, and worthy of respect in society. This is the truth, because as we saw with Dolmage\u2019s staircase metaphor, if disabled people were given tools such as wheelchair equipment, medications, academic accommodations, and technology to help communicate, they would be able to reach the same success and power that able-bodied people have. By being unified under a common identity, disabled groups can then formulate a common goal. By choosing to act their positive truth through advocacy, confidence, and love of other disabled people, disabled groups could bring a sense of \u201cability consciousness\u201d to society that parallels the idea of \u201cracial consciousness.\u201d
\nBeing completely conscious of abilities, races, and power hierarchies in America means to know the truth that no group is more able, valuable, or more powerful than another\u2014there is only the oppressed and the oppressor. Through the similarities in racial struggles that were addressed by the Civil Rights movement, it is plain to see that the disabled are wrongly oppressed for the sole purpose of keeping American society running on its system of competitive power that it always has. However, even today Civil Rights struggles and biases prevail specifically because America is so dependant on oppression. This shows that the disability struggle will also be long, but will be most successful with the first step of unity which will change their social perception and representation, just like racial consciousness and sensuality did for the Civil Rights Movement.<\/p>\n
Word Count: 2434 words not including Citation page
\nCITATIONS<\/p>\n
Kafer, Alison. \u201cImagined Futures.\u201d Feminist, Queer, Crip , pp. 1\u201324.<\/p>\n
Dolmage, Jay Timothy. \u201cIntroduction : The Approach.\u201d Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education .
\nDiAngelo , Robin. \u201cWhite Fragility .\u201d<\/p>\n
Murray , Stuart. \u201cAutism .\u201d Autism , Routledge , 2012<\/p>\n
Baldwin, James, The Fire Next Time. Random House, 1991.<\/p>\n
Siebers, Tobin. \u201cDisability In Theory.\u201d From Social Constructionism To the New Realism of The Body, pp. 173\u2013181.<\/p>\n
\u201cMalcolm X Speaks .\u201d Malcolm X Speaks , Merit Publishers and Betty Shabazz, 1965.<\/p>\n
Lennard Davis, \u201cThe End of Identity Politics and the Beginning of Dismodernism: On Disability as an Unstable Category\u201d from Bending over Backwards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Carly Rose Hughes; Major Paper\/Project Submission Chris Foss Dis\/Lit 384 April 10th 2019 American society runs on a competitive system of power hierarchies, which are seen in race, gender, and abilities. This system depends on society\u2019s \u201cothering\u201d of groups, or the ranking of their value in society by comparing them to the perceived \u201cnorm.\u201d This … Continue reading “Carly Rose Hughes’ Major Paper on the Disability Movement as Related to the Civil Rights Movement. [Race] [Identity Politics] [Ableisim]”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papJgd-lN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/63"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1351"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1354,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1351\/revisions\/1354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}