How Can Schools Teach Hard Histories?
Teaching students about injustice, resistance, and the long fight for civil and human rights isn’t easy—but it’s essential. These “hard histories” include moments of pain, courage, and profound change. When taught with honesty and sensitivity, they help young people develop empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. So, how can educators approach this vital work in a way that both respects the truth and supports students? Here are five best practices schools can adopt to bring hard histories to life—with integrity and care. Use Primary Sources and Real Artifacts When students engage directly with historical documents, photographs, and objects, they connect more deeply to the past. Primary sources reveal voices and experiences that are often left out of textbooks. That’s why tools like the Traveling Trunks from Atlanta’s National Center for Civil and Human Rights are so valuable. These classroom-ready kits include replica artifacts, primary documents, and lessons designed to immerse students in moments of history—from sit-ins to youth activism—right at their desks. Center Student Inquiry and Critical Thinking Rather than simply delivering facts, invite students to ask questions, analyze evidence, and wrestle with different perspectives. Let them explore: Why did people resist injustice? What choices did ordinary citizens make? How does this relate to our world today? The Center’s Learning Portal contains videos, oral histories, and discussion tools that empower students to examine history through inquiry—not just memorization. Prepare a Safe, Reflective Classroom Culture Difficult topics can bring up strong emotions, especially for students whose families have lived these histories. Establish ground rules for discussion that prioritize respect, curiosity, and care. Create space for emotional reactions and personal connections. Encourage students to notice new or more detailed information and reflect on it in relation to broader public conversations. Support every learner’s voice—and their silence. Highlight Resilience and Agency, Not Just Trauma Hard histories are not only stories of oppression; they are also stories of resistance, creativity, and community. Be sure to emphasize the courage of young people, the power of nonviolent action, and the ways change was (and still is) possible. Connect the Past to the Present Show students that the fight for civil and human rights is ongoing. Discuss current events with historical parallels. Ask how students can participate in their communities today. Encourage them to see themselves not just as learners of history—but as makers of it. Ready to Get Started? Teaching hard histories takes care, but it’s also one of the most meaningful things you can do in the classroom. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is here to help. Explore our Traveling Trunks and discover digital lessons, stories, and classroom resources in our Learning Portal. Whether you’re in-person or online, these tools will help teachers open new worlds to their students.
The Women’s Political Council: The Hidden Force Behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. Her arrest for violating segregation laws heightened public awareness of the Civil Rights Movement and elevated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from his role as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church to prominent spokesman for the movement. While Parks and King are widely recognized, the contributions of the over 200 Black women of the Women’s Political Council (WPC) and activists like Claudette Colvin traditionally received little to no attention in the storytelling until recently. Led by Alabama State University professor Jo Ann Robinson, the WPC played a crucial role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The group printed and distributed 35,000 leaflets, organized carpools, and facilitated mass meetings. In 1949, Robinson had been subjected to a verbal attack by a public bus driver for sitting in the “whites only” section of a nearly empty bus. She presented the idea of a boycott to WPC founder and president Mary Fair Burks in 1950 but was advised to forget her plans as segregated buses were seen as a fact of life in Montgomery. Upon assuming the presidency of the WPC later that year, Robinson prioritized the desegregation of the city’s buses and met with Montgomery Mayor William A. Gayle and Montgomery City Hall leaders to discuss her concerns, but neither the mayor nor the leaders were interested in her ideas. Robinson also met with the Montgomery City Commission and was promised better treatment of Black citizens on Montgomery buses but was told that segregation would continue. Robinson continued planning the boycott and, after the 1954 Brown v. The Board of Education, Topeka, Kansas decision, informed the mayor that the boycott was inevitable. On March 2, 1955, months before Rosa Parks’ arrest, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin also refused to give up her seat. She was arrested, but civil rights leaders did not publicize her case, citing her young age, pregnancy, and darker complexion as factors. Instead, leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) arranged for Parks to be the face of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by preparing her to refuse to give up her seat. Following Parks’ arrest, the WPC organized a one-day bus boycott on December 5, 1955. Its success led to an extended boycott, and several members of the Black community came together to form the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), electing Martin Luther King, Jr. as president. The MIA demanded an end to all public transportation segregation, the hiring of Black bus drivers, and the respectful treatment of Black riders. Robinson was offered but did not accept a position with the MIA. She did, however, quietly support the organization’s efforts. Robinson was also arrested, along with other Black boycotters, several times, and her car was destroyed with acid by Montgomery police officers. Two months after the boycott began, civil rights attorneys filed Browder v. Gayle, challenging Montgomery’s segregation laws as violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The District Court decided 2-1 that Montgomery’s bus segregation laws were unconstitutional. Both the City of Montgomery and the State of Alabama appealed, but the Supreme Court upheld the decision on November 13, 1956, officially ending the boycott and marking a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement. Further Reading The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It: The Memoir of Jo Ann Gibson Robinson by Jo Ann Robinson Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose Women in the Civil Rights Movement: Trailblazers and Torchbearers, 1941-1965; Edited by Vicki L. Crawford, Jacqueline Anne Rouse, Barbara Woods
Civic Engagement: Voting in 2024
Navigating election season can feel overwhelming. Here are some resources to help you plan to vote. Start by adding these important dates to your calendar as reminders to vote in the general and runoff elections. Then, make time to investigate where the candidates of the 60th presidential election stand on pressing issues. Also, explore which of your federal Senators and Representatives are up for election. A total of 468 seats in the U.S. Congress – 33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats –are on the ballot on the same day. The 2024 elections mark a pivotal moment in the nation. As citizens vested in democracy, being informed can help you confidently participate. Dive into these resources to make knowledgeable decisions and shape our future. Registering and Voting: Check if you are registered, update your information, or register for the first time: GA My Voter Page Frequently Asked Election Questions: Georgia Secretary of State: Election FAQs Georgia voters out of state during elections: Absentee Ballot Request Finding drop box locations: Contact your county elections office Contact the State Election Board: Click here or call (404) 656-2871 Resources: www.sos.ga.gov/voter-resources www.thegeorgiavoterguide.com www.fairfight.com www.ballotpedia.org
70 Years after Brown v. Board
This year, for Power to Inspire, The Center will present a multimedia performance dedicated to the historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas Supreme Court ruling and its impact on the equity of education 70 years later. What was Brown v. Board of Education about? Brown v. Board of Education challenged state-sanctioned segregation in public schools, stating separate schools for Black and white students was unconstitutional as it violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection. The Plaintiffs The “Brown” in Brown v. Board of Education is named after plaintiff Oliver Brown, who filed a class-action suit against the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, when his daughter Linda was denied entrance to Topeka’s all-white Sumner Elementary School in 1951. Mr. Brown was one of 13 parents from Topeka fighting for an equal education for his child. In 1952, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s chief attorney, Thurgood Marshall argued Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court, a case that combined 4 cases: Briggs v. Elliott (1950) from South Carolina; Bolling v. Sharpe (1952) from Washington, D.C.; Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County (1952) from Virginia; and Belton (Bulah) v. Gebhart (1952) from Delaware. The case was argued before the Court twice, in 1952 and 1953, before a decision would come down in 1954. The Doll Test To prove that segregated schools were not equal, Marshall enlisted testimonies and research from social scientists, including psychologists, Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark. Fourteen years before the case, The Clarks designed and conducted a series of experiments to study the psychological effects of segregation on African American children. “The doll tests,” as they are commonly called, used four dolls, identical except for skin color, to test children’s racial perceptions. Most of the children chose the white doll when asked which doll they preferred. The Clarks concluded that “prejudice, discrimination, and segregation” created a feeling of inferiority among Black children and damaged their self-esteem. The Verdict In May of 1954, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous 9–0 decision written by Chief Justice Earl Warren, in favor of the plaintiffs. The Court agreed that public school segregation had a “detrimental effect upon the colored children” and contributed to “a sense of inferiority.” The Courts ruled that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” and, therefore, violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The verdict overturned 50 years of “separate-but-equal” doctrine – set forth in 1896’s Plessy v. Ferguson – that gave rise to Jim Crow laws that shaped US public education (and American life) after the post-Civil War Reconstruction period. The case did not lay out any method for ending racial segregation in schools. The Reaction School integration did not happen immediately. Many states delayed or outright defied the court order to desegregate. In 1955, the Supreme Court rendered the Brown II Decision, which ordered desegregation of public schools to occur with “all deliberate speed.” White parents across the nation resisted the Brown v. Board mandate. School boards, politicians, and parents alike found ways to delay, restrict, or avoid integration. Numerous private schools popped up in predominantly white suburbs. These schools, known as “Segregation Academies,” were founded solely to avoid integrating public schools. In other areas, public schools shifted white students to “gifted programs” at schools with more funding and better opportunities. Highly skilled Black teachers were moved from their neighborhood schools to predominantly white schools. Indeed, some predominantly Black schools were closed altogether in favor of busing Black students to predominantly white schools, which were often far from Black students’ homes. Power to Inspire 2024 The year’s Power to Inspire show is written and directed by acclaimed playwright and director Nikki Toombs. Through video, music, dance, and immersive storytelling, Toombs explores the impact of Brown v. Board of Education’s transformative verdict that spurred a movement for equality, drawing parallels between students from the Jim Crow era to today and humanizing those affected by the inequality of our education system. Guests will gain insight into our society’s challenges and be inspired to advocate for fair and equal education for all. Visit civilandhumanrights.org/courage to purchase your tickets today! Want to Learn More about Brown v. Board and school integration? Check out these resources: Timeline of Events Leading to the Brown v. Board of Education Decision of 1954, National Archives A History of Private Schools and Race in the American South, Southern Education Foundation The Racist Origins of Private School Vouchers, Center for American Progress Nice White Parents, New York Times The Persistence of NYC School Segregation Part 1, Part 2, P.S. Weekly, The Bell
LGBTQ Institute Programs Impact the Future of the Workplace and Grassroots Advocacy
This summer, The LGBTQ Institute selected sixteen people nationally, ages 16 to 30, to participate in its new Youth Advocacy Fellowship program. Over the next year, the Institute will connect fellows with mentors, scholars, and seasoned advocates to fuse their professional aspirations to their social justice passions. Fellows will pursue projects in significant fields such as public health, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, advocacy education, and civil and human rights history. Fellowship training includes studying philosophies and strategies of nonviolent protests like bus boycotts (Claudette Colvin), school desegregation (Ruby Bridges and the Little Rock Nine), young people’s roles in the March on Washington, and more contemporary struggles for justice and equality. During their time together, fellows will understand how young people have always been at the center of social change movements. The fellowship seeks to nurture the emerging generation of young advocates, reflecting the National Center for Civil Rights’ mission to create a more just and equitable society through dynamic and empathy-building experiences that teach history’s connection to the present, inspiring change-makers to promote and protect the rights of all people everywhere. Motivated by the leadership of the then 19-year-old John Lewis, Tim’m West, Executive Director of the LGBTQ Institute, designed the fellowship to train young people how to lead. West wanted to pay forward his hard-earned experience to the next generation. “If there aren’t systems in place to preserve the history of advocacy, things get lost,” says West. To preserve and expand the impact of that legacy the fellowship curriculum has four components: research, history, intersectionality, and advocacy. Research dissects historical and current obstacles in order to help youth anticipate and navigate challenges. History examines the lives of notable figures like Harvey Milk, Audre Lorde, Baynard Rustin, and Gloria Anzaldua. Intersectionality explores the complex nature of social categorizations that many LGBTQ+ people experience and the systems of oppression they must fight simultaneously, such as being Black, non-binary, and living below the poverty line. Finally, advocacy investigates how to shape public policy to be more inclusive. Fellows come from diverse academic and advocacy backgrounds. One of this year’s fellows is Eric D. Stout, II. Stout participates in the CRIBB fellowship program (Creating Responsible Intelligent Black Brothers) by NAESM and is a senior at Georgia State University, majoring in public health. He applied for the program out of his ambition to develop a career that bridges the gaps of health disparities within the LGBTQ+ community. Stout’s fellowship project seeks to establish metrics of success for Black trans gay men. Stout will also study gospel singer, musician, and composer Reverend James Cleveland; poet and Atlanta community organizer Tony Daniels; and writer, philosopher, and educator Alain LeRoy Locke. Stout and his mentor community activist and author Dempris Gasque, will collaborate to build a professional development framework for young Black queer men. They hope their research can serve as a roadmap for future generations seeking to navigate identity-based challenges while seizing opportunities to advance social justice. The LGBTQ Institute also seeks to impact future generations through its upcoming annual Business Forum on October 20, 2023. The Business Forum convenes corporate leaders to share best practices that further LGBTQ+ inclusion. Experts will discuss how organizations can develop genuine and sustainable policies, avoiding performative gestures that do not address inclusion. To register for the Business Forum please visit https://www.lgbtqbusinessforum.org/.
The Center hosts inaugural Teaching Fellowship presented by R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation
Authors: Kate Moore & Nicole Moore Being an educator today is challenging work. Over the past few years, we have seen states across the nation pass legislation around “divisive concepts” in the classroom. Book challenges in 2022 increased 842% compared to 2020. To continue teaching truthful history in such a divisive era, our teachers need support, recognition, and inspiration. The current educational climate led us to our challenge: What if we could work directly with teachers to enhance their understanding of our shared history and empower them to teach honest history? This summer that simple “what if” became a reality thanks to a generous grant from the R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation. In June, twenty-five K-12 educators from across the state of Georgia joined The Center’s Education department and an impressive lineup of experts for a week-long in person institute. During this week, we challenged educators to thoughtfully examine how they teach the civil rights movement, what sources they use, what voices they center, and whose voices are being left out. We often take for granted that teachers are subject matter experts in all areas they teach. That is not always the case; for instance, a social studies teacher is more often an educational expert than an historian. With this in mind, we realized that it is important to provide deep and enriching learning experiences for educators. We wanted them to read about histories they have never heard before, learn where and how to access sources they have never seen before, engage with some of the most highly regarded historians in the field, and hear the words of those who lived through history and came out on the other side to share their stories with us. To these ends, The Center was proud to work with Dr. Hasan K. Jeffries, who served as our scholar-in-residence for the weeklong institute. Dr. Jeffries is one of the country’s preeminent civil rights historians and has helped educators across the country grapple with teaching hard history. He was joined by Dr. Vicki Crawford, Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, who spoke to Fellows about the important roles of women in the movement. Dr. Crawford also facilitated one of the most powerful moments of the week when she interviewed civil rights activist, civil servant, entrepreneur, scholar, and educator Dr. Georgianne Thomas. Public Historian and educator Dr. Christopher Lawton inspired Fellows to let their students get hands-on with history through an insightful review of his student-led public history projects in Putnam County and across Georgia. Sarah Tanner, Head of the Archives Research Center, and Tiffany Atwater Lee, Head of Research Services, at the Atlanta University Center’s Robert Woodruff Library reviewed how to successfully search and engage with archives. They also encouraged Fellows to examine how their students work, in and out of the classroom, is part of the archival record. We met the first part of our challenge by providing our participants with a rich educational experience during the institute, but this was just the start of a year-long journey for our Fellows. They will meet regularly throughout the school year and serve as members of The Center’s Education Advisory Committee. By supporting participants throughout the school year, we will rise to the challenge of empowering them to teach honest history. We look forward to watching as they build their own community of like-minded educators who understand the day-to-day work, who recognize The Center as a resource to support them, and who strive to help students critically analyze history and become engaged citizens in their own right.
Delta Airlines and the Evers Family
Leading up to this year’s Power to Inspire, The Center has facilitated several interviews with Reena Evers-Everette, Executive Director of The Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute and daughter of PTI honoree Mrs. Myrlie Evers-Williams and late civil rights activist Medgar Evers. Below Evers-Everette graciously shares how Delta Airlines aided her family in a time of great need. Reena Evers-Everette flew for the first time at age 9, just a week after her father, Medgar Evers, was shot and killed outside their home on June 12, 1963. Her mother, Myrlie Evers-Williams, and local civil rights activists tried frantically to secure a flight to Washington, DC. Medgar Evers – a former U.S. Army sergeant and World War II veteran – was to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors. In the segregated South, Delta was the only airline in Jackson, Mississippi, that offered to fly the Evers family, according to Evers-Everette. “My father and mother had previously flown on Delta to New York or California for conferences and business,” said Evers-Everette. “Delta was the airline of the South, period.” On June 19, a Delta plane took off from Hawkins Field and brought the Evers family safely and quickly to Washington, DC. “It was a scary but exciting time to step onto a plane,” said Evers-Everette. “I noticed the Delta agents were all white. They were courteous, respectful, and worked as best they could, given the tragic circumstances, to make the flight a positive experience for me and my brother. The pilot came out to meet my family.” Understanding the urgency of bringing the Evers family together, Delta was the only airline that allowed Medgar’s older brother, Charles, also a civil rights activist, to quickly board a plane from Chicago to DC. Delta returned the Evers family to Mississippi and Illinois. In the years since, the Evers family has maintained a strong relationship with the airline, often flying Delta for the family’s annual trip to visit Medgar’s grave in Arlington, and for business. Delta also supported the Evers family as they continued their advocacy for justice. “When my mother became the NAACP’s board chair, Delta was a big contributor to the organization,” said Evers-Everette. Although she eventually had a 32-year career with United Airlines, Evers-Everette says Delta remains special to her and her family. “It is with profound gratitude that I convey my appreciation of their respect at such a difficult time when that (spirit) was uncommon between races to provide that in my and my family’s life. We have seen Delta repeatedly demonstrate its integrity throughout the decades. Thank you, Delta, for always having the best for each customer that comes into your service.”
Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month: Acknowledging Significant Figures in Cultural Progress
Each year, September 15 – October 15 is marked as Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month. This is a time to appreciate and celebrate Hispanic and Latine communities’ cultures, histories, and diversity. Several activists are credited with these communities’ progress, and The Center is excited to acknowledge some of the current and historical figures that led movements to make change and progress. Estela De Carlotto Estela De Carlotto was a teacher, grandmother, and Argentinian human rights activist. In 1976 military and political unrest plagued her home, and her pregnant daughter was abducted by the military and others known as the “disappeared” and never heard from again. In 1978 Carlotto joined grandmothers in similar situations in an organization called Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo. Shortly after, Carlotto was informed that her daughter was killed. The Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo began investigating to find their grandchildren. The group became a leading human rights organization in Argentina. In 2014, Carlotto met her 36-year-old grandson for the first time. Learn more about Estela De Carlotto in the Human Rights Champion wall at The Center. Ramon Contreras Ramon Contreras is a 19-year-old political and gun control activist and filmmaker championing civic engagement by encouraging minorities to exercise their civic rights. He also founded Youth Over Guns, an organization advocating gun control in underserved and minority communities. Ramon is also the National Strategies for March for Our Lives, a student-led organization advocating for gun control through demonstration. Dolores Huerta Dolores Huerta is an American-born labor leader and civil rights activist who has dedicated her life to advocating for immigrants, women’s, and workers’ rights. She is best known for working with Cesar Chavez as the Agricultural Workers Organizing Community co-founder and organizing the Delano grape strike and the contract resolution. Her activism started in the 1950s when she began organizing farm workers to help hungry farm children. She then co-founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization, which led voter registration drives and fought for economic improvements for Hispanics. After that, she founded the Agricultural Worker’s Association and began working with activist Cesar Chavez to organize farm workers in 1962. Although she faced challenges for her ethnicity and gender, Huerta played a crucial role in organizing the 1965 Delano grape strike. She negotiated contracts for safer working conditions, unemployment, and healthcare benefits until the union contract was signed in 1970. Most recently, Dolores focused her activism on electing more Latinos and women into political office. Carlos Russell Carlos Russell is a Panamanian-born poet, professor, and activist. He dedicated most of his life to working with community leaders to organize protests and movements against racism and is known for championing NYC’s Black Solidarity Day. Russell has also served as Panama’s ambassador to the UN and has received the highest honor for Panamanian citizens in the Vasco Nunez de Balboa Award.
Civic Engagement: Voting in Midterm Elections
By: Hillary Olsen It’s time to prepare for the 2022 midterms and let your voice be heard! The midterm elections are one of the most talked about elections in the US and with good reason. This election cycle takes place two years after the presidential election and includes elections for all members of the US House of Representatives, some members of the US Senate, and several state positions. Turnout tends to be smaller for midterm elections than for the presidential election, but the positions voted on during midterms crucially impact the lives of all Americans. In Georgia, we will be voting for our Governor, Secretary of State, US House, and several other key offices. One of the easiest ways to engage in civic participation is to exercise your right to vote. Election season can be somewhat overwhelming, so here are some quick pieces of information that we hope will help make it easier for you to make a plan to vote this November in the 2022 midterm elections in Georgia. For more information or questions, visit the Georgia Secretary of State website click here. Contact: (404) 656-2871 Click here to send an email. www.ballotpedia.org www.mvp.sos.ga.gov www.securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov www.sos.ga.gov/county-elections-offices www.wabe.org/map-drop-box-locations-2022-election www.mvp.sos.ga.gov www.sos.ga.gov/voter-resources www.georgiavoter.guide www.ballotpedia.org
Disability Pride and Advocating for Access
By: Lissie Cox During July, Disability Pride month, we celebrate the efforts of thousands who organized for decades to create the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is also a moment to recognize the foundation laid by the civil rights movement to empower disabled advocates. Not only was the ADA modeled on Civil Rights Act of 1964, but the spirit of the civil rights movement inspired disabled advocate protests such as the Capital Crawl of 1990. More than 1,000 people with physical disabilities discarded their assistive devices to crawl up the steps of the U.S. Capitol and urge lawmakers to pass the ADA. When the act became law on July 26, 1990, it was a watershed moment for people with disabilities. However, since the ADA and its expansion amendments in 2008, awareness, support, and understanding for people with disabilities has halted. Discrimination persists, preventing those with disabilities to live fully and thrive. According to the CDC, about 61 million adults in the U.S. live with a disability, with the highest percentage concentrated in the South. Amongst the American disabled community: 1 in 3 do not have access to adequate healthcare because of the cost (CDC) 9% of disabled Americans are unemployed as of 2021 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) People with disabilities are four times more likely to be violently attacked than non-disabled people. (Bureau of Justice Statistics) In addition to the inherent challenges of living with a disability, disabled people struggle with living in an ableist society. The easiest definition of ableism is the assumption that a disabled person needs to be fixed or that they are limited by the confines of their disability. Just as racism leads to assumptions about a particular group of people, ableism can also lead to stereotypes, and generalizations about disabled people. It can take years for some people to have pride in living with their disability, while others may never reach that point. My story of being proud of myself and my disability is like so many across the world. I grew up with chronic pain. No one in my family or community believed me. I lived with 15 years of daily pain before they finally heard me. I endured five more years of pain, a misdiagnosis and blindness before I was correctly diagnosed. As someone who grew up chronically ill without support, I was told time and time again that if I just tried harder, I could be “normal”. That I didn’t have to be disabled. My community lacked the resources and advocates to tell me that what I was experiencing wasn’t normal. When my disability was finally diagnosed, I initially felt shame, guilt, and grief. I bought into the ableist idea that an invisible disability – a disability that is not physically noticeable – was something to overcome, push through, and hide. I understand now how that stereotype held me back and likely contributed to my illnesses progressing. Pride was the furthest thing from my mind. After years of struggle, and despite society continuing to see me as lesser, I overcome my shame and embraced my disability. I became a fierce self-advocate demanding a truly accessible world to realize the vision of the ADA. I felt called to educate communities, law makers, healthcare workers, and teachers that people with disabilities deserve a quality life of access, informed by fundamental human rights. This advocacy work has profoundly impacted my wellbeing. I have been asked why I fight for disability rights, and why I feel proud to be disabled. The reason is this: A society that would rather try to keep us from being disabled, than to understand and accommodate our disabilities, creates hatred and shame alienating the disabled community. We must prioritize education to overcome pervasive ableism. To be proud of being disabled is to know we deserve more. It is to know that we are not failures, or mistakes. It is to know that we have to fight for our rights and know we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. In a world that still revolves around non-disabled people, those of us with disabilities are expected to conform. We have to fight to be heard, to have the access we require to live. Without pride in who we are, we cannot progress. If you or someone you know is struggling with their disability, click here to access resources from the National Council on Disability. For disability ally resources, click here to access resources from the CDC. Lissie Cox is a blind and chronically ill creative from North Carolina. She is a blogger and social media creator. You find her Instagram at @looksbylissie.