In this lesson, students will be invited to research a famous Black Disabled person, either from history or modern day. Students will work in groups or individually to research their assigned person and create a final project in a creative format. Students will then present their findings to the class.

Image description: Photos of 6 famous Black Disabled people: Harriet Tubman, Tom Wiggans, Fannie Lou Hamer, Maya Angelou, Wilma Rudolph, and Harry Belafonte

Students will learn about one of the most influential blues guitarists of the early 1900s, Blind Willie Johnson. They will read an article detailing his life and how he is remembered. The class will then listen to an example of his music, and covers of his music. Students will also discuss how blind musicians can help advance the discussion concerning the stigma of disability.   

Image description: halftone photograph of Blind Willie Johnson

In this read-aloud of a picture book version of Maya Angelou’s “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me”, students will learn about and discuss fear, what it means to be brave, and how to cope when feeling scared. Students will learn about Maya Angelou and selective mutism, which is an anxiety disorder that Maya Angelou experienced for 5 years during adolescence. 

Image description: Sketch of Maya Angelou

In this lesson, students will read and discuss Douglas Baynton’s Disability and the Justification of Inequality in American History. Students will participate in a discussion about the racialization of disability and the intersections of ableism and racism.

Image description: Photograph of James Baldwin and the quote “We can disagree & still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression & denail of my humanity & right to exist” - James Baldwin