Richard PattersonCivil rights activism in every form is an honorable yet often thankless uphill career path for people who took the brunt of pushback to those still holding up equality. There are many things activists will stand for, and today, we will focus on two subjects—advermation for disabled individuals and civil rights or racial discrimination. To help close the month, we would like to look at some activists still doing their best to maintain civil rights.
Fairness for the Disabled
People who dedicate much of their time to ensuring people with disabilities have a voice are commendable. Diana Elizabeth Jordan, an actress with cerebral palsy, has spent many years advocating for people with disabilities. She works alongside many organizations like SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association. In an interview with disabilityvisibilityproject.com. Jordan talks about her history and motivation for becoming an actress, her struggles with her disability, and why she has dedicated so much time to advocating for the disabled community.
In 2019, she started, directed, and is still running the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. This film-making competition is open to all, where teams create and produce a short film. This program helped spotlight individuals with disabilities and show their potential. This competition has been happening every April for years, and every short film is available on YouTube.
Standing for Race Equality
The civil rights movement expanded beyond the 1960s; the road to equality never truly ended. Jesse Jackson, a Civil rights activist with Parkinson’s disease, has been performing his duty for decades. He’s served in several departments to ensure equal human rights for any individual. Being part of the 1965 civil rights movement and Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) through the 60’s and 70’s. Many articles, including the Britannica and International Civil Rights: Walk of Fame, discuss his achievements.
Closing Thoughts/Conclusion
Times have grown, as understanding one another has become the norm. Although there are small groups who would prefer to live through hate, there are more people who will counter it. Plenty of activists are actively maintaining equality for any minority group, not only activists but many individuals and ordinary people who want to make their voices heard. So long as voices cry out for equality for each Group, there will be people who will do what they can to ensure they are listened to.
https://theableshow.com/activist-working-towards-equality-for-all/
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/event/American-civil-rights-movement
https://www.nps.gov/features/malu/feat0002/wof/Jesse_Jackson.htm
https://www.britannica.com/event/American-civil-rights-movement
https://www.nps.gov/features/malu/feat0002/wof/Jesse_Jackson.htm