Gilary Guzman on The Interconnectedness of Anti-Racism and Disability Rights Activism

Meet Gilary Guzman

The CDLI team spoke with Gilary Guzman, a disability and anti-racism activist, about the intersectionality of race and disability. Note, the interview responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

“For a long time, all my professors and practicum supervisors were all white. It was something that I was always aware of in conversations about disability. I could sense the white lens applied to my educations and practicum experience. We know that people don't experience only one identity. Recently, I've been a lot more careful about seeking out voices that touch on both issues, racism and ableism. Because BIPOC with disabilities not only experience racism but also ableism.”

“A lot of the people around me within my work in the disability community are white and they're still trying to understand anti-racism and incorporate it into their work. White disability activists recognize that they may experience ableism, but they still experience white privilege. Seeing those conversations take place has been interesting. It makes me want to take a more critical lens to my work to make sure that we are recognizing the intersectionality of our members because they don't come to us only with a disability. You can't talk about racism without talking about ableism and vice versa. Years ago, when Americans were trying to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act the Black Panthers were very supportive of the disability rights movement. Just a few years before that the Civil Rights Act came into effect in the US. Looking back on our history you can see the interconnectedness of anti-racism and disability activism. We have a history of supporting each other's movements.”

You can keep up with Gilary on Instagram @gilary.guzman