Black Girls With Disabilities: Pushed Out, Unsupported, Struggling to Learn [video]

From inadequate educational experiences to constant, harmful disciplinary practices, school is a harmful place for many Black girls with disabilities. The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) in conjunction with The Education Trust interviewed two Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC) members about their experiences in school as Black girls with learning disabilities.The videos capture parts of a recorded conversation between Alyssia Jackson, YALC Alumnus, Atira Roberson, current YALC Member, and Lynn Jennings, Ph.D., Senior Director of National and State Partnerships at Ed Trust.

Listen in as the women shared their struggles with pull-out special education practices, the value of having a Black teacher and how important Black parents and guardians are to helping their children become self-advocates.

Are Black girls forced to choose between their race or their disability?

For some Black students with disabilities, this can pose a difficult decision: do I advocate for myself and advocate for the support and accommodations I’m due to help me learn, or do I remain quiet instead of risking discipline for racial and gender stereotypes that plague our schools?

A Triple Threat: Getting Into Good Trouble

In this clip, Atira and Alyssia talk about their experiences in special education programs, and why they proudly embraced their identity as a triple threat: Black, disabled, and a woman.

The Impact of Black Educators in Classrooms

Alyssia, Atira, and Lynn discuss ways to make school a more supportive environment.

Read the full post on the NCLD website for additional context around these conversations.

Source: NCLD | Black Girls w/ Disabilities: Pushed Out, Unsupported, Struggling to Learn, https://www.ncld.org/news/black-girls-w-disabilities-pushed-out-unsupported-struggling-to-learn | ©2023 National Center for Learning Disabilities

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