Race and Disability Reading Group, London

Emerging in the first decades of the 21st Century has been new academic exploration of the specificity of experience for intersectional groups, communities that combine two or more societally marginalised identities. Research has been shown how identities, such as race or gender, dynamically interrelate to form a unique recipient of a fluid societal prejudice very much their own. Most recently, the intersectional relationship of race and disability has drawn academic and media attention. In the USA, no less for the correlative ‘pipeline’ revealed between undiagnosed or misunderstood learning disabilities in African American school children and eventual incarceration in US prisons (detailed on Sage journals website here). At ground roots level, there has also been focus from groups such as ‘Sisters of Frida’ on the experiences of non-White disabled women, a community that endure a special societal invisibility and powerlessness informed by their three coalescing identities.

The proposed Race and Disability Reading Group aims to bring together academic and non-academic minds interested in unpacking through experience and scholarly discussion the specificity of this intersectionality, particularly in relation to representation in film, television and other screen media. Meeting once a month for two hours, group organiser and postgraduate researcher, Jana Manuelpillai (himself studying the intersection of blindness and race in US TV) will choose a chapter or PDF essay/article related to race and disability to begin the reading group discussion. Moving forward, attendees will also be invited to submit ideas for reading.

This Race and Disability Reading Group is open to all students, postgraduates and non-academics across Birkbeck and beyond interested in this topic and desiring group study support in this field. The Reading Group will ensure that all attendees are comfortable and supported in the session. As such any individual needs (related to disability or otherwise) are welcomed and will be catered for with kindness. The Reading Group will be a safe and private space for all viewpoints to be heard. Tea and coffee will be provided.

If interested in joining the Race and Disability Reading Group, please email or confirm your attendance here on Eventbrite. The first session will take place on the 6th Nov 2024 at 6pm in Room G08 at Birkbeck Central, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY. Following sessions will be on the first Wednesday of the month, every month, at 6pm. These timings can be changed to accommodate attendees once interest is shown in attending. If you would like to attend remotely, do let us know and we will do our very best to accommodate.

Host or Publisher Race & Disability Community Group