ABSTRACT
DisCrit recognizes how racism and ableism are mutually constitutive by drawing on the simultaneity of oppression. Ableism and racism circulate in ways that reinforce normalcy as white, male, middle class, and cis-het. Said differently, ableism enables whiteness, consistently (re)orienting it as the norm, and concurrently ignoring when whiteness does not meet its own standards, resulting in the celebration of white mediocrity. Conversely, ableism debilitates black people generally, and Black girls specifically. Debilitating processes, such as “the discourse, policies, and practices that limit access to being perceived as able and therefore worthy of support, often position black girls as unwanted”. Historically, Blackness and disability have been conflated, making many Black folks aware that being named as Disabled just for being Black facilitates the stripping of their rights. This historical trajectory has resulted in many black people refusing to be associated with disability.
