DISABILITY AND EMPIRE | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
Date and Time
Feb 12, 2025 6:00 pm
Location
Brookland
625 Monroe St NE, Washington, District of Columbia, 20017
Feb 12, 2025 6:00 pm
Brookland
Join us to learn how the fight for disability justice is connected to the broader struggle against imperialism and systemic oppression
Disability and Empire: Class, US Imperialism, and the Struggle for Disability Justice aims to bring visibility to the liberation struggle of people with disabilities, adding an internationalist and class perspective—and making them the subject, not the object, of history.
Exploring the social construction of “disability” in the US, the authors look at the history of the disability rights movement, bringing in the stories and voices of those engaged in the daily fight for a better world: from solidarity with liberation struggles of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s; to building solidarity between care workers and clients; to the victories won by disability activists and the status of rights for people with disabilities today. This book also expands beyond the US, critically examining the role of U.S. imperialism in killing and disabling millions, as well as studying how other societies deal with disability. Looking ahead, it paints a picture of what disability justice may look like under socialism.
Co-author Sunil Freeman and educator/local community organizer Toya Beacham are joining us on the Busboys stage to delve into the history of the disability rights movement, highlight the intersection of class and international solidarity, and examine the impacts of US imperialism. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Freeman will be signing following the program.
This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of DISABILITY & EMPIRE will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person, masks will be required for all guests, and this event will not be livestreamed.
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Sunil Freeman was the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s 2020 Vice Presidential candidate, running with Gloria La Riva. He has published essays in journals including Delmarva Review, Gargoyle, and Jaggery, and his music reviews have appeared in The Washington Post. He is author of a poetry collection, That Would Explain the Violinist (Gut Punch Press, 1993), and a chapbook, Surreal Freedom Blues (Argonne Hotel Press, 1999). Now retired, he worked for many years as Assistant Director of The Writer’s Center.
Toya Beacham is a multidisciplinary visual artist, illustrator, writer, and veteran educator from the greater Washington, DC region where she currently resides.
