Getting Down to Honoring the Women
Qudsiya's thoughts during Women's History Month
Hello DTTS community!
I’m so glad you’re here, and I hope you’re enjoying the first few episodes of season 8 of Down to the Struts. If you haven’t listened yet, head to our website, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app to catch up on our latest episodes with author and filmmaker Day Al-Mohamed and award-winning recording artist Lachi.
These two fantastic guests also come together in the pilot episode of the PBS Masters series, Renegades, produced by Day and hosted by Lachi. The episode features the story of deaf racecar driver and stunt woman, Kitty O’Neil.
Speaking of incredible disabled women, we are well into celebrating Women’s History Month. I’ve been thinking about all of the phenomenal disabled women (and women ancestors) who have served as caregivers, mentors, and beacons throughout my life. This includes the disabled women in my own family, whether they hold that identity or not. Through diabetes, cancer, hearing loss, and chronic illness, they formed the original care webs that I was fortunate to grow up in. They showed up for each other with good food, company, and unwavering support.
I was blessed to grow up among a community of brilliant and loving women, including my mother, sister, and countless cousins and aunts. In the years that I have grown closer to my disability identity, I have even more women mentors and role models.
Down to the Struts has been a significant source of these new connections which is why, this Women’s History Month, I wanted to uplift just a few of the badass disabled DTTS alumni that I look up to, and who I had the privilege to spend some time with.
On March 4, the disability community marked one year since Judy Heumann’s passing. Hailed the “mother” of the disability rights movement, Judy was a font of advice, encouragement, and connection to disability community, even in the brief hours I spent with her. I know she has been the same for countless others around the world.
Artist and writer Bhavna Mehta bestowed her wisdom about the process of becoming disabled, and its similarity to the experience of immigration. Her calm presence and soulful reflections always push me to think about the world, and my place in it, in new ways, every time we interact.
All the way back in season 1, disability studies scholar and activist Sara Acevedo taught me how to think and talk about disability using the framework of disability justice. Our conversation was foundational to the concepts my guests and I have explored throughout eight seasons of the podcast, and I always point to it when new listeners ask me where they should start with Down to the Struts.
Space explorer, mom, and community leader Denna Lambert generously shared her wisdom about disabled motherhood in season 6. Her multi-hyphenate life has served an example for me about how we as women can carry our multitudes, while remaining deeply grounded in the fundamentals of who we are.
I could go on for many more pages about the disabled women in my life and all they have taught me, but I will spare you all email fatigue! If you have any thoughts you’d like to share, do get in touch at downtothestruts@gmail.com.
I hope that you all carve out some time this month, and every month, to celebrate and honor the women in your life who have built the foundation that you stand on.
In solidarity,
Qudsiya