Honouring Black Disabled Voices This Black History Month

It is Black History Month in the UK, so what better time to celebrate the contributions, creativity, and excellence of the many Black individuals that have shaped our society?

It is also an important moment to highlight the stories that often go unheard: those of Black disabled people, whose lived experiences reveal both the barriers within our systems and the brilliance that can emerge when those barriers are challenged.

Being both Black and disabled in the UK can mean facing multiple forms of discrimination yet throughout our history, Black disabled individuals have led with courage, artistry, and determination, using their experiences to advocate for change.

Barbara Stewart was a poet and community activist. She volunteered as a Disability Benefits Advisor for the organisation ‘Real’ and worked tirelessly to bring attention to disability rights and systemic barriers for disabled people. She used her writing to challenge perceptions and explore identity with honesty and strength. Her work reminds us of the power of storytelling and how individual truth can inspire collective understanding.

Ade Adepitan is a Paralympic medalist, television presenter and the new Chancellor of Birmingham City University. He has become one of Britain’s most recognisable and respected advocates for inclusion, using his platform to provide positive representation. His achievements on and off the wheelchair basketball court demonstrate how talent, perseverance and self-belief can challenge perceptions of what is possible.

Marsha de Cordova, MP for Battersea and former Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, has used her platform to champion disability rights and social justice. As a Black woman with visual impairment, her leadership challenges the idea of who belongs in politics, showing that representation truly matters in shaping equitable policy.

These stories of art, sport, and leadership are powerful reminders that Black disabled voices are not on the margins of making history; they are central to it.

Happy Black History Month from the Genius Within crew!