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Friend of the pod and NDRN colleague Monica Wiley joins us to talk about the role models that inspired her own activism.
Full Transcript Available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-feb25/
Stephanie Flynt McEben:
All righty, folks, so we have the pleasure and privilege to sit down with one of our lovely colleagues, Monica Wiley who is going to, talk about Fannie Lou Hamer and the contributions and how she paved the way, for individuals when it came to various advocacy within the disability rights movement. And just, just various things along that nature. Monica, we are so excited to have you.
Monica Wiley:
Thank you so much Stephanie, for that warm introduction. I am delighted to be here and to talk about Fannie Lou Hamer and all of the great advocacy work that she has done, and pave the way for someone like myself to continue in that advocacy and that activism world. So I’m delighted to to be here and speak about her and, another individual as well that we all have, grown to love and definitely appreciate that, unfortunately, is no longer with us, but his legacy has left a, a blueprint, a print, in the advocacy world to make sure that we continue to to advocate as much as possible.
Stephanie Flynt McEben:
So people with disabilities. Absolutely. And just so just some quick background, because I know that, you know, some folks know about Fannie Lou Hamer is contributions, but but would love to, you know, if you could give some background on the contributions that that Fannie Lou Hamer, Hamer has made, to the disability rights movement, but also to what contributions particularly stuck out to you personally?
Monica Wiley:
Thank you so much, Stephanie, for the question. I love this question and happy to share about Fannie Lou Hamer. So let me answer the first part, of the question. Fannie Lou Hamer was a, a woman, a pioneer in the advocacy movement, that during the 1960s. And what I liked about Fannie Lou Hamer was that while she was a fierce advocate for justice rights, disability rights, she was a person who had a disability, who was born with polio, had polio at the age of two or maybe three. I think it was around 2 or 3 years old, and she walked with a visible limp. But what was amazing to me was that while she was building and coalition building and having others born into the advocacy movement, to to fight for advocacy and disability rights, they looked beyond her disability. And that was what was so impressive to me. And that is what I liked about her as well, is that while she had this disability and she walked, uneven because she walk with a limp because of the polio, she did not let that stop her. And I feel that that is the fuel that we have today, in terms of the advocacy world, is that we don’t let that stop us. And I believe that’s what made her so impressive, even during the 1960s, when she gave such an impassioned speech, about advocacy and about rights and that is what that’s so impressive. And I think that is what the disability community even finds impressive about her today, because we tend to love to adopt her slogan, which is what makes us so, so incredible as a community that we’re sick and tired of being sick and tired and and that slogan can be used for so many different and so many ways, for so many different reasons. But then the disability community and then the advocacy community for disability rights, sick and tired of being sick and tired means that we’re sick and tired of not just being considered as as a community that is whole because we are whole human beings like everyone else. And so we are sick and tired of not being considered as whole. And that’s what Fannie Lou Hamer was about. That’s what her advocacy was about. And that is why we are connected to a man and a black woman with a disability. And I do, have a visible disability because I walk with a cane when I am not in my travel scooter. And today, yes, I still get some looks and stares.But when I open my mouth and I talk about the importance of us coming together to strengthen advocacy for disability rights, that it’s when you’re and you’re then beginning to see that they can look beyond your disability, like the way that they did during that time in the 1960s, how they look beyond Fannie Lou same or disability and saw her as a fierce, true leader and that in that field. And so that is what connects me to her in so many ways. She is one of my sheroes, and I really feel that the disability community likes about her as well, and her advocacy is the fact that she even look beyond her own disability and then allow others to see that disability prevent her from her great work in the advocacy world.
Stephanie Flynt McEben:
I absolutely agree with that 100%. And, you know, I think one thing that I personally appreciate about Fannie Lou Hamer is the fact that, you know, she wasn’t all talk. Right. And I feel like sometimes, you know, folks, while they are well-meaning, you know, sometimes people will say things and not act on them. And when she said, I’m sick and tired of being so sick and tired, she acted on that.
Monica Wiley:
She worked, to try to, you know, make this world a better place for for all of us and various communities. Absolutely, absolutely. Beautifully said, Stephanie, that she did and that that slogan made her again, the, the the desire every single day to get up and and make society and make our community just a better place overall and a better, just a better community overall and a better society overall, So the betterment of our community and society as a whole. So absolutely, I agree with you 100%,
Jack Rosen:
Thanks for sharing that, Monica. I was wondering if you could tell us who else has inspired you and your journey as an activist?
Monica Wiley:
Thank you for the question, Jack. Yes, so many have inspired me, but the the other person that comes to mind when I think of my work in the advocacy world and disability rights is the late Congressman John Lewis, and may he rest in power. Congressman John Lewis was a very to some amazing, amazing, man and leader from the South. And I always love to say, one of his, his, his mantras, one of his slogans, which is, you know, it’s nothing wrong with getting into good trouble. And that’s how I look at disability rights and and advocacy. It’s getting into good trouble. Because the trouble that we are getting into is good. It is for the betterment of our community, for the betterment of society, for our, for just the advocacy that we’re doing to be beneficial for for us and for everyone that is a part of our community connected to our community. So advocacy is good. Trouble getting into good trouble, making sure that we eliminate the bad troubles and creating some good trouble. And so that’s what I loved about Congressman John Lewis, was that he, he was proud to be a person that was about making history and history in a sense of good trouble. For those who don’t may not know about Congressman John Lewis background, Congressman John Lewis, was such a, a fierce, advocate for, for, for rights, just, just, just basic human rights. But what he, is highly revered, of is him leading about 600 people across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to fight for the rights, for for voting rights. And while it did not go the way that, that we, we had hoped for or especially at what they hoped for, that during that time, although they were fighting for good trouble. It didn’t go as well, that they had anticipated. But the beauty of the good trouble that came out of that situation, because there was still some good trouble that, that is with us today. The beauty, about that was that while they encountered some hardships, and some struggles as they cross, the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, that definitely led to voting rights and and just disability rights because he experienced, disability during that time. During that period, because of what happened to him. But he didn’t let that disability stop him. He continued to fight for disability rights and for for advocacy, and ended up becoming a member of Congress, when he ran for Congress, and Georgia. So Congressman John Lewis and Anthony Lou Hamer were both pioneers and individuals and the advocacy world and the voting rights world. And also we and the disability community have adopted, that, that that slogan, that it’s it’s always good to get into some good trouble. Never be afraid, to get into some good trouble. Are the two pioneers that I championed and and the work that I do that keeps me grounded. And and positivity. In terms of me fighting for disability rights, for my rights and for the continuation and the support of advocacy for my community and for us all.
Stephanie Flynt McEben:
Okay, I love that. And can I just say that advocacy is good trouble or advocacy makes good trouble needs to be one of the t shirts that we sell in our merch shop. Know what I like that I do like that I didn’t even realize that effective. I would try to be tied to my words. I’m like, go, Monica, go like yes, oh my gosh, I’m totally here for it. Of course we should totally, you know, attribute like, you know, the paraphrase to you as well. Like I am totally here for this. I like that
Monica Wiley:
Jack did that answer your question?
Jack Rosen:
It did. Thanks for coming on today, Monica, do you have any closing thoughts?
Monica Wiley:
I was going to say no, but yes, I do. I just first, I want to thank you, to, this this podcast to my colleagues for having me come on here to talk about two amazing leaders, that, that we’re paying respects to for their contributions to the advocacy world. And may we just continue to stand on their shoulders and continue to be their, their biggest accomplishments, because this is what they wanted to see. And I hope that we just continue to think of them as we continue to run across some obstacles and some hurdles and some mountains at times. But think about those mountains and hurdles that they came across. But they still continued. They still continue to to fight for disability rights and and for advocacy. And so I lead with saying that may we continue to do the same and maybe continue to make them proud and continue the work that they left for us to do, because it is up to us to continue this mission and this work. And so I thank you. And it’s a pleasure, as always, to be, with my colleagues, Jack and Stephanie here on this podcast. Have a great day.
Stephanie Flynt McEben:
Thank you so, so much, Monica. We totally, as always, enjoy having you, as one of our guests on the podcast. And of course, you know, you are always welcome back, I appreciate that.
Monica Wiley:
I look forward to coming back.
Stephanie Flynt:
Yaaaay I love this. We have a commitment.
Jack Rosen:
And as always, you can follow us on threads, Twitter, blue Sky, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and the TikTok that we do not use that I do not remember the account name of you, and you can email us at [email protected]. Until next time, folks.
