A note from Vilissa Thompson

10 years later, the Black Disabled Woman Syllabus matters more than ever.

In 2016, I created the Black Disabled Woman Syllabus during a wave of activity spotlighting important Black perspectives and bodies of work, including a number of syllabi inspired by Beyoncé’s Lemonade album and its themes exploring Black womanhood. The Black Disabled Woman Syllabus was my way of ensuring that Black disabled experiences and perspectives were visible and shared, and that their nuances could be explored and learned from.

A decade later, reviving the Syllabus seems imperative as we live in a moment where people who hold enormous power in our government and society are hell-bent on erasing our history, minimizing our experiences, and stifling the voices of marginalized people, including (and especially) Black people. We know that Black history can never be erased, no matter who tries. Breathing life back into the Syllabus is my small way of documenting our experiences and knowledge while pushing back against the fascist, racist, ableist powers at large.

I’m grateful for the collaborators who, over the course of Spring 2026, took the time to share bodies of work that they believed would fit the Syllabus’ focus. As a Black disabled woman, my work centers on the experiences of Black disabled women, femmes, queer, non-binary, trans, and other MaGes [marginalized genders] people and truths. That intention is at the heart of the Syllabus, and my collaborators understood the assignment perfectly.

The revival includes updated links to the pre-existing sources shared, as well as pertinent works that were created since 2016 that our collaborators shared with us. I’m proud to see the newness added to the Syllabus, but why stop there?

In order to keep the Syllabus updated, we would love for YOU to share with us any bodies of work you believe should be on the Syllabus. My incredible curator Sarah B. has created a Google Form linked below where community members like you can share relevant works, and we can add them to the Syllabus over time.

Very appreciative of the support for the Black Disabled Woman Syllabus over the last decade; turning the Syllabus into a living document allows an intentional archiving of Black disabled Brillance to be discovered.

Warmly,
Vilissa Thompson, LMSW
Founder and CEO of Ramp Your Voice!
Originator of the Black Disabled Woman Syllabus