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NAMED Advocates

The National Alliance of Melanin Disabled Advocates (NAMED Advocates) creates spaces for disabled leaders of color and BIPOC allies to gather, learn, connect, and grow around racial and disability justice. Through use of knowledge and empowerment tools, we work to destigmatize the existing outward narrative that currently surrounds the disabled community. We equip community members with the vocabulary to express their authentic selves with confidence and certainty. Our community events are celebrations of solidarity, providing opportunities for collaboration and relationship building.

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NAMED Blog

An image of a person handing another a can of food,NAMED Advocates
November 24, 2025

Hunger Is a Policy Choice: Food Insecurity and the Cost of SNAP Cuts on Disabled Communities

Food insecurity isn’t just about an empty pantry. It’s about systemic inequities that limit access to nutrition, safety, and dignity. Across the United States, millions of people are facing growing…
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A picture of disabled workers.NAMED Advocates
October 30, 2025

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Advancing Economic Justice

  Every October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) reminds us of the progress made—and the inequities that remain—for disabled people in the workforce. This year’s observance is not just…
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Four squares showing workers and moneyNAMED Advocates
September 26, 2025

Economic Justice Is Disability Justice for Black and Brown Disabled Communities

Economic injustice and disability are deeply intertwined. Yet the way our society often talks about equity separates them into distinct issues. The reality is that systemic racism and ableism converge…
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A black and white image with for pictures of protests.NAMED Advocates
August 27, 2025

Black August: Honoring Our Freedom Fighters, Defending Our Future

Black August began in the California prison system in the 1970s as a month of reflection, study, and action to honor the lives of Black freedom fighters—many of them incarcerated…
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A beige background with the Disability Pride flag and speech bubbleNAMED Advocates
July 25, 2025

Disability Pride vs. Disability Rage: Holding Both at the 35-Year Mark

Disability Pride vs. Disability Rage: Holding Both at the 35-Year Mark When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)¹ was signed into law in July of 1990, I had just turned…
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NAMED Advocates
June 19, 2025

Freedom Still Deferred: Honoring Juneteenth Through a Disability Justice Lens

On June 19, 1865—two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation—enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas were finally informed of their freedom. Juneteenth marks this moment, a delayed liberation…
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Three Black and disabled folx (a non-binary person holding a cane, a non-binary person sitting in a power wheelchair, and a femme sitting in a chair) casually smile at the camera while a rainbow pride flag drapes on the wall behind them.NAMED Advocates
June 13, 2025

Queer and Disabled: Thriving at the Intersections of Pride and Disability Justice

Pride Month is a time of celebration and reflection for many in the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s a moment to honor the legacy of resistance, to remember the struggles that paved…
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An image with Keri Gray on a brown background as she goes “hmm.” The text says Say It or Switch It: The DEIA Language War & What’s at Stake?NAMED Advocates
May 27, 2025

Say It or Switch It? The DEIA Language War & What’s at Stake

Explore the growing backlash against DEIA and what’s really at stake in today’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility climate. This blog unpacks whether organizations should stand firm or adapt their…
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