Special education offers many services to students with disabilities, but the field would benefit from embracing the diverse perspectives espoused by Black feminist scholars, according to a Penn State College of Education researcher.
“People with different abilities offer so much to who we are as a society,” said Mildred Boveda, associate professor of education (special education). “People with disabilities at the intersection of cultural and linguistic differences are inherently valuable. Black feminism helps us make sense of how we get to the point where labeling a student with a disability is not helpful but turns into something hurtful and marginalizing.”
Black feminism is a key example of intersectionality—the sociological analytical framework for understanding how groups’ and individuals’ social and political identities result in unique combinations of discrimination and privilege. Examples of these factors include gender, race and sexuality.
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