Next Monday, April 16th, Millersville University is celebrating disabilities from 9 in the morning until after 8:30 at night. If you would like to join in on this celebration please register here – it’s FREE.
Starting at 9 a.m in Stayer MPR, you will have the opportunity to eat breakfast and make protest signs.
Then at 10 until 11 you will participate in the campus parade where you will march from Stayer to the Student Memorial Center (SMC). The march is organized by ADAPT which is an organization that helps communities organize and complete marches and other protests in a nonviolent manner. ADAPT will also be running a couple sessions throughout the day.
From 11-12:30 you will enjoy refreshing coffee and participate in breakout sessions. The topic of the breakout sessions are a secret until Monday morning but one can assume that the topics will be oriented around different disability topics (obviously).
After coffee and the first round of breakout sessions, you will go to the Galley for a free lunch (if you register for this event they will give you a ticket that you can use for your lunch at the Galley). Once you finish eating lunch, from 2-3:30 there will be another round of secretive breakout sessions.
After the second round of breakout sessions you will move outside to enjoy musical performances by bands that are advocates for people with disabilities. The bands will be introduced by Dr. George Drake.
Here are the bands that will be playing at this time (there will be some others as well but they were not named to the public yet):
4 Wheel City – (Pictured above). This is a really good band! I am, personally, excited for them to come to Millersville University. Here are a few songs of their’s that are particularly good: Welcome to Reality, The Movement, and Grip Push.
Johnny Crescendo – (Pictured above). He is a huge activist in the disability equality movement. One of his most popular songs is called “Choices and Rights.” Here are a few lyrics from this popular song: “That’s what we gotta fight for. Choices and rights in our lives. I don’t want your benefit. I want dignity from where I sit. I want choices and rights in our lives. I don’t want you to speak for me. I got my own autonomy. I want choices and rights in our lives!” For more information on these lyrics and on Johnny, click here.
Anomie Fatale – (Pictured above). She is a singer and activist for disabilities. To listen to one of her songs, click here.
Once you eat dinner at 5:45, there is a film showing at 7. The film that will be shown is called Defiant Lives. Haven’t heard of this film before? Watch the trailer.
Defiant Lives is a documentary about the disability rights movement in the United States, Britain and Australia. This documentary came out in 2017.
Please come out to support and spread disability pride around Millersville University. When we come together as a university to march for what we believe in we make a difference – no matter how small or big a difference we make, the important part is that we are making it. As Yoko Ono says, “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” I dream that, someday, all inequalities for people with disabilities will be stomped out. Every person deserves equality, love, patience and acceptance. Do you agree?
I hope to see you marching with me (and many others) from Stayer to the SMC on Monday morning – if you want to make a difference you have to take that first step forward.
HCXO.
*Pictures courtesy of Pinterest and Millersville University