I Am More Than My Voice: A Young Woman’s Journey Toward Spoken Word and Exploring Her Dis/Ability

• In Event: Overcoming the Silence Through Spoken Word

Abstract

Objectives
Pedagogues (McCormick, 2004; Jocson, 2005; Winn, 2011) agree that spoken word is impossible to ignore because it serves as a powerful medium to explore identity and promoting critical thinking and writing. However, these studies do not address how it can be inclusive of all students, especially students with dis/abilities. In this paper, we investigate Celia’s--an African American woman with multiple learning disabilities--journey into spoken word.

Theoretical Frameworks
We use intersectionality as our theoretical framework as it has come to stand as a synonym for the way in which the “litany” of oppressions (based on axes of gender, race, class) inflect and inform one another (Carasanthesis, 2008). While dis/ability is on occasion listed in a series of intersectional variables; rarely, is the intersection between race and ability examined in significant detail. It is the association of disability with deviance and lack of intelligence that has caused several critically minded scholars to reframe dis/ability (Erevelles et al., 2006). Annamma et al. (2012), assert that “for students of color, the label of dis/ability situates them in unique positions where they are considered ‘less than’ white peers with or without dis/ability labels, as well as their non-disabled peers of color” (p.5). Intersectionality challenges the notion of students’ as static in nature and emphasizes students’ simultaneous and situated nature.

Methods
This research used a qualitative case study design (Hartley, 2004). Ethnographic notes were collected from weekly sessions from the writing group that Celia attended. Informal and semi-structured interviews were conducted and included open ended questions regarding K-12 education and spoken word. Data were organized into manageable units using aggregation (Merriam & Simpson, 2000) and constant comparative coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Member check in and debriefing was used to confirm interpretation along with triangulation (Stake, 2006).

Results
Like many students labeled with dis/abilities, interviews revealed that Celia had a very difficult time in school. She shared, “In school, I always felt I was not getting a real education.” In her poem “Take a Chance”, she openly discusses her speech disability, overcoming obstacles, and asks listeners to move past judgments about her voice by listening to her story. Celia’s poem allowed her to break down barriers that might not be possible in everyday life, and provided an opportunity for her to showcase her abilities.

Significance
June Jordan states, “slam poetry loudly raises issues the canon does not touch: issues of race, class and sexuality” (cited in Sparks & Grochowski, 2002, p. 12). What is often dismissed however is the notion of dis/ability. By largely focusing on race, class, and gender, we fail to promote inclusivity and further marginalize a population that has already experienced “multiple oppressions.” By raising these highly charged issues, we can shed light on the voices of students of color with dis/abilities in ways that bring attention to their marginalization, and showcases their resistance to notions of normalcy.

Authors

• Shiv Raj Desai, Thomas More College

• Adai A. Tefera, Arizona State University