Activism as Resistance: The Uprising of Black Youth with Stuttering Disabilities

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Radical Youth Literacies: Black Resistance, Disability, and Liberation

Abstract

This qualitative narrative inquiry examines how Black youth with stuttering disabilities engage in activism as a form of resistance and identity reclamation. Grounded in Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), and Black Feminist Thought, the study highlights how six high school students use storytelling, digital media, and community organizing to challenge ableism and racism in educational spaces. Findings reveal that activism is rooted in reclaiming voice, resisting silence, and building affirming peer communities. This work expands youth activism research by centering disabled Black voices and offers a justice-oriented model for inclusive research and practice in schools.

Authors

• Antonio L. Ellis, American University

• William N. Thomas, American University

• Phelton Cortez Moss, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Eugene Pringle, American University