504 & Beyond with Sami Schalk

Sami Schalk, Associate Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Drawing from the book, Black Disability Politics, this talk will detail the Black Panther Party’s involvement in the 1977 504 Sit-in, in which protesters around the country picketed and occupied government offices to urge passage of delayed regulations related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Schalk will discuss the sit-in as an historical example of how Black cultural workers have engaged with disability as a political issue in ways that have sometimes been obscured in Black studies and disability studies alike.

Biography: Dr. Sami Schalk (she/her) is an associate professor of Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction (Duke 2018) and Black Disability Politics (Duke 2022). Dr. Schalk’s academic work focuses on race, disability, and gender in contemporary American literature and culture. She also writes for mainstream outlets, including a monthly column called “Pleasure Practices” in TONE Madison. Dr. Schalk identifies as a fat, Black, queer, disabled femme and a pleasure activist.

This lecture is organized by the Dresher Center for the Humanities.

Co-sponsored by the Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging; and the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services.

Photo by Paulius Musteikis.

Image description: A Black women with short curly hair is smiling at the camera. She is wearing glasses with black frames and red liptstick.

UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all students, staff, and visitors. If you would like to request a disability-based accommodation on site or have questions about this event or its location, please contact us at dreshercenter@umbc.edu.