💕#Repost @mamacaxx
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RANT : 1 of the very 1st photographs with my prosthetic exposed. When it went around on tumblr, the recurring comment was “I’ve never seen a black woman with a prosthetic before”, A quick google search of prosthetic and you barely see POCs.
About 4 yrs ago I was hanging with a friend when a blind guy happened to be walking by , my friend was staring at him and I knew this stare because people have looked at me this exact same way . with a look of pity my friend said “I wouldn’t want to be blind, it must be sad not to see the world​” to which I replied “do you think this world deserves to be seen, don’t you think that maybe a blind person sees it better than a pair of eyes could”
I’ve been fortunate to know paralympians; work with disabled politicians, activists & deaf people lobbying for their rights, and countless disabled people not only being successful but contributing to society- my goal is to show you images and stories that you wouldn’t otherwise encounter and without even knowing it change how you see people like me; because Next time you see an amputee my hope is that you wont approach them with a “I will pray for you” or “get better soon” but you will instantly recognize their potential, not invade their space and therefore will not reach out to “help” without first asking if they need your help. And please if your first sentence starts with “no offense but…” it’s best to keep quiet.
That’s how images work, they are imprinted in your brain and subconsciously change how you interact with others. Once you’ve crossed that small bridge then we’ll talk about how in some countries disabled children are not allowed to go in public, in others albino children are hunted. we’ll talk about how in some societies men with HIV believe they can be cured by having sex with a disabled person and in other countries it is the norm to decide to abort a child that will be born with a disability-but yea baby steps.
I’m not a rebel because I take the streets and fight with guns, I’m a rebel simply because in a world that oppresses and marginalizes me, I’ve managed to give myself a voice and make it loud enough to impact others. #mamacax 📸@islan