crip camp (doc)
___________
(2020) crip camp: a disability revolution
(obamas exec producers)
notes/quotes:
the barriers were all over the place
the wild thing.. is that this camp changed the world.. and nobody knows this story..t
4 min – 1971 – first time to camp jened, ny
6 min – wishing i could go to woodstock.. then went to jened.. and there i was.. like in woodstock.. the music and the people.. i just feel like these people are crazy.. in a good way.. come to camp jened and find yourself
7 min – it was a utopia when we were there.. there was not outside world..
9 min – jened was an opp to try and do some diff things.. camp started back in 50s.. as traditional.. as evolved in 60s and 70s tried to make it place where teenagers could be teenagers.. that was a time of social experimentation..
10 min – we realized the problem didn’t exist w people w disabilities.. it existed w people that didn’t have disabilities.. it was our problem .. so it was important for us to change
12 min – at camp.. everybody had something going on with their body.. it just wasn’t a big deal
17 min – it was an awakening that people saw me not as judy but as somebody who was sick
19 min – in some way.. even when we were that young.. we knew we were being sidelined .. we didn’t want to sideline anybody.. we wanted to hear what everybody had to say.. we were willing to listen..t
23 min – at home there was a hierarchy of disabilities.. polio on top.. because looked most normal.. cerebral palsy at bottom but at jened.. you were just a kid
30 min – you wouldn’t be picked on a team back home.. but at jened.. you had to go up to bat.. and if you didn’t hit the ball.. you were out
31 min – back then.. no disability act yet.. so similar to blacks oppressions
36 min – (from convo of two that hardest time talking.. yet understanding each other) on the importance of being able to be alone to think et al
37 min – what we saw at that camp was that our lives could be better
(at end of summer) we were going back.. almost in time..
we were brothers and sisters there
i took ideas back home that my community was unfamiliar with.. tie die shirts; afro; burned incense.. between revolution going on .. peace movement.. i became very involved in that.. jened had exposed me to the world.. outside of alabama..
38 min – at camp i was in a whole other world.. going back home.. had to try to adapt.. to fit into this world that wasn’t built for me.. it never dawned on me that the world was ever going to change
39 min – 1972
thought of as neither man nor woman but as disabled person
41 min – i don’t think i really felt shame about my disability.. what i felt was exclusion.. what we got from camp.. is that the status quo was not what it needed to be
42 min – willowbrook – 1 attendant w 50 severely disabled children.. at the time.. people weren’t thinking about what was wrong with the willowbrooks of the country.. at the same time civil rights movement going on around us and that was an opp to talk about why we were excluded.. and what did we need to do
45 min – disabled in action has demo in nyc – nixon vetoing non discrimination.. a radical agenda was mobilized..
47 min – mlk bday gathering – grand central station.. but no ramp/elevator..
another demo spring of 1973.. smaller group.. didn’t have any disabled vets.. so .. expanded.. ed, transportation, access
49 min – eventually nixon caved into all political pressure and signs bill.. but they do nothing enforce section 504
53 min – 1974 – i heard a bunch of people from camp jened had moved out to berkeley
55 min – radical disableds.. creating new world.. first time a group have gotten together to solve (ie: run center) mutual problems
a feisty group.. that will not accept no.. demand what you believe in
57 min – goal to make handicapped self sufficient
59 min – motorized chair.. very liberating
1:01 – if you’re a handicapped person and you happen to have a passive nature about you.. you’re really screwed..t (guy from 36 min non verbal ish convo)
1977 – judy being interviewed about 73 law.. rallies for 504 (making places accessible)
1:06 – judy: the more i sat in this room and got these absolute non answers.. the angrier i got.. and that’s when i knew we couldn’t leave.. because no one knew what we were talking about but we knew they were trying to rescind the regulation
1:08 – judy: we had the expertise to not only have demos but to sustain them.. really well org’d
hot water turned off.. phones turned off .. deaf people knew what to do.. ie: signed out window.. another guy built a fridge.. called black panthers.. to help w food et al.. brought it everyday .. for no money..
why are you choosing to feed us.. black panther’s answer: you are trying to make the world a better place.. and that’s what we are about..
1:10 – we had relationships w local govt.. churches.. other civil rights groups.. it was the right place the right time..
1:11 – the 504 sit in was like camp.. everything we learned from crip camp we did there.. all of us.. camp counselors and all.. found their way into the building
judy made sure.. everyone gets a chance to speak.. meetings would go until 3am.. everyone engaged.. otherwise wouldn’t have stayed there.. the more we learned about our own handicap.. hidden disabilities.. et al.. became tighter/firmer group
1:13 – problem was still.. trying to get attention of washington.. 7 days and counting.. sleeping on floor.. no ventilators
the world always wants us dead.. we live with that reality.. fighting to be here.. that’s our (normal) drive
1:14 – 11 days.. on local media ignoring entire event
1:18 – judy talking – first time choked up.. ‘we want no more segregation.. we will accept no more discussion of segregation.. and i would appreciate it if you would stop shaking your head in agreement when i don’t think you understand what we are talking about’..t
@judithheumann
there are moments of history change.. that exchange (w judy and calafono’s guy) was one of them
1:22 – day 22 in san fran.. some go to dc.. but heads they are going to see (including pres carter) sneak off.. califono asked later why didn’t speak w them.. he said ‘there’s an illegal demo going on in san fran.. so didn’t want to get involved’
1:25 – then calafono signs – judy (hueman)
1:27 – we literally believed (and did) beat the us govt.. people started to believe our stories of ie: being locked up in mental ward et al.. we were giving each other.. i see you and i believe you
504 told me i had value
we the weak.. made it happen
1:30 – 1980 – physical world began to be more accessible via federal money.. ramps et al
as barriers started to disappear.. i realized this bar i had set for myself.. that i had to overcome my disability.. had taken a toll on me.. kept me from potential
1:31 – judy: on one hand feel i should be saying everything is good.. but.. i’m very tired of being thankful for accessible toilets.. if i have to be thankful about an accessible bathroom.. when am i going to be equal in the community..t
1:32 – reagan.. missiles over disableds.. judy 3 years later having to fight for no repeal.. ie: most public ed not accessible.. most businesses still could discriminate.. and private businesses didn’t have to do anything at all
1:34 – 1990 – rather than walk.. a crawl.. to capital.. (everyone out of wheelchairs.. crawling)
judy: our govt will no longer allow largest minority group equal opp
busch: let shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down
1:36 – you can pass a law.. but until you change society’s attitudes.. that law won’t mean much.. t
crazywise et al
need global detox .. ie: 2 convers as infra
camp (opened in 51) shut down due to financial difficulties in 77
david (son) is first person in my life that doesn’t care about my disability.. i’m daddy
1:40 – steve hoffman’s – guy from 36 min – daughter talks about getting to be exposed to the hippie side of her dad (died 2017).. a lot of them dead now
1:42 – judy still alive
__________
____________
be you. 