The Black Panther Who Changed Disability Rights

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Most people have no idea that a Black Panther helped change disability rights here in America. His name was Brad Lomax. And if your child has ever benefited from a more accessible school, if you've ever seen a wheelchair ramp, or you've ever seen disability rights get taken seriously in public life, then his story is part of that history.

[00:00:17]Brad was a member of the Black Panther Party, and he also had multiple sclerosis. So, he lived at the intersection of race and disability. And that matters because a lot of times when we tell the story of disability rights here in America, they leave black people out of it. And they tell it like it was some separate movement with no connection to the black struggle, no connection to civil rights, and no connection to the Black Panthers.

[00:00:38]But, that isn't the truth. Because in 1977, Brad Lomax played an important role in the 504 sitting in San Francisco, one of the most important protest in disability rights history.

[00:00:48]He's also remembered as a Black Panther who helped connect the disability rights movement with black liberation politics, and the Black Panthers helped support those protests with meals and supplies.

[00:00:56]So, think about that for a second.

[00:00:59]A black man with a disability who was also a member of the Black Panther Party helped push this country forward on disability rights when even when most people had never heard his name.

[00:01:07]But, that's exactly how it works in this country. Black people help build the foundation, and then somehow their names get left out of the story.

[00:01:14]And that's one reason I wanted to talk about him today.

[00:01:17]Because Brad Lomax wasn't just fighting for himself.

[00:01:20]He was helping build something much bigger.

[00:01:23]And he was helping fight for dignity, access, and the idea that disabled people should not be shut out of public life just because of their disability.

[00:01:31]And if you think about it, that's a very black story, too. Fighting to be seen, fighting to be respected, and fighting systems that tell you that your needs don't matter. And fighting to make this country live up to what it claims to be.

[00:01:42]So, today, I simply wanted to say his name.

[00:01:45]Brad Lomax. Because more people should know about him and know who he was. And more people should understand that black history and disability rights are not these separate stories.

[00:01:55]They're forever connected.

[00:01:57]And Brad Lomax is one of those people who proves it.

[00:02:00]Hope this was informative. If it is, please share and comment with somebody you love. Peace.