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A review by thebookishfeminist
I Am Not a Label: 34 Disabled Artists, Thinkers, Athletes and Activists from Past and Present by Cerrie Burnell
5.0
“I Am Not a Label” has countless qualities that make it a remarkable book, not just for children but also for adults. This anthology devotes its pages to both historical and current figures - everyone from Frida Kahlo and Beethoven to Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, Farida Bedwei, and Isabella Springmuhl Tejada. There are so many layers of representation within these pages that it’s hard to list them all: we see different kinds of disabilities, including physical, mental-health, and invisible struggles like fibromyalgia; figures from varied cultures, identities, genders (trans heroes!). I respect the commitment to intersectionality that the author clearly has, and this kind of representation in books - children’s books or anything else - is rare and imperative. Cerrie Burnell did a remarkable job of collecting these stories from around the world.
One thing I also appreciated was how “I Am Not a Label” discusses disabilities. Burnell doesn’t focus on the challenges of disabilities and highlights all of the aspirations, ambition, compassion, and dreams the featured people have, but at the same time she makes it a point to discuss the cultural stereotypes that make it difficult to navigate being a disabled youth. Some cultures viewed disability as a curse, some made people think and feel like they wouldn’t amount to anything simply because of a difference in their bodies or minds. I think that is where this book is such a powerful one: children can only learn to act against systemic oppression, whether it’s ableism or racism or sexism or other forms of disenfranchisement, if they understand that disabled folx are as capable and deserving of respect and opportunity and love as anyone else and ALSO they many times they are living in cultures and societies they devalue them. And we can work against that and change our cultures to be truly inclusive if we hear stories like these, gain better understanding of some of the cultural frameworks in which disabled folx grow up, and empower children to work to create more inclusive, accessible communities for everyone.
The intersectionality and subtle acknowledgements of systemic disenfranchisement and prejudice are refreshing and revolutionary and I can’t wait to buy this book for my children and our family. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy! My review is unbiased.
One thing I also appreciated was how “I Am Not a Label” discusses disabilities. Burnell doesn’t focus on the challenges of disabilities and highlights all of the aspirations, ambition, compassion, and dreams the featured people have, but at the same time she makes it a point to discuss the cultural stereotypes that make it difficult to navigate being a disabled youth. Some cultures viewed disability as a curse, some made people think and feel like they wouldn’t amount to anything simply because of a difference in their bodies or minds. I think that is where this book is such a powerful one: children can only learn to act against systemic oppression, whether it’s ableism or racism or sexism or other forms of disenfranchisement, if they understand that disabled folx are as capable and deserving of respect and opportunity and love as anyone else and ALSO they many times they are living in cultures and societies they devalue them. And we can work against that and change our cultures to be truly inclusive if we hear stories like these, gain better understanding of some of the cultural frameworks in which disabled folx grow up, and empower children to work to create more inclusive, accessible communities for everyone.
The intersectionality and subtle acknowledgements of systemic disenfranchisement and prejudice are refreshing and revolutionary and I can’t wait to buy this book for my children and our family. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy! My review is unbiased.