Detroit Disability Power (DDP) presents "Leveraging the Power of the Disability Community". This is a condensed, one-hour version of DDP’s two-hour Anti-Ableism workshop designed to provide foundational insights into disability justice. This interactive session will explore introductory concepts including disability as a cultural identity, ableism as an intersecting system of oppression, and models of disability—covering who is included in the disability community, appropriate language, and engagement strategies. Participants will begin to build concrete tools for creating inclusive environments and developing effective allyship skills across professional and personal spaces.
Ruth Le is an educator, coach, and project manager. She was born and raised in Boston, MA and earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Southern California and master’s in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University. Ruth spent nearly a decade... Read More →
Wednesday August 13, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT Room 6
The "Lavender Scare" was a period of persecution and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in the federal government, coinciding with (and arguably outlasting) the Red Scare and McCarthyism, where homosexuality was equated with communist subversion and led to the firing and forced resignation of thousands of federal employees. In this session, participants will interact with a lesson plan and resources from the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy. The focus of this lesson will be to use congressional investigations and hearings to deepen student understanding of the reality of the “Lavender Scare”. Students will be tasked with examining a time when government policy both implicitly and explicitly sought to marginalize LGBTQ+ Americans and analyze the issues of equity, power, and justice created when society gives in to fear and paranoia.
In this session, teachers will explore a place-based inquiry designed to connect the historical impact of redlining in Detroit with its lasting effects today. Through mapping and data analysis, participants will examine how geography shapes access, opportunity, and civic voice. Educators will gain strategies to adapt this lesson for their classrooms, fostering critical discussions on equity, history, and community impact. This session focuses on an inquiry developed using the C3 framework and supports students application of Disciplinary Literacy Essentials, equipping teachers to create their own culturally-responsive inquiries center in the power of place.
