Imani Barbarin
Imani Barbarin | |
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Born | March 1990 (age 33–34) |
Nationality | American |
Occupations |
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TikTok information | |
Page | |
Followers | 553.1 K |
Likes | 47.5 M |
Last updated: July 17, 2023 | |
Website | https://imanibarbarin.com |
Imani Barbarin (born March 1990)[1] is an American writer, public speaker, TikToker, and disability rights activist who also goes by the username Crutches and Spice.
Career
[edit]In 2014, Barbarin launched the website Crutches and Spice as a space for her to write about her experiences as a disabled Black woman.[2]
Social media
[edit]On Twitter, Barbarin has spearheaded several hashtags to promote discussion of disabled issues and experiences. In 2018 she started #DisTheOscars to call attention to the lack of disabled representation.[3] In 2019 she started #AbledsAreWeird, encouraging disabled people to share their experiences of abled individuals misunderstanding their needs and experiences.[4][5] In January 2021, she started the hashtag #MyDisabledLifeIsWorthy in response to remarks by former CDC director Rochelle Walensky about the "encouraging" fact that most deaths caused by the omicron variant of COVID-19 were in disabled individuals.[6] Barbarin joined TikTok in 2020, where she began posting both comedic and educational videos.[2] By February 2022 she had 140,000 followers on Twitter and 370,000 followers on TikTok.[7] In late 2022, Barbarin criticized Twitter policy changes after the company's acquisition by Elon Musk.[8]
Other work
[edit]Barbarin works as a communications manager for a disability legal office in Philadelphia.[9][10] She also writes for online newspapers and magazines[11][12][13] and has speaking engagements at universities.[14][15]
In 2020, Barbarin hosted the five-episode podcast Vote for Access, which investigated the difficulties of voting while disabled.[16] In May 2022 she appeared on MetroFocus to discuss her push to reinstate New York City's mask mandate.[17] In October 2022 she headlined the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference alongside Schuyler Bailar.[18] In January 2023, she was a guest on The Assignment with Audie Cornish during an episode discussing long COVID.[19] In April 2023, she was part of the short film Unlucky in Love for the 2023 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge.[20]
Personal life
[edit]Barbarin grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia.[10] She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 2.[9] She attended Eastern University where she earned a degree in creative writing and a minor in French.[21] Barbarin has a masters in communication from American University of Paris.[10] Barbarin is queer.[10]
Accolades
[edit]- 2022 – The Root 100 Honoree[22]
References
[edit]- ^ Barbarin, Imani. "I'm A Black Woman With Cerebral Palsy, & I Didn't Think I'd Make It Into Adulthood". Refinery29. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ a b Samuel, Ruth Etiesit (31 March 2021). "'Representation matters': How these 4 Black women with disabilities are changing the narrative". Today. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "Opinion | What Hollywood Gets Wrong About Disabilities". HuffPost. 2018-03-07. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Quraishi, Hafsa (20 March 2019). "#AbledsAreWeird: People With Disabilities Share Uncomfortable Encounters". NPR. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ Holohan, Meghan (1 April 2019). "'Ableds Are Weird' leads to discussion on how people with disabilities are treated". Today. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ "The Pandemic Tried to Break Me, but I Know My Black Disabled Life Is Worthy". Cosmopolitan. 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ Mendoza, Casey (2 February 2022). "Disability Rights Activist Imani Barbarin And Social Media Power". Scripps News. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ Morris, Amanda (18 November 2022). "Disabled people fear Twitter changes under Elon Musk leave them behind". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- ^ a b Shapiro, Joseph; Bowman, Emma (26 July 2020). "One Laid Groundwork For The ADA; The Other Grew Up Under Its Promises". NPR. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d Brown, Keah (15 June 2021). "Trolls Can't Stop This Black and Disabled Activist From Taking Over TikTok". Vice. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ "Imani Barbarin". Bustle. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ Barbarin, Imani (31 March 2020). "Disabled people have long fought for accessibility — but coronavirus made it a priority | Opinion". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ "Imani Barbarin". Rewire News Group. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ Fishel, Maeve (1 March 2022). "Disability rights activist Imani Barbarin on the systemic obstacles facing the disabled community". The Eagle. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ "Nothing About Us Without Us: Tik Tok Activist Imani Barbarin Talks Intersectional Changemaking – Brock Pride Week 2023". experiencebu.brocku.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ ""Vote for Access" Tackles the Barriers Disabled Voters Face". New Mobility. 2020-05-04. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "Metrofocus: May 19, 2022". MetroFocus. 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "Schuyler Bailar, Imani Barbarin to keynote 30th annual MBLGTACC". mblgtacc.org. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ "The Long Arc of Long Covid – The Assignment with Audie Cornish – Podcast on CNN Audio". CNN. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ David, Menzies (2023-04-12). "JC actor is 'Unlucky in Love' for Easterseals Disability Film Challenge '23". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "About". Crutches and Spice. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ "Imani Barbarin – The Root 100 – 2022". The Root. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
External links
[edit]- 1990 births
- Living people
- 21st-century African-American women writers
- 21st-century African-American writers
- 21st-century American essayists
- 21st-century American LGBT people
- 21st-century American women writers
- African-American bloggers
- American disability rights activists
- American writers with disabilities
- American TikTokers
- American University of Paris alumni
- American women bloggers
- Eastern University (United States) alumni
- LGBT TikTokers
- People with cerebral palsy
- Writers from Philadelphia
- American activists with disabilities
- American LGBT writers
- American queer writers
- LGBT writers with disabilities