About
Lachi interviewing Jeff Watanabe.
Who We Are
Infused with the spirit of the disability movement’s mantra, “Nothing About Us Without Us,” RENEGADES places a focus on authentic storytelling, with a cast and crew composed almost entirely of disabled people, and a talent incubator model of filmmaking to mentor emerging directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors with disabilities.
Lachi interviewing Robert Stodden, Ph.D., Founder of the Center on Disability Studies at University of Hawai`i at Mānoa.
Our Project
RENEGADES is a series of five 12-minute short films showcasing the lives of diverse, lesser-known historical figures with disabilities, exploring not only their impact on and contributions to U.S. society, but also the concept of disability culture, which honors the uniqueness of disability. Hosted and narrated by the musician and disability rights advocate Lachi, who is blind, and created and produced by a team of disabled filmmakers, the series is designed to increase public knowledge of disability history, and encourage cross-cultural understanding between non-disabled people and those with disabilities – who make up 1 in 4 adults in America today.
RENEGADES premieres Tuesdays, October 1 – October 29, 2024 on the American Masters YouTube channel, PBS.org and the PBS App in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, with free educational resources available at PBS LearningMedia.
Daniel K. Inouye (1924-2012) – The first Japanese American to serve in the U.S. Congress, Daniel K. Inouye represented the State of Hawai`i as a Senator for more than 50 years. The first born son of Japanese immigrants, Inouye’s early life was a balancing act of heritage and identity as an American. This delicate act was put to test in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was bombed, resulting in wartime hysteria which dubbed him and all Japanese Americans as “enemy aliens.” After petitioning the U.S. government, Inouye got a chance to prove his Americanism and was among the first 75 to enlist in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Japanese American unit, in 1943. During his World War II service, he was injured in battle, resulting in the amputation of his right arm.
Following the war and 22 months of rehabilitation, Inouye pivoted into law and public service, first winning territorial seats, then moving up to the U.S. House of Representatives, then to the U.S. Senate. While also representing Hawaiian interests, his national policy work revolved around civil rights, civil liberties, and support for policies that promoted equality for all peoples. His relational style led him to critical committee appointments in Congress and eventually to President Pro Tempore (third in line to the President of the United States). For his public service, he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2000 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
The episode features interviews with: Inouye’s son, Ken Inouye; Inouye’s fomer chief of staff, Jennifer Sabas; longtime friend and colleague Jeff Watanabe, J.D.; and Robert Stodden, Ph.D., Founder of the Center on Disability Studies at University of Hawai`i at Mānoa. All of them speak about Inouye’s complicated relationship to disability and his refusal to be pigeonholed as someone with a “dis.” Inouye’s self-identity comes into focus as generational definitions break down and ultimately reveal that in all parts of his life, Inouye lived as a person who was always “equal to.”
Educational resources available here.
Episode Guide
Judy-Lynn del Rey (1943-1986) – A New York sci-fi and fantasy editor, Judy-Lynn del Rey was a woman with dwarfism who revolutionized the world of sci-fi editing with books from luminaries such as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Philip K. Dick. After studying literature at Hunter College, she began her career in 1965 at the digest-size magazine Galaxy Science Fiction as an Office Assistant, rising up the ranks as Associate Editor in just four years. Following her numerous science fiction bestsellers for Ballantine Books, she started her own imprint, Del Rey Books, and brought along her husband Lester del Rey to revitalize the Ballantine science fiction publishing program. Between 1977 and 1990, Del Rey Books was so dominant on the science fiction and fantasy market that they had 65 different titles reach a bestseller list. Del Rey brought us many of the classic sci-fi greats and was instrumental in obtaining the rights to publish novels based on George Lucas's “Star Wars,” selling 4.5 million copies months before the first movie was even released. Del Rey Books continues to be a publishing leader in science fiction to this day.
This RENEGADES profile explores the life and legacy of Judy-Lynn del Rey and the overarching impact of science fiction on societal norms: its ability to shape collective imagination, foster empathy and understanding, and reconfigure cultural thinking towards disability. People with disabilities, as with most historically targeted communities, are often combating inaccurate, harmful narratives about themselves. They are often highly visible in society because of their “otherness,” yet at the same time invisible due to the lack of understanding of the systemic barriers these individuals face. Science fiction narratives, through their speculative and imaginative nature, offer a much needed lens through which disability can be reframed, redefined, and recontextualized. Del Rey’s chosen medium serves as a powerful tool for dismantling stereotype and bigotry, prompting audiences to reevaluate their perceptions of normalcy and difference. Engagement with these ideas embedded in speculative futuristic and fantasy scenarios forces society to reflect on the ethical implications of scientific advancements, question the assumptions underlying notions of ability, and envision more inclusive and equitable futures.
The episode features interviews with: Shelly Shapiro, an editor and Judy-Lynn del Rey’s former assistant; Stephen Donaldson, three-time winner of the Balrog Award and one of the first authors del Rey ever signed to Del Rey Books; filmmaker and dwarfism historian Aubrey Smalls; Toni Weisskopf, four-time nominee of the Hugo Award, a publisher and editor at Baen Books, and a superfan of Del Rey Books during her teenage years; Lois McMaster Bujold, six-time winner of the Hugo Award and author of The Vorkosigan Saga, which features a main protagonist with dwarfism; and Dennis Wise, Professor at the University of Arizona and a del Rey scholar. We also feature footage from the Norwescon science fiction and fantasy conference to highlight the inclusive nature of the sci-fi community. In the spirit of authentic representation of artists with disabilities, we cast actors with dwarfism for our voice-over roles.
Educational resources available here.
Celestine Tate Harrington (1955-1998) – Born with a condition that made her limbs unusable, Celestine Tate Harrington was a street performer in downtown Philadelphia and on the Atlantic City boardwalk in the 1980s and 1990s, who impressed audiences with her skill at playing the electric keyboard with her tongue. In 1975, Tate Harrington had her first daughter, Nia. When the Philadelphia Department of Public Welfare attempted to take away her infant daughter, claiming that Tate Harrington was physically incapable of caring for a child, she successfully defended her right to parent. In the courtroom, Tate Harrington demonstrated her skills – dressing and undressing her daughter, and changing her diaper, using only her lips, teeth, and tongue – and retained custody. She went on to share her story on radio and television shows like Howard Stern, Sally Jesse Raphael, and Donahue. Tate Harrington even self-published a book which she wrote with her tongue on a typewriter titled Some Crawl and Never Walk (1995). This RENEGADES profile demonstrates how Tate Harrington created a legacy by working every angle given to her and using the limited preconceived notions of others to change the narrative of who she was, and prove that she was capable of raising and providing for a family and breaking the cycle of poverty for generations to come.
The fundamental right to parent without interference has been argued in courts and is protected by the U.S. Constitution. But a recent study found that nearly 20% of children in the U.S. foster care system have a parent with a disability. Almost fifty years since Tate Harrington’s custody battle, 42 States and the District of Columbia have laws in place that cite parental disability as grounds for termination of parental rights. For Tate Harrington, fighting to be a mother and earn an independent living was a revolutionary act, and her struggles mirror those of the broader disability community today.
The episode features interviews with: Nia Tate-Ball and Coronda Tate, Celestine Tate Harrington’s daughters; Jannie Watson, Nia Tate-Balls’s godmother; Tamogene Tate-Ebataleye, Harrington’s sister; Alberto Esquenaz, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, and Nathaniel Mayer, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehab Specialist at Jefferson Moss Magee Rehab; and Robyn M. Powell, Ph.D., J.D., Family Law & Disability Rights Attorney.
Educational resources available here.
Collage-style animation of Celestine Tate Harrington kissing the cheek of daughter, Nia Tate Ball with a backdrop of Philadelphia architecture.
Artwork by Adriano Araújo dos Reis Botega
Collage-style animation of Thomas Wiggins in a purple suit seated at a piano in an empty opera house.
Artwork by Adriano Araújo dos Reis Botega
Collage-style animation of Brad Lomax in a wheelchair with a backdrop of the hills of Oakland.
Artwork by Adriano Araújo dos Reis Botega
Collage-style animation of Kitty O’Neil in a race car on a newspaper desert with a sunset, mountains and “Wonder Woman” stunt in the background.
Artwork by Adriano Araújo dos Reis Botega
Brad Lomax (1950-1984) – A civil rights and disability rights leader who had multiple sclerosis and used a wheelchair, Brad Lomax was a member of the Black Panther Party and a founder of the East Oakland Center for Independent Living in the 1970s, an organization focused on assisting people with disabilities to live on their own, rather than with family or in institutions. An experienced organizer, Lomax also built a Black Panther health clinic in D.C. and was in charge of the first aid tent at the Black Panther Convention and at the 1972 African Liberation parade.
Lomax was one of the key protesters during the historic 26-day 504 sit-in at the Federal Building in San Francisco in 1977, which demanded the government enforce regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, to prohibit discrimination of people with disabilities. He brought in the Black Panther Party to feed the protestors, which many credit for the success of the sit-in. The sit-in resulted in entities receiving federal funds being required to make their programs and spaces accessible, and paved the way for the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Despite his pivotal role in the disability justice movement, the story of Brad Lomax is largely overlooked, and descriptions of the Black Panther Party’s alliance with the 504 demonstrators rarely mention Lomax’s previous work in civil rights and disability justice, and his coalition building efforts.
The episode features interviews with: Glenn Lomax, Lomax’s brother; Corbett Joan OToole, disability rights advocate and a contemporary of Lomax who participated with him in the 504 sit-in; Cara Reedy, Director of the Disabled Journalists Association; Sami Schalk, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Gender & Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, whose book Black Disability Politics provides scholarship and perspective on Brad Lomax’s life and legacy.
Educational resources available here.
Kitty O'Neil (1946-2018) – Tells the life story of daredevil stunt woman and racer Kitty O'Neil. Known as "the fastest woman in the world," O'Neil broke the land speed record in 1976, clocking an average of over 512 mph in a three-wheeled rocket car across Oregon’s Alvord Desert (a record that stood until 2019 when it was broken by “Mythbuster” Jessi Combs who, sadly, died in the attempt). One of the first women to perform with Stunts Unlimited, the leading stunt agency in Hollywood, O'Neil was also a stunt double for the iconic stars of both “The Bionic Woman” (Lindsay Wagner) and “Wonder Woman” (Lynda Carter). And O’Neil was deaf.
Lachi travels on location to the workshop of inventor Ky Michaelson in Bloomington, Minnesota. A friend of O’Neil’s for over 40 years, Michaelson built a number of the rocket cars and dragsters she piloted for her land speed record-breaking attempts. Michaelson gives Lachi a tour of his extensive mementos collection and tells personal stories about O'Neil’s life and accomplishments.
To gain insight into the concept of deaf gain, society’s perception of deafness during O’Neil’s childhood and its impact on her language acquisition, Lachi also interviews Dr. Rezenet Moges-Riedel, Assistant Professor of American Sign Language, Linguistics, and Deaf Cultures at California State University Long Beach.
Collage-style animation of Judy-Lynn del Rey in a red dress with dark glasses, carrying a book and purse with a galactic background.
Artwork by Adriano Araújo dos Reis Botega
Collage-style animation of Daniel K. Inouye wearing a black suit with multiple pink leis around his neck, standing in front of his political posters.
Artwork by Adriano Araújo dos Reis Botega
Thomas Wiggins (1849-1908) – An African American composer and pianist known as one of the greatest musicians of the 19th century, Thomas Wiggins was blind from birth, and contemporary sources mention behaviors that indicate he also had a cognitive disability such as autism. Although born into slavery, Wiggins was the first African American to perform at the White House, and toured throughout the U.S., South America, and Europe. The Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in 1863, but Wiggins was fought over in the courts like a piece of property, leading to him being placed under a conservatorship until his death.
Today, an estimated 1.3 million disabled people are under conservatorship or guardianship in the United States, and this intersection of disability, guardianship, and artistic exploitation continues to pervade our contemporary narratives, such as the recent public discourse surrounding the guardianship of pop icon Britney Spears, making this film exceedingly timely. Through Wiggins’ story, RENEGADES explores the broader, systemic issues related to lack of agency for individuals kept under conservatorships, and pose critical questions about our definitions of individual capacity, control, and freedom.
The episode features interviews with: Angela Miles-Williams, a descendant of Thomas Wiggins; jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker; composer and musicologist George E. Lewis; classical pianist John Davis; Lydia X.Z. Brown, Founding Executive Director of The Autistic People of Color Fund; and Dr. Dwandalyn R. Reece, Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The episode also features performances by: Lachi, Matthew Whitaker, and John Davis.
Educational resources available here.
Our Mission & Partners
Over the series, the RENEGADES audience will be exposed to a variety of stories encompassing the breadth and depth of the disability community. Our goal is to bring to life not only the biography of historic individuals with disabilities, but also to use their lives as a point of reflection on broader social, cultural, and political issues. Disability has historically been equated with illness and solemn storytelling. The entertaining tone of RENEGADES directly challenges that presupposition and purposely emphasizes disability as a vibrant and dynamic part of American culture.
To ensure the greatest possible accessibility for viewers, each episode is being made available with audio description, on-screen ASL interpretation and open captions, extended audio description and large open captions, and descriptive transcripts.
RENEGADES is a production of Inspiration Films, LLC and ITVS in association with American Masters Pictures. For Inspiration Films Charlotte Mangin is executive producer, Day Al-Mohamed is senior producer, and Amanda Upson is series producer. For ITVS Carrie Lozano is executive producer and Susan Cohen is supervising producer. For American Masters, Michael Kantor is executive producer, Julie Sacks is series producer, and Joe Skinner is digital lead.
Major funding for RENEGADES is provided by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with additional support from the Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Anderson Family Charitable Fund, Philip & Janice Levin Foundation, Ambrose Monell Foundation, Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, The Charina Endowment Fund, Marc Haas Foundation, and Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III.