What does it mean to turn personal experience into collective action?
In this interview, Justina Plowden shares her journey as a disabled Black woman and advocate living in a small Southern community. She reflects on becoming disabled, navigating a major life change, and confronting accessibility and inclusion barriers in rural Louisiana.
Justina also discusses the people and experiences that inspired her advocacy, the issues she is currently working to address, and the strategies she has used to build grassroots support and engage government leaders. Her story demonstrates how lived experience, community relationships, and persistent advocacy can help create meaningful change.
As a former Ms. Wheelchair Louisiana, Justina explains what motivated her to pursue the title and how the experience helped amplify her message. She also offers guidance to young people who are beginning to find their voices as advocates and considers the qualities leaders need to build a more equitable and inclusive future.
Learning Through Justina’s Story
Justina’s interview invites students and educators to explore several important themes:
- How race, disability, gender, and geographic location intersect to shape a person’s experiences
- How personal stories can become powerful tools for advocacy
- How accessibility barriers affect people and communities
- What effective, inclusive leadership looks like
- How young people can build resilience and find their voices
- How nondisabled people can practice meaningful allyship and support disability-led change
At its heart, this conversation reminds us that advocacy can begin with recognizing a barrier, sharing our experiences, and bringing people together around a vision for something better. Justina’s work offers a powerful example of how local leadership can help move communities toward greater access, equity, and representation.
