Learn More Series: Disability Justice In The Age of Mass Incarceration with Talila Lewis

Talila A. Lewis (no gender pronouns; use Talila or T.L. instead of using pronouns) is an abolitionist community lawyer, educator, and organizer whose work reveals and addresses the inextricable links between ableism, racism, classism, and all forms of systemic oppression and structural inequity. Lewis engineers innovative and intersectional social justice efforts that illuminate and challenge grave interconnected injustices within education, medical, and legal systems that have gone unaddressed for generations. Lewis's advocacy primarily focuses on harm and violence reduction, advocacy with and for people who are currently and formerly incarcerated/institutionalized, supporting formerly imprisoned/institutionalized people; and working toward the abolition of policing and all forms of incarceration.

As one of the only people in the nation working to correct and prevent wrongful convictions of deaf/disabled people, Lewis regularly presents and trains on this and related topics. As the creator of the only national database of imprisoned deaf/blind/disabled people, Lewis advocates with and for hundreds of disabled defendants, incarcerated, and returned people and their loved ones. Lewis co-founded and serves as director of HEARD (@behearddc), a cross-disability abolitionist organization. Lewis also currently serves as a consultant for dozens of social justice organizations on various topics including racial, economic, gender, reproductive, and disability justice, and as an expert on legal cases involving disabled people.

This event is part of BU Diversity & Inclusion's (BU D&I) Learn More Series, which explores a single topic of social importance through events, discussions, and programs throughout the year— this year, BU D&I is exploring disability and the impact of ableism.