I’ve been in constant pain since my teens and for so long, I have felt doubly unseen and unheard in the larger narrative of history and culture. So when I got the opportunity recently to interview the host & crew of Renegades, the groundbreaking PBS show about lesser-known historical figures with disabilities in American history, I was thrilled. Finally, a show that doesn’t just tokenize disability but centers it, celebrates it, and demands that we recognize it as integral to our shared history.
“Disability has always been part of the U.S. historical landscape: it’s one of the few identities anyone can acquire at any time. This series is about putting disability back into the mainstream narrative, where it’s always belonged.”
–Charlotte Mangin, series executive producer
At base, Renegades tells the stories of extraordinary individuals who shaped the world in ways I’d never known. These are the stories I wish I had growing up, stories that validate the truth that disability isn’t a limitation: it’s part of the fabric of humanity.
The importance of shows like Renegades, both in front of and behind the camera
Each of these trailblazers hails from a different field and deals with a different disability, but they are connected by their stories, successes and demands to be heard.
“We want this series to leave you inspired, maybe even a little mad – just enough to make you want to do something about it,” said Cashmere Jasmine, director and producer of the Celestine Tate Harrington episode. “These stories are American stories, not just for the disability community. It’s time they were recognized as part of our shared history.”
What’s more, the series comes from a host, producer, production team and other media pros that have disabilities themselves, bringing unique and invaluable perspectives to the issue. In every way, Renegades centers on how best to tell the stories of each of these little-known historical figure with disabilities– and how to make those stories more widely accessible to those with and without disabilities.
“Disability has always been part of the U.S. historical landscape: it’s one of the few identities anyone can acquire at any time,” said Charlotte Mangin, executive producer of the series. (That’s a line I use often, actually. Disability: it’s the only minority you can join!) She finished: “This series is about putting disability back into the mainstream narrative, where it’s always belonged.”
Check out the preview below! Then scroll down for more about the show, the featured historical figures with disabilities, and the people with disabilities involved in making the show, both in front of and behind the camera.
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