A Dedication to the Leaders of A.D.A.
Brad Lomax & Stacey Melbern
Brad Lomax
Brad Lomax (1950–1984) was a significant figure in both the Black Panther Party and the disability rights movement. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Lomax used a wheelchair and recognized the shared struggles of Black people and disabled people. He was instrumental in connecting the Black liberation movement with the emerging disability rights movement.
He participated in the historic 504 Sit-in in 1977, a protest demanding implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. During the sit-in at the San Francisco federal building, Lomax helped organize crucial support from the Black Panther Party, which provided food and supplies to the disabled protesters. This act of solidarity was pivotal and marked one of the earliest major collaborations between racial justice and disability justice movements. Lomax also helped found the East Oakland Center for Independent Living, aiming to create accessible community resources for disabled people, especially Black people. Though he passed away young, his legacy continues to inspire cross-movement organizing and intersectional advocacy.
Stacey Park Milbern
Stacey Park Milbern (May 19, 1987 – May 19, 2020) was a Korean-American disability
justice activist, writer, and community organizer. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in North Carolina, she was diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy. She identified as queer, disabled, and mixed-race, and her intersectional identity deeply shaped her activism. She began her advocacy work as a teenager and co-founded the Disability Justice movement in 2005 with other disabled queer activists of color. This framework emphasized intersectionality, collective care, and leadership from the most marginalized within the disabled community.
After moving to the Bay Area, she co-founded the Disability Justice Culture Club and organized mutual aid efforts during crises like the 2019 wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Milbern was appointed by President Obama to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities and was an impact producer on the documentary "Crip Camp";. She passed away on her 33rd birthday due to surgical complications. Milbern’s legacy continues through her writings, organizing work, and tributes like a Google Doodle and her inclusion in the 2025 American Women Quarters Program.