DISABILITY COMMUNITY CELEBRATES MILBERN QUARTER

On Wednesday, August 13, disabled people and allies gathered at the National Museum of American History to celebrate the release of a new quarter depicting Stacey Park Milbern, a leader of the disability justice movement. She is the 19th woman honored as part of the American Women Quarters Program, which celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women throughout American history.

The event's program partners included the United States Mint, National Museum of American History, American Women's History Museum, Access Smithsonian, Asian Pacific American Center, Disability Cultural Center at Georgetown University, and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Many of the partners tabled for the first hour of the event.

Stacey Park Milbern, whose Korean name was Park Ji-hye, led and strengthened the modern Disability Justice movement. She had congenital muscular dystrophy and died on May 19, 2020, on her 33rd birthday. She was an activist, writer, speaker, and movement organizer who focused on the issues faced by queer and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) disabled people.

The program began and ended with a traditional Korean fan dance performed by DI DIM SAE Korean Traditional Art Institute to honor Milbern's Korean heritage. Beth Ziebarth, Director of the Smithsonian's Office of Visitor Accessibility, then welcomed attendees to the event and introduced Dr. Elizabeth Babcock, Director of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum.

"These coins help tell the story of our nation through the remarkable women that helped shape it, and we're proud to help lift up stories like Stacey's, stories that haven't always been included but deserve to be known," Babcock said.

Milbern's parents and siblings gave remarks on what this honor meant to their family. They shared a few examples of the many ways Milbern devoted herself to disability justice: she advocated for power companies to protect disabled people during power outages, formed an emergency response network during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, visited people with disabilities in institutions, and provided support as they transitioned to community living.

Greg Dawson, Associate Director of the Office of Strategy and Performance at the United States Mint, spoke more about the American Women Quarters program. He discussed the quarter's design, as imagined by Elana Hagler and sculpted by Craig Campbell.

"The Stacey Park Milbern quarter design depicts Milbern in action, speaking to an audience, one hand resting near her trach and the other stretched out palm-up in a gesture meant to evoke a genuine exchange of ideas and the building of allyship. The design captures Milbern's authenticity and reminds us that her voice was not just symbolic. It was strategic, thoughtful, and vital in building a more inclusive world," he said.

Program participants then joined Dawson on stage as 2000 quarters were poured into a display featuring a traditional Korean serving table and serving tray that Milbern used as a child. The United Mint has shipped the Milbern quarters to Federal Reserve Banks and coin terminals nationwide, with plans to produce 300 million to 700 million coins in total.

Ziebarth moderated a panel about disability justice featuring Yomi Young, former Executive Director of the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, California, where Stacey worked, and Michelle Banks, Co-founder and Artistic Director of Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA).

Attendees described the event as meaningful, hopeful, and exciting. For many, Milbern's quarter is not the final step in commemorating her life, but a new beginning.

"I left the event excited, thinking of all of the people who will learn about Stacey and disability justice for the first time as a result of these quarters, and just like she did in life, Stacey will facilitate folks' connection to community and their embrace of dreams they did not previously think were possible."

To read the complete article, see:
Disability Community Gathers to Celebrate Release of U.S. Quarter Featuring Activist Stacey Park Milbern (https://www.aapd.com/stacey-park-milbern-quarter-event-recap/)

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