Why Black girls with learning disabilities need more visibility

Atira Roberson says she’s Black, female, and has a learning disability. And if you don’t see all three, you don’t see her. 

The Opportunity Gap welcomes Atira to the show for a special conversation about what it means to be a Black girl with learning differences in the United States. Atira shares her journey — from a student with an IEP, unaware of her differences, to a candidate for a master’s in public administration. She talks about the strong Black mother who advocated for her, and the church community that supported her along the way. And she shares her number one priority for educational change in this country: stopping the criminalization of Black girls with ADHD and learning disabilities. 

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood. 

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at opportunitygap@understood.org. 

Related resources

• To be Black in America with a learning disability
• Video: An African American poet who learns differently
• Two Black women discuss the teen with ADHD put in juvie for not doing her homework

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

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