Drawing on her prior research and scholarly contributions, Dr. Wanda J. Blanchett, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University, provides an historical overview of disability, race, and education and illustrates how the intersection of disability, race, and education has shaped American public education into systems that serve well some students, while continuing to deny others (namely African American and other students of color) access to an equitable education.

This presentation is part of "Disability, Race, and Education," a year-long colloquium series that critically examines the longstanding challenges that minoritized children and youth face in the special education system. Scholars with multiple disciplinary perspectives, such as history, education, disability studies, sociology, and educational statistics, consider issues of equity, access, and inclusion. The series aims to uncover underlying reasons for this problem and consider alternatives for achieving equitable education for all students.