Hello Community! Happy Disability Pride Month!

I want to introduce myself. My name is Melissa Crisp-Cooper. I am the new leader of the Paul K. Longmore Center at The Arc San Francisco. I was born into the disability community in the mid-1970s, a generation after many of the legendary founders of the disability rights movement, like Judy Heumann, Justin Dart, and, of course, Paul Longmore.

As I celebrate Disability Pride and the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I am reminded of how much gratitude I owe to this generation of disabled activists! They helped close institutions, fought for accessibility, and made it possible for future generations of people with disabilities to live fulfilling lives in the community. 

The activists of this generation are my heroes. In my mind, they are larger than life. When I was asked to lead the Longmore Center, I was excited and intimidated. I never had the honor of meeting Paul, but I heard stories of him burning his book to protest SSI restrictions on authors from earning royalties from book sales. I knew about his storied career as a history professor at San Francisco State University.

Yet, I wanted to know more than the Wikipedia version of Paul’s legacy. I wanted a picture of him as a full, complex human being. 

Paul's younger sister, Ellen Longmore Brown, graciously answered my questions about Paul as an older brother, his witty personality, and his life as a scholar and activist.

Below's a preview of our conversation: