McGuinness Law Group is lucky to share office space with Goldstein Borgen, Dardarian Ho, a civil rights law firm whose office is decorated almost exclusively with art created by artists with disabilities. In that spirit, we're implementing an occasional series highlighting the work of artists whose disabilities are integral to their work. Today we spotlight Leroy F. Moore, Jr., whom Celia first met as her client in a housing discrimination case.

Leroy Moore describes himself as a Black disabled writer, author, poet, hip-hop/music lover, and community activist. Born with cerebral palsy, he has dedicated much of his writing and activism to disability rights. He was founder of the Krip-Hop Nation project and co-founder of the performance art collective Sins Invalid. Krip-Hop emerged from his interest in Black musicians marginalized because of their disabilities. “The mission of Krip-Hop Project,” he has written, “is to get the musical talents of hip-hop artists with disabilities into the hands of media outlets, educators, hip-hop, disabled and race scholars, youth, hip-hop conference coordinators, and agents and to report the latest news about musicians with disabilities.” Celia has seen him perform in a Sins Invalid piece, a moving and unforgettable experience. See more at Sins Invalid.

Leroy never stops learning. He is currently a doctoral student in linguistic anthropology at UCLA. He recently finished his Master’s Thesis, “Krip-Hop Pedagogy.” Congratulations, Leroy! He also serves as the Chair of the Black Disability Studies Committee for the National Black Disability Coalition. He writes and delivers lectures and performances that reflect the intersections between racism and ableism in the United States and abroad.

Check out his most recent book, Black Disabled Ancestors on Amazon. It’s an inviting book full of fascinating facts. Also catch him on Instagram.