Slide 1 image description: on a black background with outlines of pillows, shirts, wheelchairs, and other care items on the sides, a photo of Alice Wong, an Asian American woman in a wheelchair wearing an olive green jacket, black and white floral pants, cozy socks, booties, and a sultry burgundy lip. She looks directly at the camera — supported, relaxed, and confident. The background is brick. Taken at the San Francisco Disability Cultural Center and Disability Visibility's first event together: SFMOMA Disability Portrait Day. Photo credit: Mia Charnelle.
Dear DCC Family,
We write to you with broken hearts. Disability Justice leader, MacArthur Genius, and a dear friend of the DCC passed away last night. Always the most generous person in the room, Alice shared a last message with us:
"This is Alice's friend Sandy Ho, posting. Per Alice's wishes, this message is being shared at the time of her passing.
Hi everyone, it looks like I ran out of time. I have so many dreams that I wanted to fulfill and plans to create new stories for you. There are a few in progress that might come to fruition in a few years if things work out. I did not ever imagine I would live to this age and end up a writer, editor, activist, and more. As a kid riddled with insecurity and internalized ableism, I could not see a path forward. It was thanks to friendships and some great teachers who believed in me that I was able to fight my way out of miserable situations into a place where I finally felt comfortable in my skin. We need more stories about us and our culture. You all, we all, deserve the everything and more in such a hostile, ableist environment. Our wisdom is incisive and unflinching. I'm honored to be your ancestor and believe disabled oracles like us will light the way to the future. Don't let the bastards grind you down. I love you all."
We’re sending all our love and care to her huge circle of friends and family, who were spoiled by Alice's love. As Alice's best friend, Abby once put it, "If you think she seems incredible looking in from the outside, you should see what it’s like to be her friend.”
And what a generous friend she was. Back in 2018, Alice had served on the advisory council, where, to quote Alice, she "dreamed big radical dreams of what this center can be." When we started building the center in earnest in 2023, she had already written out pages of ideas for us.
Soon after we opened in July, Alice met with us and offered a wish list of events for us to co-host with her and the Disability Visibility Project, offering the funds to make them all possible. With a goal of "disabled abundance," her list included a wide range of programs - a fall feast, a tea party, canning lessons, a dance party, a community quilt project, a writer series, and so much more.
Each event on her list aspired to create that crip magic that Alice brought to all she touched and that she fought so hard to bring out in others, like us. It was a prescient gift that we cherish in this time of grief - how lucky we are to hold the blueprints from Alice herself of how we can best celebrate her life and keep her big radical dreams going.
In the coming months, we will invite you to join us for these programs. And as you wait for them to unfold, we encourage you to read (and reread!) Alice's writings, listen to her podcast, or watch her many media appearances. She is a disabled oracle now, but her impact on this world is far from complete.
This grief is fresh, and the pain intense. Live in crip time and be gentle. Take care of yourself and each other. Remember, Alice loves you.
We leave you with her final words from our grand opening, "Thank you and Free Palestine.”
With love and care,
Your DCC Family
Slide 4 image description: Final page of letter on Alice's passing on a black background with outlines of pillows, shirts, wheelchairs, and other care items on the sides. At the bottom, 3 photos of Alice with Emily, Dagny and Rosemary, and Mika.
Dear DCC Family,
We write to you with broken hearts. Disability Justice leader, MacArthur Genius, and a dear friend of the DCC passed away last night. Take care of yourself and each other. We leave you with her final words from our grand opening, "Thank you and Free Palestine.”