Professor Sami Schalk Debuts Video on Disability Justice and Pleasure Activism

Professor Sami Schalk wearing a floor length silver dress, a silver sequin face mask, filling up a vehicle’s gas tank at a gas station.
Professor Sami Schalk wearing a floor length silver dress, a silver sequin face mask, filling up a vehicle’s gas tank at a gas station. Photo by Sam Waldron of Dutcher Photography.

Professor Sami Schalk was featured at a virtual event on November 18, hosted by the Ford Foundation, titled, “#QuarantineLooks: Embracing the Fabulously Mundane.”

As an act of pleasure activism and self-care during the pandemic lockdown, Professor Schalk began posting images of herself on social media with sparkly new hairstyles, outfits, and facemasks. The act of dressing up to handle ordinary tasks such as walking the dog or taking out the trash sparked delight and connection with strangers and friends.

Professor Sami Schalk wearing a floor length purple dress, eyeglasses, and an iridescent sequin face mask tossing a bag of garbage over her shoulder
Professor Sami Schalk wearing a floor length purple dress, eyeglasses, and an iridescent sequin face mask tossing a bag of garbage over her shoulder. Photo by Sam Waldron of Dutcher Photography.

This event debuted a video essay by Professor Schalk, followed by a conversation with Jina B. Kim, a fellow disability studies scholar and maker of quarantine looks.

Professor Schalk’s #QuarantineLooks and #PleasureActivism are also featured in the article, “Strategies for Embracing the Fabulously Mundane.”