I have a mutually compassionate conversation with Disability Rights Advocate, Activist, Statewide Community Organizer for the Disability Organizing Network (DOnetwork), and friend, Russell Rawlings. We discuss Russell’s formative years growing up on the plains of West Texas with Cerebral Palsy, pursuing his childhood dream of working for NASA, finding connection through the early days of the internet, attending Texas A&M University for computer science, moving to Sacramento to start a business, living in poverty, going to the emergency room to have his basic care needs met, finding support/work at Resources for Independent Living (RIL), performing improv, participating in Occupy Sacramento, working towards systemic economic change, running as a candidate for the Mayor of Sacramento, feeling the stress of being at extreme risk for COVID-19, the possibility of me performing stand-up comedy in Sacramento with Russell in 2022, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, December 8th, 2021. To learn about Russell’s work, please visit: www.disabilityorganizing.net To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com