It’s 2025, and unless you live under a rock, it’s no secret that the current state of the world is of grave concern to much of the general public. Decrees from the federal government have destabilized or decimated many of the systems that benefit and support citizens. Job losses and funding freezes threaten the livelihood of everyday Americans.
As a result, there has been an uptick in nonviolent demonstrations in recent weeks, such as the 50501 national protests. The name comes from the decentralized movement’s structure, which aims to activate 50 protests in 50 states, all taking place on one day.
I attended and photographed the first local 50501 protest at the Georgia State Capitol, held on Feb. 5. While I was there, I witnessed a lively display of nonviolent civil disobedience. Most protesters held handmade signs aloft, decrying the legislative actions that have been announced since Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.
It’s not a surprise to see the way artists and artwork are central to protests such as these, as throughout history signs and artwork have been instrumental for grassroots movements. In fact, following the George Floyd protests of 2020, institutions such as the Smithsonian began collecting protest signs as a sort of real-time record of the events through handmade ephemera.
Part of the reason for the prevalence of handmade signs at protests is simply due to access; you can’t exactly pick up a protest sign when you’re getting your groceries. Additionally, handmade signs allow the maker to flex their creative skills and personalize their messaging to best support their cause.
When I was at the protests in front of Atlanta City Hall in early February, there was a familiar face among the crowd. Atlanta-based disabled artist, activist, curator, educator, and public speaker Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn was situated front and center near the main steps to the Capitol, her quiet presence reminding everyone there of just what’s at stake in the current political climate.
“I attended the protest on behalf of the disabled and aging communities and in support and allyship of all communities,” Blinkhorn told me. “Mostly, I played music from the speaker on the back of my wheelchair to boost morale and peacefully and purposely protest.”
Blinkhorn is no stranger to political discourse and activism. Born with a genetic condition called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), this rare genetic condition has affected her since she was a child. SMA causes severe scoliosis of the spinal cord which can limit babies’ abilities to crawl and hold their heads up, and its progressive nature can in time affect a person’s ability to breathe or swallow. Blinkhorn has already lost two siblings to the condition.
Confined to a wheelchair and aided by assistants for daily tasks including dressing, Blinkhorn has a unique perspective on the challenges faced by those with disabilities. This knowledge has informed her not just as a citizen activist, but also as an artist and art educator.
Blinkhorn is a part-time professor at Georgia State University and Perimeter College, and she’s also the founder of SPANKBOX, a photography series depicting individuals with disabilities in hypersexualized poses and situations. Her work confronts the public’s preconceived notion of sexuality among disabled people and centers her models’ sexuality and power through the use of suggestive photography.
The project garnered national attention and even landed Blinkhorn a highly coveted Guggenheim Fellowship.
I asked Blinkhorn about her takeaways from the 50501 protests; I was curious about her perspective on the day’s event, and her thoughts about the role of artists in political and social justice movements.
“Our biggest asset is we are creative thinkers,” said Blinkhorn. “We have a way of looking at a situation or an environment and recontextualizing it, making it much more palatable for people who might feel threatened by acknowledging they have little understanding.”
One way that Blinkhorn peacefully protests is through subversive compliance. For example, during the 50501 protests at the Atlanta Capitol, she witnessed police officers arresting a protester who improperly crossed the street. Recalling how seven officers descended on that individual as “a bit excessive,” she decided to protest by… following the rules.
“Once that happened, I decided I would start crossing in traffic just like everybody else. I respected the rules of the police officers on when to cross, but they also did not define how or at what speed I should cross. So I put my chair on snail speed and crossed as slowly as possible while playing music,” said Blinkhorn.
“A group of youths saw what I was doing and asked if they could cross with me, and I, of course, said yes, but they were not to react to aggression. Instead, stay the course and cross the street silently.”
Blinkhorn is not afraid to ruffle some feathers in the name of inclusion and ensuring social change. In 2015, she created a protest called “Roll Hard” designed to highlight access issues for MARTA Mobility.
Though the program was meant to serve people like Blinkhorn, she had experienced many instances of buses not adhering to their schedules, unhygienic conditions in MARTA elevators, and even a driver improperly securing her chair that led to injuring Blinkhorn.
As a result, she planned a peaceful public protest. “Roll Hard” was a seven-mile trek, starting at the High Museum of Art where she spoke to a crowd before continuing to each station on her way back home. Each time she reached a train stop, she documented the conditions she witnessed. Eventually, MARTA responded to the concerns and upgraded some of their transportation vehicles.
“To win the game, you have to learn the rules of the game and play by those rules,” said Blinkhorn.
“Just because someone is in your face yelling or trying to trigger a response doesn’t mean that you have to respond. As someone who perpetually sits and waits all day long for people to do everything they need, I’ve learned to use my time by paying attention to everything so that when it’s my turn to play the game, I’ll win.”
Blinkhorn shared that, unfortunately, disabled people are often left out of conversations about civil rights and social justice. She plans to attend upcoming protests as a means of ensuring that those she advocates for – the disabled, LGBTQ+ and aging communities – have a presence in the ongoing discourse surrounding civil rights in 2025.
“I am placing myself in the middle so that a voice and representative can be heard. I hope to create a line of communication between different marginalized communities so that we can join together to make a social impact for the change we all want to see – a chance to live a comfortable life through our design where we see the efforts of our hard work,” said Blinkhorn. “I hope to shape that design.”
Lamenting the lack of communication and resulting unity that could occur if protestors worked together instead of merely attending the protests as individuals, Blinkhorn says she hopes for a sense of oneness in the future. “Sometimes, it feels as though everyone is waiting to be seen or heard rather than communicating and creating a sense of oneness for progress,” she continued.
Today, as officials in the federal government decry DEI initiatives and even go so far as to blame the disabled community for airplane crashes, Blinkhorn sees quite plainly the villainization of these marginalized communities that she supports.
As an advocate and activist, Blinkhorn knows that it’s important to show up and be a part of the conversation. As an artist, she uses her creativity to masterfully illustrate inequality and unfair treatment in society in a way that can cross social and cultural bounds. And, as a citizen, she is concerned about the rising tide of hateful acts and legislation surrounding those in the LGBTQ+ and disabled communities.
To learn more about Blinkhorn’s work, check out her online portfolio. If you’re interested in the growing 50501 movement and upcoming events, check out the official site.