More Than a Moment: Jhónelle Bean on Tourette's, Communities of Color, and Advocacy

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CdAXtUnGIeg On this episode of Disability Deep Dive, hosts Keith and Jodi speak with Jhónelle Bean, a disability advocate and ASL interpreter with Tourette syndrome, about the BAFTA Film Awards incident in which John Davidson involuntarily shouted the N-word onstage and how the public response split between denying Tourette's realities and dismissing Black harm; Jhónelle explains common misconceptions, describes Tourette's as a neurological tic disorder with a spectrum of motor and vocal tics (including but not limited to coprolalia), and discusses intersectionality, including added risks for Black people with Tourette's around policing and disbelief. The conversation emphasizes listening to lived experience, empathy, and accountability for media decisions, including reported editing choices. In the Deep Cut segment, they revisit "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," noting outdated stereotypes and body-shaming, and discuss the film's shallow treatment of caregiving, grief, Arnie's disability portrayal, and Bonnie's dignity, including the ending's "convenient" resolution. Jhónelle's social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Jhonelle_bean TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@Jhonelle_bean YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jhonelle_Bean