When you give birth to your child, the possibility of them being taken away is not something that is typically considered, but parents with disabilities have a higher risk of that chance. About 20% of the children in the American foster care system have parents who have some type of disability. In 1975, a mother’s worst nightmare came true; Celestine Tate Harrington, who was diagnosed with Arthrogryposis Congenita, had her beautiful baby girl taken from her because the Philadelphia Department of Public Welfare deemed her unfit to be a parent after an anonymous call from a concerned neighbor. Her condition left her unable to use her limbs. However, Tate Harrington never let her disability prevent her from providing proper love and care for her children. She used the media to prove to the courts, and the world, that she was more than capable and worthy of motherhood.
Tate Harrington’s life is the latest subject of “American Masters: Renegades,” a documentary series showcasing the lives and cultural contributions of little-known historical figures with disabilities. Each short is 12-minutes long and shines the spotlight on one individual.
Tate Harrington used her lips, teeth, and tongue instead of her hands and feet to perform tasks such as dressing and changing her child, giving her a bottle, and even playing the electric keyboard and writing her own book.
“The Department of Public Welfare declared me unfit to be a mother because of my disability, but they failed to realize my mental capacity,” said Tate Harrington in the documentary.
Director and co-producer Cashmere Jasmine hopes that this film “breaks open people’s hearts and minds to take a second and look at the people they may dismiss.”
“I do want people to remember that there are people right now who have their children removed from birth and don’t get to hold their children,” continued Jasmine, who is an alumnus of Disability Belongs™’ 2021 Entertainment Lab.
Tate Harrington’s story reminds us that we all need to remember our own humanity and not let our bias judge someone’s life because it looks different from ours.
“We tell a very full tale about a woman who is dealing with her own humanity and her own intersectionality as a Black, poor woman who wanted to have children and ended up building a legacy,” Jasmine added.
Tate Harrington’s first daughter, Nia, spoke of her mother in the documentary, stating that after one conversation with Tate Harrington, you “would leave the conversation with her feeling like you could conquer the freaking world.” Nothing could stop her from taking care of her babies and others around her.
Marsha Hallager, co-producer and writer felt a deep connection to Tate Harrington as a person with a disability herself.
“As a fellow Philadelphian and person with a disability, I was able to see myself in Celestine Tate Harrington. Harrington displayed such grit and resilience in her everyday life in spite of the many obstacles she faced. When the audience experiences Harrington onscreen, they will be able to see her personality shine through very brightly. At no point did she feel sorry for herself, and she almost demanded others not to as well!”
View the full piece on Tate Harrington on the PBS website. The crew for this film included Cashmere Jasmine (director/producer) and Marsha Hallager (producer/writer), with original artwork by Adriano Araújo dos Reis Botega. The series creator and senior producer is Day Al-Mohamed, with executive producer Charlotte Mangin, series producer Amanda Upson, and producer Ryan Camarda.
“American Masters: Renegades” premiered on PBS on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, and will air a new episode every Tuesday through October 29, 2024. The episodes will be available on PBS.org, the PBS app, and the American Masters YouTube channel. Each episode will include audio descriptions, open captions, and on-screen ASL interpretation.
