Award Winning Musician, Author, Disability Rights Advocate Lachi Secures Publishing Deal With Tiny Reparations Books
The announcement comes hot on the heels of the release of Lachi's science fiction novel and audio drama, Death Tango (RIZE Press.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Nov. 08, 2023
Award-winning recording artist, author and disability culture advocate Lachi continues her busy 2023, this week announcing a deal with Tiny Reparations Books, Phoebe Robinson's imprint at Plume at Penguin Random House, to publish her nonfiction debut, I Identify As Blind. The announcement comes hot on the heels of the release of Lachi's science fiction novel and audio drama, Death Tango (RIZE Press), along with her latest charting music release, "Lift Me Up."
I Identify As Blind is a blend of memoir, cultural criticism, and manifesto that redefines what it means to celebrate disability, including interviews with major figures in Disability Culture, and awakening the world to this truth: Disability is an identity, a cultural force, and a reservoir of resilience, creativity and badassery. The tentative release date is Fall 2025.
This past weekend Lachi was in Colorado to speak at this years TEDx Cherry Creek Women. She will be taking part in the recently announced PBS ‘American Masters' Renegades series, launching next Autumn. And is a guest on an upcoming episode of this season's Stories from the Stage.
All of this is just part of a year that included walking the Barbie Movie Premiere pink carpet, and the Grammys red carpet at as the founder of the RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities) organizations, which has worked with the Recording Academy to provide American Sign Language, Audio Description and ramps during GRAMMY night as official accessibility partner.
Lachi made her acting debut this Spring in the short film, “Unlucky In Love,” with Rachel Handler and Tiktok influencer Imani Barbarin. She also appeared in two Google ads showing off their latest access features. In June, Lachi traveled to Peru with the U.S. State Department, where she performed at the Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion (LUM) in Lima, alongside local pop star Gisselli Ramirez, wearing a dress designed by the famed Chio Lecca fashion school. She also performed at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, and in the city of Iquitos, where the mayor gave Lachi a medal, and she performed with local pop star Lita Pezo.
"Lift Me Up," released in July, features acclaimed songwriter James Ian, with Broadway musician Gaelynn Lea, to honor the renowned disability rights activist Judy Heumann. The video, directed by Day Al-Mohamed (PBS American Masters) and Catriona Rubenis-Stevens and produced by a majority disabled production team, features three notable Sign Language performers - Amber Galloway, Otis Jones (aka SlntWrld) and Nell Russell. Tony-winning actress Ali Stroker starts the video with an audio description for audiences with vision loss. The video premiered on MTV.com, aired on BETSoul, and the song peaked at #29 on the Adult Contemporary radio chart. Lachi spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about it, and appeared on PIX 11's New York Living.
In September, Lachi put on an impromptu performance at the White House with Winton Marsalis, while hobnobbing with the likes of Hillary Clinton and Coco Gauff. She walked the runway at the Runway of Dreams New York Fashion Week show, speaking to ABC News and Yahoo's In The Know, and attended the U.N. General Assembly reception at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she spent time with First Lady Jill Biden. In October she attended the White House ADA celebration, alongside a host of other disability thought leaders, where she met with actress Selma Blair and vice president Kamala Harris.
All this, and there are still 7+ weeks left in 2023. And one thing we can be certain of, is that 2024 will prove to be even bigger for Lachi. More details to be shared on I Identify As Blind in the coming months. And new music in the works.
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