Honoring a Modern Changemaker: Stacey Park Milbern and the Power of Disability Justice
At Richmond Community Service, we celebrate advocates who use their voices and lived experiences to drive positive change. One such advocate, Stacey Park Milbern, has been honored with a 2025 U.S. quarter, and her legacy inspires our mission of inclusion and support.
A Trailblazer from a Young Age
Born in 1987 in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in North Carolina, Stacey Park Milbern lived with congenital muscular dystrophy, a condition that shaped but never defined her. As she navigated the medical and social challenges faced by many disabled individuals, Stacey found her voice early on.
By the age of 16, she was advocating for disability education in schools. Two years later, she co-developed the term “Disability Justice,” a framework that called for recognizing the diverse identities within the disability community. This approach went far beyond traditional rights-based advocacy, focusing on race, gender, sexuality, and lived experience. Her vision closely mirrors the inclusive work we aim to support here in Richmond.
Stacey’s leadership continued to grow. She moved to California as a young adult, started the Disability Justice Culture Club, and created spaces where disabled people of all backgrounds could find support and belonging. Whether organizing aid during wildfires or advocating for healthcare access, she worked tirelessly to uplift those often left behind.
Her dedication earned her a position on the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, allowing her to influence national policy with the same values she lived by every day.
A Lasting Legacy Minted for the Nation
In 2025, Stacey Park Milbern was honored as one of the final figures in the U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters Program. Her portrait on the coin shows her as bold and visionary, seated in her power wheelchair. Alongside her name is the phrase “Disability Justice,” a reminder of the movement she helped shape.
The quarter honoring Stacey will be officially released on August 12, 2025. This national recognition of a Millennial activist marks a cultural shift. It affirms that modern leaders like Stacey are part of history and actively defining it.
Her story resonates deeply here in Richmond. It reminds us that change does not always come from decades past. It often comes from today’s leaders, working within their communities with empathy, courage, and clarity.
As we continue our mission to build a more accessible and inclusive Richmond, may we be guided by Stacey’s legacy. She showed us what is possible when advocacy turns into action and how powerful it is when everyone’s voice is included in the story.