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July 22, 2025 • 16 mins

📄 Buzzsprout Podcast Description:

In this powerful episode of The Color Between the Lines, host Esther Dillard speaks with Lola Greene, founder of Urban Indigo and the first Special Education PTSA in Georgia. As a passionate advocate for children with disabilities and their families, Lola shares personal insight into what’s at stake as budget cuts and federal policy changes threaten vital services like Medicaid, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and transitional support.

Lola doesn’t just highlight the problems—she brings solutions. From launching parent advocacy fellowships to partnering with foster care experts and urban leadership programs, she’s equipping families to protect their rights and raise their voices in halls of power.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How proposed federal and state budget cuts may impact IEPs, 504 plans, and special education programs
  • What families can do right now to prepare and advocate for their children
  • Why community, housing insecurity, and disability are deeply interconnected
  • How Urban Indigo is empowering parents and future grassroots leaders
  • Recommended books like Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy and Black Disability Politics by Sami Schalk

This isn’t just policy—it’s personal. And Lola Greene reminds us that no one is coming to save us—we must save ourselves.

📣 Whether you're a parent, educator, policymaker, or concerned ally, this conversation will move you to act.

🔔 Subscribe to the podcast for more enlightening talks and join us in exploring how historical narratives shape our future. You can also watch it on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@thecolorbetweenthelines

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:03):
In this edition of the Colorbetween the Lines.
receives in school, theoccupational therapy that he
receives in school, withbudget cuts, I don't know how
that's going to affect it.
I speak with Lola Greene.
She's an advocate and leaderfor parents who
have kids with specialneeds and disabilities.
She has some resourcesand advice for parents who

(00:24):
are concerned about the Trumpadministration
so called big beautiful billthat was signed into law.
And she shares whythis conversation is very
personal to her.
What?
I'm Esther Dillard chattingwith writers, authors
and experts who offer an addedperspective for listeners.
This is the colorbetween the lines.
Thank you so much, Lola,Green, for joining us on

(00:44):
the color between the lines.
We really want to know,a little bit more
about your organization.
I know a lot about yourorganization, but others who
may be listening may not tellus about it and what kind of
work you do in Atlanta,Georgia, to help families
with kids with special needsand disabilities.
Yes.
So thank you for having me.
Thank you for having me back.
I really do appreciate it.

(01:05):
We appreciate it.
So at Urban Indigo, we servicefamilies that have children
with special needs.
But, you know, we do it ina unique way, so we make sure
that we include all,because that's what
inclusivity is, including all.
So we look at not just,you know, families that may
have neurotypical childrenor a child that may need,

(01:25):
physical support.
We look into foster care.
So we have a wonderfulfoster care specialist
because she's our go to.
Her name is Pamela Bruce.
She's been really amazingon this journey and letting
us know, educatingthe organization and others,
about the challenges withinthe foster care system.

(01:47):
She is a foster care parent,and she receives the.
The children that otherpeople give up on.
So just a child beingin foster care, we
consider a special need.
And outside of that, wealso have children that
do have special needsinside of foster care.
So we want to make surethat we bring them in
and support them, as well asthe families that are facing

(02:10):
housing insecurities.
And with housing insecurities,we have a lot of families that
are in motel situations, theextended stays, and they have
children that have specialneeds, that have IEPs, that
have 504s.
And being in that situationis a special need.
So we try to make sure that, weare able to support everybody.

(02:33):
We can't do everything.
We know that, but we want tomake sure that we bring people
into community and teach themwhat community is and make
sure that as we are giving outand pouring into them, that
they are pouring into theorganization.
Just by, you know,showing up, giving words

(02:53):
of advice and lendingtheir story to others.
I know that.
Help elevate.
Help elevate those voices.
Well, I'm sorry to cut you off.
I know that, your organization,Urban Indigo, has also
done a special partnershipwith other parents to create

(03:14):
a special needs parent teacherorganization in Georgia.
I think this isthe first one, right?
The first and only.
So, PTA justcelebrated 125 years.
Yay.
And the first PTA wasbought up in Georgia.
I found that out.
We had training in June,and, Yeah, so it's the Special

(03:37):
Educations, GeorgiaSpecial Education, ptsa,
and that's Parent TeacherStudent Association.
Because we want to make surethat the students are, you
know, sharing their stories.
We so many times advocate forour experience with our
children, but our childrenthat have the ability to
communicate, however they'reable to communicate, need

(03:59):
to, you know, have theirstories heard.
We've seen that the Trumpadministration has proposed,
budget cuts, with this big,beautiful bill that they
supposedly signed up, that'swhat they call it, and this
is going to affect manyfamilies, with children with
disabilities.
What specific concerns that doyou have personally about

(04:22):
these cuts, which may reflectwhat other parents are also
worried about personally is.
Is community.
Because for me to sit hereand tell you my personal
story after being in thisfield for three years, just
walking alongside ofeverybody, it's like their

(04:43):
concerns have been.
Became my concerns.
What's going to happenwith people that are
on Medicaid, whetherthey're receiving Katie
Beckett waiver, whichexempts them,
from having to pay for so manydifferent things.
To the parents that are on cmos.
I had the pleasure ofspeaking to somebody from

(05:04):
Peach State on Monday, andthey said that from what
they heard from theirhigher ups, that nothing's
going to change.
But as far as I know,that's only because they
have a contract right now,but we don't know.
So it was good to hear thatnothing's going to change

(05:25):
for right now, but we'rejust bracing for impact.
We're trying to read up oneverything, talk, to different
organizations, and see whatthey're saying and keep up.
It's so much stuffto keep up with.
We have, like, four differentorganizations that we're
working alongside with.
But when it comes to myhousehold and my family, the

(05:48):
speech therapy that my sonThat my son receives in school,
the occupational therapythat he receives in school.
With budget cuts, I don't knowhow that's going to affect it.
Here in Georgia, we've seena wave of cuts throughout
our schools already, and.
Certain peoplearen't coming back.

(06:09):
Here in Fulton County,I know that their
transition services,office, they cut them.
And that was maybeabout three months ago.
So it was somewhere between17 and 20 people cut.
And it's like, how areyou going to support
those families, those childrenthat need transitional

(06:29):
support services?
We still haven'theard anything yet.
M.M.
and for those who havechildren on the spectrum or
maybe, have otherdisabilities are, from what
I understand, they've beentold that they won't be
affected if they need thehelp and that they have this

(06:50):
new provision where you haveto check in every six months
or something like this.
Is this something that isa relief or is it
kind of a question?
What do you make of that?
It's like thatDum dum, the mystery pop.
You don't know what you'regoing to get because you
can say, oh, you know, it.
Just check in every six months.

(07:13):
We miss things all the time.
And if you are truly in supportof a person, families,
communities that havespecial needs, people,
not even just children.
You're talking about people.
We know that lifestyleis different.
The average person's lifestyleis here, here, there, there.

(07:37):
People are everywhere.
And so to say, every six monthsthere is going to be
not, just a check in.
It's from what we're hearing,you have to requalify.
What are you goingto do if you miss it?
We're human.
I miss things.
You know?
I mean, we can say, yes,everybody come hither

(07:58):
and sync your calendars.
Things happen.
Technology is technology,and there are so many gaps.
What are you goingto do if somebody missed
that six months?
Are you going to say, hey,sorry, we can't support you?
There's no clarityon that, and it's.
It's egregious to evensay, oh, you know what?

(08:20):
You'll be fine.
Every six months, just check in.
Hey, if you're enjoying thisconversation, be sure
to hit the subscribe buttonand leave me a comment
on what you liked and whatyou'd like to see more of.
It really helps mewith my creative process.
Now, back to the conversation.
For parents who are listeningright now and feeling really
overwhelmed, even scared,what do you recommend that

(08:41):
they do to prepare to protecttheir children's access to
therapy, Medicare, medicalcare, or, you know, special
needs services?
What we're suggestingas an organization.
If you have questions abouthow this bill is going
to affect your familyand your Medicaid contact.

(09:04):
Medicaid contact.
If you have a CMO here inGeorgia, we have Amerigroup,
Peach State, care source.
Contact them, contact yourcommunity representative,
contact customer service, sp,speak with the schools.
And more importantly, whatwe're doing at Urban Indigo,

(09:25):
we've been kind of doingthis behind the scenes
and about to launch it.
We are going tolaunch a fellowship.
So it's going to be twodifferent fellowships.
One fellowship will teachparents, caregivers
and community membersthat have a vested interest
in IEPs and 504s.
We're going to teachthem the process.
So it's going to bea four month fellowship.
And after that, this iswhat we truly love.

(09:47):
The, advocacy and policyFellowship.
So we're going to be teachingpeople why they need to vote.
You know, how to educateyourself on becoming
a well equipped voter.
How to go to the Capitol, howto call up your congressman.
I mean, anybody that's a,policymaker, putting yourself

(10:10):
in front of them, putyourself in front of the
school board, and hopefullyraise some people that
actually want to run and seechange in the community.
You know, that grassrootseffort is really what's going
to drive a lot of thingsright now, and I think
people are seeing that.
Well, the color betweenthe lines often talks
about books and authorsand such so that people can

(10:33):
empower themselves withgood information.
So what are a couple of booksthat you perhaps recommend
that a, parent can perhapsaccess online or go to the
library that might help themin this very tumultuous time?
So right off the.
Top is, rights law.
So I, actually did someresearch and ordered

(10:54):
some more books, to bringmyself up to date and just
get a fresh perspectiveon what's happening.
So let me bring thatup real quick.
Rights Law From Emotionsto Advocacy
by Pam and Pete Wright.
I know Wright's Law is amazing.
A couple of us havetaken their classes.
When we get some moregrant money, I'm going to make

(11:16):
sure that everybody istaking their classes.
And, yeah, sothat's, that's one.
And there's a reallyimportant book to me
that I just ordered.
It's Black Disability Politicsby Sammy Shaw.
Because a lot of times weare looking at the world
through a, non black lens.

(11:39):
Awesome.
So how are your communityorganization, your community
organizations, Urban Indigoand the PTA for special needs
in Georgia, how are they, Iguess, stepping up to make
sure that they're helpingparents, given some of the
rollbacks that have been saidthat are going to happen and

(12:01):
to support, I guess what kindof support or partnerships do
you need to continue doingthis kind of work?
Yes.
So thank you for asking.
I'm going to put mypresidential PTA
hat on right now.
Ptsa.
So, speaking from the PTSAperspective, here in Georgia,

(12:26):
we are keeping up with statePTA as well as national pta
and following their lead.
For our new charter, weanticipate having a meeting
a month after school starts.
So school starts Augustfor most kids, August 4th.
And so we're lookingin September to have
our first meeting.
We're still waitingon paperwork to come from irs.

(12:51):
But, we've been in talks withstate about having the first
meeting and what thatlooks like and just kind
of like feeling out whateverybody else's worries are.
That way we can roll outour goals for the pta.
So make sure it's in linewith the community.

(13:11):
That's one.
Okay.
And for Urban Indigo.
For Urban Indigo, our answeris, through fellowship,
through this training, becausewe have to stay informed.
We have to make surethat we are training
community leaders.
And when I say communityleaders, I'm talking

(13:31):
about grassroots.
The people that don't evenknow their leaders yet.
It.
You know, I get excited talkingabout it because I never
thought that I would bein this position to even,
you know, be on air with you.
And it was another woman's,actually DeAndrea
bird that was like, oh,no, you can do this.
And I was like,no, I'm safe in my house.

(13:52):
And it's like, you're not.
You are not.
No.
Nobody's coming to save us.
We have to save ourselves.
So this has been,A beautiful creation.
We're working.
We have a partnership withulf, so that's Urban
Leaders Fellowship.
The director is Christy James.
And this came about fromTamira Samuels out of Texas

(14:14):
regional, director.
They have just been superamazing to Urban Indigo,
getting us set up with,their fellows to make sure
that we are on trackwith our fellowship and.
it out in a timely manner.
Finally, what is your messageto lawmakers and decision
makers who you know about whatis at stake for a lot of kids

(14:36):
that are on the autismspectrum or our special needs
and adults, if these programsare dismantled or defended, My
message is.
It's kind of cliche, and wehear it all the time.
Make sure you'reon the right side of history.
People are more informed nowthan they've ever been before.

(15:00):
There are more coalitions now.
People have fear,rage, and anger,
and that's dangerous.
And we want to createan environment where
everybody has hope.
No matter if you are a Democrat,Republican, Independent,

(15:22):
Green Party, whatever.
People should have hopeand the basics.
And people are in realfear that they may not have
that, and it's not right.
So just be prepared forthe parents to feel empowered,
for the caregivers tofeel empowered and be at your
door if you're on the wrongside of history.
I, hope you have somethingprepared to stand in front

(15:45):
of the people and explainwhy you voted against life.
That's it for this edition ofthe Color between the Lines.
If this conversation movedyou, make sure you subscribe
to the Color betweenthe lines podcast
on YouTube, iHeart or whereveryou get your podcasts.
I'm Esther Dillard.
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