Melissa Blake, HuffPost Canada

Melissa Blake

HuffPost Canada

Illinois, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • HuffPost Canada
  • CNN
  • Health magazine
  • Washington Post
  • SheKnows
  • The Week
  • HuffPost
  • The Independent
  • Cosmopolitan
  • Glamour
  • and more…

Past articles by Melissa:

I Was Flooded With Fan Art After I Stood Up To Trolls

These portraits from artists around the world made me feel seen. → Read More

CNN

Opinion: Bumble is driving powerful change for disabled women like me

Melissa Blake weighs in on Bumble's IPO and recent strides toward broader change, such as a policy on body shaming that aims to "create a kinder and more accepting internet for everyone." → Read More

CNN

Opinion: This new holiday movie would have changed everything for my teenage self

Ali Stroker's groundbreaking leading role in a holiday rom-com is about representation and so much more for Americans with disabilities, writes Melissa Blake. It's about making it possible for everyone to dream about a fairy tale romance with themselves in the starring role. → Read More

Why Joe Biden's Promise to Support the Disability Community Is So Important to People Like Me

I've spent my whole life feeling "othered" by a society that wasn't built for disabled people—especially in the past four years. → Read More

CNN

Someone told me I'd never model because I'm disabled. I proved them wrong at NY Fashion Week (opinion)

Melissa Blake grew up adoring fashion but wondering: Where are the models who look like me? Fast forward to 2020, when she modeled clothes from her wheelchair at recent virtual-because-Covid New York Fashion Week. Blake explains why it's a big win for her and many others. → Read More

Bullies have singled me out in the Trump era because of my disability. But I won’t stop speaking out.

Who I am as a person and what I’ve been through includes politics. For disabled people — and all marginalized people — it’s impossible to separate the two. → Read More

Read This If You Don’t Understand Why Complimenting Adele’s Weight Loss is Toxic

One writer shares how challenging the fawning over Adele's weight loss showed the toxic way our culture treats people in fat bodies. → Read More

What Pretenders musician Chrissie Hynde is reading

Official site of The Week Magazine, offering commentary and analysis of the day's breaking news and current events as well as arts, entertainment, people and gossip, and political cartoons. → Read More

I love rom-coms, but where's the female disabled lead?

Official site of The Week Magazine, offering commentary and analysis of the day's breaking news and current events as well as arts, entertainment, people and gossip, and political cartoons. → Read More

CNN

What 61 million Americans and I are still waiting for

What I want from Thursday's Democratic debate is the same thing I want in all the debates and on the campaign trail and at all levels of political power, writes Melissa Blake: I want disabled people to be seen and I want us to be included. → Read More

CNN

My parents bought their first color TV so I could see Big Bird

Melissa Blake remembers her parents buying their first color television - so she could see Big Bird in all his glory. On the 50th anniversary of "Sesame Street," Blake says the show is a reminder for kids of yesterday and today that home can have a lot of meanings. → Read More

I Was Told I Was 'Too Ugly' to Post Photos of Myself—So I Did It Anyway and Went Viral

Writer Melissa Blake went viral on Twitter last month for sharing selfies after internet trolls told her she was "too ugly." Blake has Freeman-Sheldon → Read More

Trolls Told Me I'm Too Ugly To Post Pics. Then I Did And Something Incredible Happened.

In one tweet — which now has nearly 300,000 likes — I owned my beauty. For the first time in my life, I felt worthy and deserving. → Read More

CNN

Bell bottoms and a blended family: 'The Brady Bunch' at 50

As "The Brady Bunch" reaches its milestone 50th anniversary, Melissa Blake reflects on her love for an iconic show that first aired before she was born. → Read More

How Ulta Beauty is changing beauty norms with its new wheelchair ad

Official site of The Week Magazine, offering commentary and analysis of the day's breaking news and current events as well as arts, entertainment, people and gossip, and political cartoons. → Read More

How leeches became the latest health trend

Official site of The Week Magazine, offering commentary and analysis of the day's breaking news and current events as well as arts, entertainment, people and gossip, and political cartoons. → Read More

12 lobster recipes to take your favorite seafood to the next level

Official site of The Week Magazine, offering commentary and analysis of the day's breaking news and current events as well as arts, entertainment, people and gossip, and political cartoons. → Read More

It's time to redesign the accessibility logo

Official site of The Week Magazine, offering commentary and analysis of the day's breaking news and current events as well as arts, entertainment, people and gossip, and political cartoons. → Read More

Because of what Trump has done, I'll be celebrating the Fourth of July very differently this year

Lady Liberty is weeping. That’s one sentence that I’ve been saying a lot lately and even more so as we near the Fourth of July holiday this week. The festive decorations have lined store shelves for weeks, where streamers and banners have proclaimed “Happy Fourth of July” in huge lettering. You can’t miss it even if you tried. But “happy"? Really? → Read More

CNN

What clouded Ali Stroker's shining Tony moment

Ali Stroker made history at Sunday night's Tony awards ceremony as the first person in a wheelchair to win an award. Melissa Blake says the obstacles she faced accepting her Tony illustrate the everyday ableism people with disabilities face. → Read More