An Atlanta champion was recently recognized for extraordinary achievements in theater and advocacy at the Black British Theatre Awards ceremony in London.
Linseigh Green is an actor and survivor of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a rare illness that, if not fatal, can lead to life-changing challenges.
Green’s lifelong dedication to championing other survivors and to disability awareness in general, as well as her more recent accomplishments in theater, have led to new recognition for this rare condition and for the discrimination many people with disabilities still face in life, work and public space.
Green recently joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes to share more about her recent honors, art and advocacy.
Her love for theater began at just three years old, and she has since devoted her career to telling stories of those erased by history. Her own journey has been shaped by her NEC diagnosis, which led to lifelong neurological and physical challenges.
“Theater became a form of therapy for me,” Green shared, explaining how performing onstage alleviated the symptoms of her functional neurological disorder, a condition impacting her motor skills and speech.
Despite excelling on stage, Green has faced systemic discrimination in theater due to her disability.
“Theater believes in green girls and anthropomorphic trains but struggles to believe in disabled people,” she noted. The discrimination that she consistently faced in the US led her to make a move over to London, where the industry is more welcoming and willing to accept her as she is.
Her advocacy work has expanded beyond the theater world in recent years, growing to include groundbreaking medical work. She co-led the first clinical study on long-term outcomes for NEC survivors, shedding light on a condition that affects thousands of families but remains under-researched. Her work has been recognized by U.S. leaders, including Senator Raphael Warnock and Representative Lucy McBath.
For more about Linseigh Green’s incredible journey, listen to the full story above!
