Historical figures
Name two notable Black Deaf Artist or Performer
What is BASL? Is it a language?
Black American Sign Language that is a dialect of American Sign Language. Yes, it is a language.
What year did Gallaudet start admitting and graduating black deaf students?
1950
Who and when is the first black deaf person to graduate from Gallaudet?
Andrew Foster, 1954
What was the name of the documentary that was released in 2020 about BASL?
Signing Black in America (documentary)
What does NBDA stand for?
National Black Deaf Advocates (organization)
Who is the first black deaf female graduate from Gallaudet?
Ida Grey Hampton, 1957
Who was the person famous on social media for explaining the difference between ASL and BASL?
Nakia Smith, aka Charmay, created a TikTok account introducing five generations of her Black Deaf family and how they communicate in Black ASL.
What was the name of the film that spotlighted about Black Deaf experience with racism?
Am I Next?, spotlighting Black Deaf individuals’ struggle through systemic discrimination of race.
Name two notable Black Deaf Heroes & Sheroes
What is the sign for curious in BASL?
Bending "5" handshape with four fingers together and thumb placed on corner chin.
What year did NAD start including Black Deaf members?
National Association of the Deaf (NAD), prohibited Black membership for 40 years until 1965.
Who fought for the black deaf students to be educated in Washington D.C.? What year did the suing case win?
hint: Kendall School Division II School for Negroes
Louise B. Miller, successfully sued the D.C. Board of Education in 1952.
Why do we have BASL and ASL?
Black deaf students were prohibited to interact with students and teachers on the White Deaf school campuses so this separation contributed to the development of Black ASL.
In which state and the year was the last segregated school for the deaf negroes?
In 1978, Louisiana was the last segregated state school for the Deaf to become integrated in the United States.