Webinar

Real Talk, Good Action: Black Deaf Perspective

February 23, 2023 7-9p ET

[closed captioning included]

This webinar will include raw experiences of panelists being called out as not Black enough from their peers, the lack of Black Deaf mentors which affect our cultural identity, the authenticity of BASL, and challenges with interpreters. The panelists also will discuss how they questioned themselves on whether they get hired based on tokenism instead of their skills and how they have to act like an “oreo” to fit in. Panelists want to encourage the audience to have an open mind and be willing to change their behaviors that may harm the Black/BIPOC community. This webinar will be moderated by NAD Appointed Board Vyron Kinson and include panelists DeAnna Swope and Franklin Jones, Jr.

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Panelists

Vyron is looking at the camera.Vyron lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He owns a business, ASL Diagnostic Service LLC. Currently, Vyron works full-time at the Howard School as an ASL Teacher. Vyron also works part-time with Georgia State University as an adjunct ASL Instructor. He also works for other interpreting agencies as a Deaf Interpreter/Language Expert. Vyron has a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work (2009) and a Master‘s Degree in Sign Language Education (2020) from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Besides working and studying, Vyron contributes his time and energy to volunteering with the Georgia Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf as a President and taking care of his home.
DeAnna is looking at the camera.DeAnna is a community advocate at heart and has been involved in different fields. She is a program director at BRIDGES, a Deaf-led domestic violence program in Georgia. She is also the CEO and founder of Diamond Speaks LLC. DeAnna is the host of the Be Bold and Be Heard show. DeAnna obtained a BA in social and criminal justice and an MA in public administration. She is a happily married mother of five children.
Franklin is looking at the camera.Franklin Jones, Jr., is a Faculty Lecturer at Boston University, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development and its Deaf Studies Program. His lived experience as a Black multigenerational Deaf Gay man has fueled his passion for delving deeper into BASL (Black American Sign Language) in the hopes of uncovering historical roots and linguistic and cultural content on this subject. He is also a highly-sought-after speaker in the areas of educational, linguistic and cultural equity in Deaf communities with topics including but not limited to: The Black Deaf experience, ASL, Deaf Culture, Linguistics, and Pedagogy. Although he is the fourth generation Deaf in his family, he is the first in his family to pursue academia on a collegiate level. Mr. Jones graduated from the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind (SCSDB) in 2001. During his time at Gallaudet University, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in ASL (American Sign Language) while double-minoring in Deaf Studies and Linguistics. He graduated with Magna Cum Laude Honors in 2017. Upon graduation, he was immediately offered admission into the prestigious and widely acclaimed Master in Sign Language Education (MASLED) program and graduated with his MA degree the very next year. Mr. Jones is currently working toward his Ph.D. degree. His dissertation research pertains to the number of Black Deaf male students who are resilient in their path to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree. This is attained with or without support in higher education.

Previous Webinars in this Series

Webinar Polices

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