Gallaudet honors 24 Black Deaf students from 1950s-era Kendall School Division II
Alex (Daily Moth): There was a special graduation ceremony at Gallaudet University on July 22 to honor 24 students and 4 teachers who were part of a segregated school for Black Deaf students on Gallaudet’s campus that operated from 1952 to 1954. The school’s official name was Kendall School Division II for Negroes.
I will show you some clips of the graduation ceremony from Gallaudet University’s livestream broadcast and an interview with Evon Black, Associate Director of Gallaudet’s Center for Black Deaf Studies.
[Clips showing the graduation ceremony in which graduates are wearing purple robes. Some of those receiving diplomas are visibly emotional.] Credit: Gallaudet University
Alex: Gallaudet said there are six living students from Kendall Division II and five of them attended the graduation ceremony. All the students and their descendants received high school diplomas conferred by Gallaudet’s Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center.
[Clips showing graduates seated in an auditorium. They are cheering.] Credit: Gallaudet University
[Begin interview]
Alex: Can you describe the atmosphere, the environment on that day?
Evon Black: It was incredibly beautiful and deeply moving. There were goosebumps all over, it had a feast on my skin. When I looked at the graduates’ faces, I could see they were inspired and couldn’t believe that they actually graduated. Some asked if they could put their high school diplomas on the wall just like white people do. We told them, “Yes. It is yours!” They were amazed. I could see that their eyes sparkled just as if they were 14 or 15 years old again. It was very emotional. It became a reality for them when they put on purple robes and caps. That was what they missed out on 71 years ago. Wow! Their faces basically said, “Finally! I did it!” Wow. So that was the atmosphere. It was full of joy. It was spreading Black Deaf joy.
[End interview]
Alex: To provide some history, Gallaudet explained in a press release that from 1898 to 1905, Kendall School did enroll and educate Black Deaf students. But in 1905, white parents complained about the integration of races, and Black Deaf students were transferred to schools out of D.C. That went on for about 50 years.
In 1952, Louise B. Miller, a Black-hearing D.C. resident and a mother to four children, three of them deaf, wanted his oldest son, Kenneth to enroll in Kendall School, which was near their home. But Kendall/Gallaudet denied the request simply because Kenneth was Black.
Miller and other parents then sued the D.C. Board of Education and the court ruled that Black Deaf students couldn’t be sent outside the state or D.C. to obtain the same education that white students got.
Gallaudet/Kendall responded not by integrating the students but by constructing the Kendall School Division II building, a segregated building. But it operated for only two years because in 1954, the landmark Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education made school segregation illegal across the nation. The segregated school was closed and Kendall School accepted students of both races.
[Begin interview]
Alex: Can you explain why it was important to award high school diplomas?
Black: Okay. These 24 children struggled to have a good life. They weren’t able to get into colleges. They didn’t have good quality jobs, such as in the federal workforce. There were barriers so they were limited to clerical or blue-collar jobs. They were looked down upon in the past because they were disabled. They were both Black and Deaf, so it was double oppression. So now with the diplomas given to them, it “showed” the importance of repairing, to make wrongs into rights. The diplomas represented what they should have received. It’s important so Black and Brown children can recognize the importance of education. That’s one reason. The second reason is to recognize their Black Deaf resilience. So, there was a guy who was so excited to graduate. Now he can put his diploma on a wall. That’s what he missed out on. It’s giving their self-esteem back. Their education back. Yes, it’s late, and they are in their eighties, but they can feel that they’ve made this accomplishment. It’s really important. It’s also eye-opening for other schools out there to recognize their injustices. This is setting a model. The first was at the Kentucky School for the Deaf / Sharon White. It’s starting to trend. So I think giving high school diplomas is a really important reminder that our Deaf children, regardless of their color, should receive an education. That’s the message that should be sent. Fair access.
[Video clip of graduation ceremony] Credit: Gallaudet University
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Alex: You’ve had the graduation ceremony and many are now looking forward to the construction of a memorial honoring Louise B. Miller. Can you explain where you are at with the memorial?
Black: Sure. With the memorial and the gardens, we are currently fundraising. It is a $23 million effort. We will have a big launch called “The Necessity of Now.” This is how we sign “The Necessity of Now.” We will launch it during Homecoming. We want to construct a memorial that will be a space where the 24 children and other Black, Brown and White children have a place to go home.
[Video clip from Gallaudet’s Louise B. Miller Memorial website. It describes four areas: Awareness, Freedom, Remembrance, and Healing. The memorial will include a constellation of lights marking the locations of twenty Deaf schools that were segregated or otherwise created specifically for Black Deaf children. To watch the full clip and get more information: https://gallaudet.edu/the-memorial/ ] Credit: Gallaudet University
Black: That's where we are. The Center for Black Deaf Studies is still researching. We are not finished. We are still making discoveries. For example, just yesterday someone told us that Dorothy is their sister. There is information out there. So that’s where we are now with fundraising. If there are people out there who are interested in supporting us, please go ahead! Donate!
Alex: So now we all can see the significance of the graduation ceremony and of remembering this part of Black Deaf history that happened on the Gallaudet campus.
[End interview]
Graduation Ceremony Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=search&v=1401874397039734