NTID called out for systematic racism
THE DAILY MOTH (RENCA):
On July 29th, the National Technology Institute for the Deaf Alumni Association Board of Directors (NTIDAABOD) released an open letter to raise concerns that NTID has not done enough to address systemic racism in recent years. They used the hashtag #enoughisenoughNTID
NTIDAABOD:
“This signed letter is from the NTID Alumni Association Board, NTIDAABOD. This letter is to the President of NTID, and also NTID Administrative Council, NAC. We submit this open letter in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Many of the 9,000+ NTID alumni members we represent have joined the voices of thousands in protest against racial injustice around the nation. We stand with the members of our community in drawing a hard line against discrimination, inequities, injustices, and hate in any form.”
“NTID is one of many influential academic institutions within the Deaf community, which spans the world. The community it serves is experiencing an ongoing cycle of pain that continues to be exacerbated by recurring events. As representatives of the broader NTID community, we remind the NTID President and NTID Administrative Council (NAC) of NTID’s responsibility to make changes that are truly reflective of all community members’ values. We unanimously agreed that NTID’s past efforts have fallen short of the concerns outlined in the NTID’s Ebony Club 2015 open letter and the #EnoughIsEnoughNTID movement. We hold NTID accountable for its actions and representation of these values and believe that real change has begun and will continue.”
THE DAILY MOTH (RENCA):
In that open letter, it identified areas that they felt NTID has not resolved. They pointed out that Ebony Club, an organization that serves Black Deaf/Hard of Hearing students at NTID, wrote an open letter to Dr. Gerald Buckley, NTID President, on December 19, 2015 about their concerns of lack of diversity at NTID. In the letter, there were 6 specific demands. That’s when the #enoughisenoughNTID hashtag first surfaced.
(Screenshot of Ebony Club letter, link in transcript)
THE DAILY MOTH (RENCA):
The NTID alumni group pointed out that since that letter, NTID has not publicly addressed the concerns and said it is time for NTID to change. They outlined Ebony Club’s demands from 2015 to re-emphasize it and added more concerns.
“The Daily Moth” and DPAN.TV covered news about Ebony Club’s complaints and other concerns with communication access back then in 2015 and 2016.
If you click on the #enoughisenoughNTID hashtag, you will see vlogs from various NTID students and alumnas sharing their experiences.
We will show you two different clips from two NTID alumnas.
FRANCIS PHIRI:
I’m making a vlog about RIT/NTID. Specifically about NTID, okay? You. Gallaudet University just went through a controversy and you think you can just stay quiet? Do you think if we are quiet, we will leave you alone for you to continue with racism and oppression? Surely not. The time is now. Here is a good question. Why didn’t I graduate from NTID/RIT? Why didn’t I graduate? Give me a response. Do you think I’m stupid? It’s clear that it’s racism and oppression. I won’t just tolerate it by staying there and waste my time and money for you to continue to look down and oppress me. Now, I enrolled in NTID/RIT in 2011. I was born in a different country which required a different plan for accommodations. Every university is expected to provide it for students. The NTID system is designed to keep Black and Brown students to stay within your system for a longer time so you can collect money from the government. White students from well-known Deaf families, whatever you call it, easily enter NTID and go to RIT. But for us international or Black students, we are assigned into NTID’s AOS degree program, which is at the high school level equivalent. For seven years? We’re assigned to lower classes. We have to fight back. I met with the English department and asked for an opportunity to do a writing again, but I was denied. Again and again. Why? Why don’t you give me the opportunity for us to transfer to a different college so we can take classes according to our needs and for us to proceed? But you decided for me to stay at a lower level and assign me to the wrong classes that take up so much time. That’s systemic racism that you are perpetuating and it needs to be taken down right now. You, NTID, the time is now to change. Get rid of the NTID system that keeps Black and Brown students to stay longer and be oppressed. Enough is enough now. You need to take action to change it.
BEN MAGEE:
Where are the Black or people in color in the administration? Where are they? NTID clearly doesn’t want that to happen. They want to keep it white and stay in control and keep up with their white privilege. That’s what is happening and NTID isn’t doing anything except for saying that they “will.” Look at the Ebony Club letter from way back in 2015, I believe. It’s 2020, and there is nothing that has happened. I want to add one more thing. NTID historically has employees who have worked for 30 or 40 plus years, working even when they can retire. If you keep things the way they are and don’t try to improve, why stay there? You need to get out. Let the new people come in and make the changes. NTID is so resistant to that. It’s time for a change.
THE DAILY MOTH (RENCA):
NTID’s National Advisory Group (NAG) made a pledge on August 1, 2020 to engage with NTID students, staff, and alumni to provide feedback in identifying barriers to the success of BIPOC students.
(Screenshot of NAG video, link in transcript)
THE DAILY MOTH (RENCA):
We also had an anonymous interview with someone from NTID. I will sign this person’s statement.
“Unsurprisingly, Dr. Buckley has not established any communication rapport with the NTIDAABOD since their July 29, 2020 open letter. These tactics are all too familiar. All promised communication and transparency along with formal reassurances to the public from the NTID/RIT administrative leaders that they will continue to keep us informed of the ongoing dialogues and developments among the working groups they have implemented these past years have not evolved to anything tangible for us to really work with. We cannot have a really direct conversation about the systemic racism that is happening at NTID without the fear of being punished, especially employees of color, , as are some white allies who take a stand. There has been no honest or open discussion without fear of silence, rejection, denial, and resistance. Another major obstacle is that Dr. Gerald Buckley usually makes the final decision for who to hire at NTID. Dr. Buckley has very little oversight over his hiring decisions and practices. There is no Board of Trustees or anything above Dr. Buckley to hold him accountable. In addition, faculty and staff who received recent career promotions have been consistently non-BIPOC and decisions are often done discreetly.
For students who speak up, those students are usually added to what is called a “black list”. This means they will never be able to come back to work at NTID. Meanwhile, their concerns never get addressed and further traumatize students who come to NTID for the purpose of not only education, but of self-awareness and a sense of belonging to their communities.
Are these not similar tactics-- punishing employees, blacklisting students, refusing accountability, painting a false image of the current climate-- of the current President of the United States? Instead of creating an environment rooted in learning, growth, equity for all people, it has instead continued to reinforce a culture of divisiveness, silence, and fear.
The NTID’s administration has not shown any signs of sincerity in addressing these problems. This has been our burden since NTID’s inception and some of the reason we are able to spotlight issues from the past several years is because we have documented proof of communication with the NTID/RIT administrators. The RIT Human Resource Department has archived years of reports and/or complaints by its employees, but their information naturally falls in the hands of RIT attorneys whose strategy and intent is to defend and protect the University at all cost.
With all the promises that the NTID administration plans to make, will there be concrete and explicit actions that are meant to further the mission of eradicating all forms of oppression on campus? Or, is this another attempt to silence individuals who are perceived as threats to the status quo, rather than as beacons of light to help guide our way to a better and safer community? As you can now probably tell, nothing in years past gives community members the confidence and hope that the change we know can happen will be actualized with the current leadership we have in place.”
We have also reached out to NTID and asked for their response. They said:
“RIT and NTID are committed to continuing to address inequities on our campus and in our community and ensuring a welcoming, inclusive, vibrant and accessible environment for everyone. RIT and NTID are engaged in meaningful conversations and actions related to social justice to identify and eradicate systemic bias. In June, NTID President Gerry Buckley announced plans for the NTID Administrative Council to draft an antiracism and social justice plan. NTID has sought feedback on this plan from the NTID National Advisory Group, Faculty Congress, Staff Senate, NTID Diversity Group, NTID Alumni Association Board, Foundation Board, and NTID student leaders and members of AALANA student groups.
When all feedback has been received and reviewed, NTID will update the plan and coordinate it with an antiracism and social justice plan being developed by RIT. The goal is to finalize the plan by October 1, but that date is dependent on when the overall RIT plan is finalized.
NTID cannot comment on individual personnel matters, but the college follows all RIT policies and procedures with regard to hiring and employment.”
-- Susan Murad, Director of Public Relations
THE DAILY MOTH (RENCA):
As we can see, this has been an ongoing issue for NTID that spans back years.
The NTID alumni group mentioned that there were several open letters already and a hashtag movement, but “racism still persisted so it needs to end now.”
--
NTIDAABOD Open letter (2020) https://www.facebook.com/NTIDAA/videos/943057092875753/?v=943057092875753
Ebony Club’s open letter (2015): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s9QXmYYI5Zhv0YjabYjSYKwtmxkmSddaqAfocMmO_q4/edit?fbclid=IwAR2HjsmjE-7tesgLPYpqn2zKqgQ763brEgt4xIk-GcXKRbBXcPOQvsMLPQY
The Daily Moth “NTID/RIT Students Demand Change” (2015) https://www.facebook.com/DPANTV/videos/595649720627429/UzpfSTI0NDE2Mjc4OjEwMTAyMDEyNjg2MTUyODU1/?d=n
Letter of no confidence (2016): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BQKeKXtXUGNE-5VVKAlRPRZ08j3IXfHS8uVrZ8VuJlU/edit?fbclid=IwAR04w3YKnd34l9Cxsk3TgPIBGniEEH2IJ2WxEotF15OSlqKaiEgC-Sa3y4w
DPAN TV “NTID Students Seek Change” (2016) https://www.facebook.com/DPANTV/videos/595649720627429/UzpfSTI0NDE2Mjc4OjEwMTAyMDEyNjg2MTUyODU1/?d=n
Ben Magee’s video: https://www.facebook.com/ru.magee/videos/10221278290921958/
Francis Phiri video: https://www.facebook.com/francis.r.phiri/videos/3716961034986502
NTID National Advisory Group’s statement: https://youtu.be/zOXkIyCUzUA
#enoughisenoughNTID link: https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/enoughisenoughntid/?__epa__=SEARCH_BOX&__tsid__=0.9797472035842864&__eps__=%2Fhome.php%3Atopnews&__eep__=4