Foreword to the Original Edition

It is now more than two years since the “Empowerment and Black Deaf Persons” Conference took place at Lehman College, the City University of New York. These proceedings offer a glimpse of where we were in April 1990. The conference was seminal in that it brought together an audience of mostly African American Deaf and hearing people to address three themes: leadership and advocacy, the dynamics and dilemmas of being of dual minority status, and issues related to language and community.

The goal of the conference was for each participant to leave with a clear understanding of empowerment and strategies for empowering themselves and their community. Through the information shared by distinguished keynote speakers and 18 concurrent session presenters, conference participants gained information, insight, and resources. Through the program’s investigation, participants examined commonly encountered barriers and emerging solutions that affect African American deaf people in today’s society.

This conference was cosponsored by Lehman College, the City University of New York, and The National Academy of Gallaudet University. The planning efforts of the following people were crucial for the success of this conference:

Program Chairs

Lindsey Dunn and Angela McCaskill-Gilchrist

Cosponsor Representatives

Deborah Copeland, Patricia L. Johnson, Susan N. Karchmer, and Kathy Vesey

Interpreter Coordinator

Jo Ann Kranis

Entertainment Coordinator

Celeste Owens

This conference was a forerunner to “The Excellence and Equity Conference Series.” It is because of the “Empowerment and Black Deaf Persons” Conference that a national network of consumers, professionals, educators, administrators, and service providers have had an opportunity to meet and push forward the concepts of “The Black Deaf Experience: Excellence and Equity” and “The Hispanic Deaf Experience: Excellence and Equity.” These conferences, sponsored by a 14-member national coalition of education and advocacy organizations, have been funded, in part, by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services of the U.S. Department of Education. The seeds that were planted during the “Empowerment and Black Deaf Persons” Conference are coming to fruition.