The first word I think of when I hear “sign language” is the flourishing diversity and culture behind these methods of communication. Sign language linguistics vary depending on the region. In North America, American Sign Language is primarily used. In much of Great Britain, British Sign Language is used. There can even be dialect variations within a larger signing language. Traditions and cultures of a given community can influence certain signs, making unique differences based on the nature of those communities. Other smaller-scale signing methods stem organically from local multigenerational Deaf families or communal villages that happen to have a high Deaf population. One example of this is Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language (ABSL). This language is used in a Bedouin village in the Israel/Palestine Negev by Deaf, Hard of Hearing inhabitants, and their close family and friends. Even though 4% of the village population are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, this tight-knit community considers ABSL to be one of its official village languages and many of its hearing residents also use the language in everyday life. In other words, there aren't as many barriers for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people in this Bedouin village because of the integration of Deaf culture within the village culture.
Much like any spoken language/dialect, sign languages are bound to pop up wherever Deaf people are. Depending on the resources available and preference, some Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals may prefer alternative methods of communication such as voice-to-text apps or simply paper and pen. For many Deaf communities, there are versions of sign language that can be described as home signs, gestures and the like; considered to be unique to Deaf families and close-knit Deaf communities. Due to the personal ties within Deaf communities and families, such practices are not commonly known nor taught in publicly available sign language classes. Learning about and studying Deaf culture and history is highly advocated for to offer a deeper understanding and insight into respective regions across the world and how they have shaped Deaf societies that we have today, when compared to the past.
Not only does geography impact how sign languages are formed, but so do social and political circumstances. In the United States, for example, Black American Sign Language (Black ASL) arose in response to the widespread racial segregation in schools and everyday life. Segregation was also present in schools for Deaf children, with schools for Black, Deaf children often having fewer qualified teachers and overall less funding or none at all. With an isolated population, fewer resources than mainstream schools, and a need for communication between students, two separate signing communities were born in America. ASL and Black ASL share similarities in signs taught in academic settings, but the variations between the languages come from the need for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students to communicate with each other. Despite these communities being geographically close to one another and both using sign languages to communicate, communication between the two entirely different cultures within the Deaf community was not always possible. Black ASL has a few interesting features compared to American Sign Language. Black ASL utilizes a much larger signing space, incorporates African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and ebonics signs, and even has two-hand sign variants that are more common than in standard ASL. In a Global News article by Christine Jean-Baptiste, Black ASL is described as being more demonstrative, expressive, and vibrant.
Thankfully, Black ASL is now officially recognized in the US. The generation of younger Black ASL signers are making strides to preserve their language and along with it, its history. One such signer is Nakia Smith, who commonly goes by her signing name on Tiktok as Charmay. You can check out Charmay on Tiktok as “@itscharmay” (Check out her page here).
Unfortunately, Canada (Turtle Island) is lacking in this area with minimal studying and reporting of the unique experiences of Black Deaf Canadians. It has always been clear that minority communities and individuals were forced to deal with discrimination and prejudice, even more so with intersecting identities, and its lingering effects are still being felt today. As February is Black History Month, I wanted to use this opportunity to highlight the history of Black Canadians living in Turtle Island who are proudly part of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community.
Canadian Deaf Educator Jenelle Rouse is doing everything she can to ensure that Black Deaf Canadian history continues to be discussed and studied. Dr. Rouse herself made history in 2020 when she became the first Deaf person to receive a PhD from the University of Western Ontario. Her areas of study center around the intersection of Black Deaf Canadian history, Early Childhood Education, ASL and movement/dance. Dr. Rouse works to promote the arts in Ontario, where she resides, while also working to reconstruct the lost history of being Black and Deaf in Canada. You can read about Dr. Rouse’s work here.
She describes her own experiences with discovering BASL, in a Global News interview she says:
“I caught this friend producing a word, ‘trippin’ (a crooked “V” of a dominant hand located on the forehead; move the “V” away from the head and back at least twice),” she said over email. “I have seen the word all the time before in captioning or printed sources, but never in ASL. Again, at that time, I did not know it was BASL.”
(From the Global News article by Christine Jean-Baptiste)
Along with this, she describes having to adjust certain signing behaviours with some of her non-Black Deaf peers for fear of being perceived as loud, angry and dramatic. Dr. Rouse is doing much-needed research and work to bring to light this understudied and underreported piece of Deaf history. But Dr. Rouse is not alone as she has a large community of Black and Deaf Canadians behind her who want their communities to be preserved, studied and remembered.
Another important figure is Ebony R. Gooden, an emerging artist, filmmaker, and activist who identifies as a “proud, deaf and black woman.” Ebony resides in Calgary and through her work strives to make spaces safer for Black and racialized Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. She currently consults for the EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) of Inside Out Theatre and Calgary Arts Development. Gooden has long advocated for more Black ASL interpreters, with proficiency in ASL and BASL. She believes that in order to properly display the emotion and vibrancy of BASL, while also reflecting this in translation to audiences and viewers, it is crucial to encourage more economic prospects for Black ASL interpreters to encourage accessibility and preservation of this sign dialect. To read more about Gooden and see up-to-date information about her projects, you can check out her website here.
Gooden speaks about her involvement in activism at the height of the George Floyd protests in 2020. She described being at an anti-racism rally in Calgary where she had a speech translated by a white ASL interpreter. Ebony said in an interview with CBC,
“Someone was there filming, and gave me a copy of the video with captions and I went back and watched. And that's when I realized that the interpretation was good, but it wasn't necessarily what I said. It wasn't necessarily accurate. So I was feeling a lot of grief around that."
Ebony Gooden is grateful for the allyship of the white ASL interpreter but acknowledges that there is a larger issue in Canada (Turtle Island) of too few interpreters who know Black ASL. This leads to situations like Gooden’s and leaves those who need interpreters feeling like their thoughts aren't being accurately communicated.
Whether we are discussing the work of Dr Jenelle Rouse and her research or Ebony R. Gooden and her advocacy, we must acknowledge the missing history of Black, Deaf/Hard of Hearing people in Canada. We must also be thankful to those who are labouring to preserve, amplify, and reconstruct the lost stories of Black, Deaf, and Disabled Canadians. Uplifting and recognizing these efforts can help to bring awareness to these unique cultures seen within Black ASL, which truly emphasizes Canada’s goal of being a multi-cultural hub that represents the diversity of the Canadian population.
Below are links to the numerous news stories and websites that were referenced while creating this blog. We encourage you to read more about these amazing activists and to support them in their work. Some links include Dr. Rouse’s research, Ebony Gooden’s website, and Nakia Smith/Charmay’s Tiktok page.
Dr. Janelle Rouse’s Publications:
The official website for Ebony Gooden:
Christine Jean-Baptiste, through Global News:
“Black American Sign Language (BASL): Black Deaf Canadians seek more research, support for community”
Ebony Gooden’s interview with CBC News, the Cost of Living Podcast:
Nakia Smith/Charmay’s Tiktok account (@itscharmay):
If you want to learn more about Black and Deaf Canadian history and want to stay up to date about current preservation efforts, check out this Black Deaf Canada Facebook Group: