At least 24 Black deaf students who attended a segregated school on the grounds of Gallaudet University in the 1950s will finally receive their high school diplomas during a graduation ceremony hosted by the university. These students were previously denied diplomas despite attending school, and the event aims to acknowledge and rectify past racial and educational injustices. The students were only able to attend the school after a legal battle against segregation, and their education was primarily focused on vocational studies rather than academics. This ceremony is seen as a significant step in recognizing the history and stories of the Black deaf community.
Gallaudet University, a historic university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Washington, D.C., held a graduation ceremony to honor 24 Black deaf students and four Black teachers who were forced to attend segregated schools on their grounds. The university issued an apology for perpetuating historic inequity and systemic marginalization against the Black Deaf community. The ceremony marked the culmination of a long battle for equality and recognition, and the university plans to create a memorial to honor those who fought for the rights of Black Deaf children.
Gallaudet University held a ceremony to award diplomas to 24 Black deaf students who were denied them more than six decades ago due to segregation. These students were part of a class-action lawsuit in 1952 that forced the only school for deaf children in Washington to accept Black students. Despite a court victory, they were treated differently from their White peers and were enrolled in a separate division. The ceremony not only acknowledged the injustice but shed light on a significant moment in American history. The university also issued an apology for perpetuating systemic marginalization and degradation.
