People continue to miss the point about the Gallaudet protests

Freshman Breanna Baker of Wailuku, Hawaii, guards one of the doors of the Hall Memorial Building on the campus of Gallaudet University Friday, Oct. 6, 2006, in Washington. Gallaudet University says campus police are working to restore order after student protesters barricaded themselves inside one of the main classroom buildings today, calling for a review of the university's presidential selection process. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf).

From "How Many Deaf People Are There in the United States? Estimates From the Survey of Income and Program Participation":

The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) is one of a few national surveys that regularly collects data identifying the American population of persons with hearing loss or deafness. Estimates from the SIPP indicate that fewer than 1 in 20 Americans are currently deaf or hard of hearing. In round numbers, nearly 10,000,000 persons are hard of hearing and close to 1,000,000 are functionally deaf. More than half of all persons with hearing loss or deafness are 65 years or older and less than 4% are under 18 years of age.
___________________________

Back in the spring, I wrote an entry about this, "What People Protest...," which was read by many within the deaf community, and treated derisively by more than a few. I then wrote another entry, "More about current Gallaudet student protests," which considered the issue on some other levels.

Yesterday, after a week of festering protests, including a sit in the major classroom building, protesting students blocked each of the entry gates into the campus. (See this AP story, "Gallaudet students blockade campus." It also made the front page of today's Post, "Student Rebellion Boils Over At Gallaudet," subtitled "Campus Shut Down; Arrests Threatened.")

The real issue concerns the definition of the deaf community by the deaf community, rather than their acceptance of being defined by others, as well as the fact that in this relatively small community, the President of Gallaudet University is not merely the president of a college, but a leading public figure within the broader deaf community.

To repeat, there are two relevant roles for the president:

1. President of Gallaudet University;
2. Prominent Leader of and Spokesperson for the Deaf Community in the United States.

The Board of Trustees is focusing on the first role; the students mostly the second role. The protesters are are saying that they don't believe that Jane Fernandes measures up for both roles. (Some say for either role.)

This is why the issue will continue to be contested. I can't predict how it will turn out.

But when I was thinking about this earlier today, I remembered the one sit-in that I participated in back when I was a student at the University of Michigan--over divestment of investments in companies doing business in South Africa.

During the day the issue was on the Regents agenda (and we just never left the meeting, it was pretty civilized), there was discussion and one of the Regents made the point that Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi of the Zulu Tribe disagreed with divestment as a strategy to encourage political change in South Africa.

The response by one of our representatives was along these lines, "Buthelezi is an appointed chief, appointed by the government in power, the same government that oppresses the majority of South African citizens. How could Chief Buthelezi be considered a credible source of opinion as a result?"

Chief Buthelezi did oppose apartheid, but he worked with the government at the same time, while Nelson Mandela and many others were imprisoned. To many, his efforts alongside the oppressive government could never be forgiven.

It's not exactly the same, but the words that came to mind were "Fernandes is an appointed chief"...

This is the issue with the protesting students and their supporters.

Will they ever accept Dr. Fernandes as their "appointed" leader, not just for Gallaudet, but for the deaf community as a whole?
-------------------
Also see this nice roundup from Frozen Tropics on the Gallaudet protests, listing a wide variety of resources, including a number of Deaf Culture blogs tracking the issue.
Gallaudet University students block the main entrance to campus during a protest on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006 in Washington. Students escalated their protests against a president-elect they say lacks the skills needed to lead the school. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Index Keywords: civic-engagement