Word of the month: Ableism
Ableism refers to either individual or institutional actions and language that disadvantage or disempower people with mental, physical, and/or emotional disabilities, people experiencing disabilities, or disabled people. Ableism can be intentional or unintentional and take many forms, from the implicit assumption that people with disabilities are in some way lacking, to explicit refusal to make resources accessible to all, regardless of ability or disability.
National Deaf History Month (3/13-4/15)
Deaf History Month commemorates important dates in American Deaf History and is an occasion to recognize and celebrate the contributions of deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans. On April 15, 1817, The American School for the Deaf, the first of its kind, opened its doors. On April 8, 1864, Gallaudet University, the first higher education institution for the deaf and hard of hearing, was founded. On March 13, 1988, Gallaudet University hired its first deaf president, I. King Jordan.
Today, the Census Bureau estimates that about 11.5 million Americans, or 3.5% of the population, have a form of hearing impairment, ranging from difficulty in hearing to total hearing loss. Among them are model and activist Nyle DiMarco, award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, NFL player Derrick Coleman, and many more.
Thanks to Upper School History Teacher Jenna Larson, BB&N students will be able to learn more about "The Deaf and Differently-Abled in US History," by taking a new senior seminar, starting in fall 2022. We asked Jenna to tell us more about how the idea for the course came about and what she hopes the BB&N community will learn from it. Scroll down to read her interview.
Did you know? Ma'amoul (pictured on this month's cover) are cookies with a buttery, powdered shell, and a sweet filling of dates, pistachios, or walnuts. In Middle Eastern countries, they are eaten by Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities, during high holidays, such as Eid-al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan), Easter (the end of Lent), and Purim (the commemoration of the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia).
Photo: Eugenio Derbez, Sian Heder, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Emilia Jones, Daniel Durant and Amy Forsyth, winners of the Best Picture award for CODA pose in the press room at the 94th Annual Academy Awards. (Credit: David Livingston/Getty Images)
Jenna Larson, on new senior seminar "The Deaf and Differently-Abled in US History"
DEIG: How did the idea of the course come about?
JL: I’m severely hard-of-hearing myself and identify culturally as Deaf, so the course is as much a personal history for me as it is just a fascinating part of our national and global story. I grew up as the only hard-of-hearing person in my community and my school, and, as a result, I had really low self-esteem and a really negative sense of self; essentially I believed I was “impaired” and needed fixing. But then in college, I learned about American Sign Language (ASL) and the Deaf community and a whole positive-affirming world was opened to me that really changed the way I view myself and my place in the world. It’s importantthat I introduce my hearing peers and students to the Deaf world that exists all around them, but is so little known.
DEIG: What is this course bringing to the history department and BB&N students?
JL: I hope it offers a new lens on how to view major historical events in American history particularly, but also in the world. What was life like for deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens before, during, and after the Civil War? There’s also so much nuance within the d/Deaf community: some deaf people identify as handicapped (or differently-abled), and a lower-case “d” is used to denote that identifier; other Deaf people identify as a linguistic and cultural minority, and an upper-case “D” is used to describe those of that identifier. There’s also a lot of intersectionality within d/Deaf history, such as being a female d/Deaf person or a BIPOC d/Deaf person or someone on the autism spectrum and d/Deaf. All those intersectionalities have their own unique histories that are worthy of exploration and recognition.
DEIG: How do you hope the course will shape BB&N's understanding of and relationship with Deaf culture and the d/Deaf community?
JL: Not only will students learn basic ASL (or more if they want!), they will also meet, interview, and work with many d/Deaf people within Boston (and beyond). In that way, I hope that the relationship that students are building with members of the d/Deaf community is a long-lasting partnership that builds bridges between two communities that often exist next to each other, but rarely have an opportunity to overlap. My goal would be that if a BB&N student were to meet a Deaf person out in the world, they would be able to know the basic linguistic and social customs to engage with that person meaningfully.
DEIG: Is there anything else you'd like the BB&N community to know?
JL: There’s a joke in the Deaf community that newborn babies who fail their hearing tests within the first 48 hours of life have “passed the Deaf test.” When my son was born, I made the joke that “he failed the Deaf test” - none of the nurses laughed. But regardless, I’m excited to teach my son ASL and anyone who wants to learn is welcome to stop by my office!
Photo: US History Teacher Jenna Larson and her family
Highlights
Students' Voices: Activism Club, by President Maxwell Laibson '25
Activism Club's main goal is to promote positive change in our local and global communities. Also, to have fun while doing so! This has taken many forms: interviews we did earlier this year with the members of the BB&N community who work in the cafeteria, talking about how we can plant trees to save our environment, writing letters to underrepresented voters in Florida, and making media surround famous activities to encourage others to find causes that they feel passionate about. Our world is nowhere near perfect, and, at Activism Club, we believe in trying to make it just a little bit better. If you are a BB&N High Schooler, and this sounds interesting to you, we would love for you to drop by any of our meetings! Check What's Happening for more information on when and where we meet.
Get Involved: Walk for Hunger
Join the Nourishment Knights: walk with friends, raise awareness about food insecurity, and donate to an important cause.
Food is delicious. Unfortunately, not everyone has reliable access to it. In the last six months one in six Massachusetts families with children have experienced food insecurity. By joining the Walk for Hunger, raising money, and walking on May 1st, anyone can help lower this statistic. Solving hunger sounds challenging, and it is! However, if everyone chips in, we as a community can make a real difference. If you're a BB&N High Schooler, come join us using the link above. -- Maxwell Laibson '25
Are you a student looking to create more visibility for your group? Are you searching for a widely-read platform to share your thoughts, projects, and activism around DEIG? Write to Ms. Sanderson at csanderson@bbns.org and be featured in the DEIG newsletter!
Looking Ahead
- Thu. 4/14 6pm, Zoom: Community Gender and Sexuality Alliance meeting.
- Wed. 4/20 7:30pm, Zoom: Virtual Discussion on Systemic Racism, presented by Join Parents for Racial Equity (PRE), featuring Trustee and LS Parent Lionel Harris P’32.
Inspirations
- Listen: "The Culture Front" from NPR's Rough Translation. In this podcast episode, "Russian speakers of the diaspora ... fight back" against the supposed protection of their language being "used as justification for war."
- Read: "‘We Belong in These Spaces’: Jackson’s Successors Reflect on Her Nomination" by Linda Qiu, from The New York Times.
- Watch: CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), an award-winning film, directed by Sian Heder and taking place in Gloucester, MA.
DEIG it?
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Credits:
Created with images by sablinstanislav - "Arabic cookies Maamoul. Sweets background. " • beeboys - "今帰仁城跡 沖縄県観光スポット 日本"