Ms. Pamela Reichelle Anderson of Detroit Michigan set abou

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Successful Deaf Black Advocates
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A Short History of National Black Deaf Advocates

• The story of Black Deaf Advocates goes back
  to 1980, where the idea was brought up to a small
  group of locals in DC, meeting with the board of
  the Deaf Pride. They were concerned about
  identifying Black Deaf people, problems that
  prevent Black Deaf from achieving their
  potential, and the lack of leadership. Since
  motivation brings together shared experiences,
  ideas, hopes talents, and abilities, it was
  apparent that isolation was a key factor. Goals
  were developed, and other skills that are usually
  ignored were discussed.
• In July of 1980, NAD had its convention in Ohio.
  A Black Caucus was developed. Though several
  members of the DC group were there, this was not
  a part of the BDA movement. These two events
  should not be confused.
• In August of 1980, Charles ( Chuck) Williams came
  to DC to file a class action suit against the
  National Democratic Convention seeking to force
  the convention to televise a sign language
  interpreter throughout the meeting in order to
  make it accessible to the deaf people. Chuck was
  invited to work with the local BDA planners. From
  this, the theme "The Black Experience" was born.
  A mini conference was held for planning in
  November of the same year. The chairperson of the
  conference was Ms. Lottie Crook, Vice Chairman,
  Lindwood Smith, and Interpreter Coordinator, Ms.
  Shirley Johnson, and Mr. Robert Howard as the
  trainer and consultant.

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• Nearly one year later, on June 25 - 26th of 1981,
  the conference became a reality. The conference
  brought together nearly 100 Black people from the
  deaf community, who met at Howard University.
• In August of 1982, the Cleveland conference took
  place, attracting nearly 300 people from across
  the United States. Topics were related to section
  504, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Social
  Services, and Hearing Parents with deaf children.
  
• A debate was held as to whether a national
  organization should be formed. The idea was
  accepted. The national executive secretary, Mr.
  Albert Couthen was elected to coordinate the
  efforts to form a national office. The vote was
  cast that Philadelphia, Pa would host the next
  conference with Ms. Elizabeth Moore-Aviles as
  president of that chapter.
• So, in August of 1983, the second conference was
  held in Pennsylvania with nearly the same number
  in attendance as the previous year. The focus was
  on leadership and education. The first beauty
  pageant was held, and Ms. Ronnie Mae Tyson was
  chosen as the reigning Miss Black Deaf America.
  During this time, New York asked to be recognized
  as chapter 4, and they were chosen as host of
  the conference for 1984. Ms. Patricia Johnson was
  president of the NY chapter. Also during that
  time, Al Couthen resigned after successfully
  helping Philadelphia with their conference.

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• Following Al Couthen's resignation, Sheryl
  Guest-Emery was elected as the continuing
  national executive secretary. Under her
  administration, she was challenged to develop a
  set of national by-laws and incorporate the
  organization, as well as to develop procedures to
  make sure that the by-laws would be implemented.
  Dr. Seth Tetteh-Ocloo was appointed as acting
  treasurer and greatly assisted with the
  development of the bylaws and incorporation. Ms.
  Pamela Reichelle Anderson of Detroit Michigan set
  about to obtain the 501 (C)3 tax exempt status
  for NBDA and was successful.
• During the conference of 1983-1984, Atlanta
  joined as chapter 5, and Detroit became chapter
  6 and Chicago was 7. All of the newly formed
  chapters were using the structure of the newly
  developed by-laws. In 1986 Nashville TN became
  chapter 8, and Memphis became chapter 9 in
  1987. Tennessee was the first state to hold two
  chapters.

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Deaf Black Success Stories

• 1. Alesia Howard
• 2. Angela McCaskill
• 3. Donald A. Tinsley
• 4. Fred Beam
• 5. Glenn B. Anderson
• 6. Isaac Agboola
• 7. Joanel Lopez

• 8. Marvin Timothy Albert
• 9. Michelle Banks
• 10. Nathie Marbury
• 11. Thomas Samuels
• 12. Toronja Williams
• 13. Tyese Wright

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Alesia Howard

• Graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree
• in Psychology from Rochester Institute of
  Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY.
• She's performed in theater productions at RIT's
  National Technical Institute for the Deaf, was a
  member of the Gospel Ensemble, worked as a
  resident advisor, and worked on different
  committees that fostered a sense of community and
  promoted cultural diversity. But her favorite
  extra-curricular activity was being a member of
  Ebony Club, and she served as President for one
  year.
• Her advice to others? There is so much support
  out there these days, that there is no excuse you
  cannot do it, Alesia affirms. Yes, it's hard.
  But you can do it, and never give up.
• More on Alesia

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Angela McCaskill

• Received her Ph.D May 14, 2004 at Gallaudet
  University in Special Education Administration.
• Worked as Coordinator of Residence Education at
  the Model Secondary School for the Deaf and
  Gallaudet University and Assistant Principal at
  the Model Secondary for the Deaf.
• The road to success is not straight. There is a
  curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion,
  speed bumps called Friends, red lights called
  Enemies, caution lights called Family, and you
  will have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a
  spare called Determination, an engine called
  Perseverance, insurance called Faith, and a
  driver called Jesus, you can make it to a place
  called Success.
• More on Angela

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Donald A. Tinsley

• Former National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA)
• Treasurer and Board member, Mr. Donald Tinsley,
• made history at the Indiana Association of the
  Deaf
• (IAD) biennial conference in April 2003 where he
  was
• elected IAD first Black president. IAD has only
  once
• before had a Black officerJoe Kindred, who was
• elected IAD Secretary in 1963.
• Donald is the Program Director of Deaf and Hard
  of
• Hearing Services (DHHS) at Indiana Government
  Center in
• Indianapolis, Indiana.
• He graduated from the Indiana School for the Deaf
  in 1969
• and attended the National Technical Institute for
  the
• Deaf (NTID), in Rochester, NY. He also earned an
• associate degree in Electrical Engineering
  Technology
• from Indiana UniversityPurdue University at
• Indianapolis (IUPUI).

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Fred Beam

• Fred was the first ever to have a Deaf African
  American
• leading role in the history of hearing theater.
  He was also
• the first Deaf African American actor to have a
  leading role in
• Equity Theater in Chicago, possibly in the
  nation.
• Beam is dedicated member of the National Black
  Deaf
• Advocates he is a former President of DC Area
  Black
• Deaf Advocates (DCABDA), former DCABDA Board
  member
• and has chaired numerous DCABDA committees.
• Beam is the founder of Invisible Hands Inc.,
  which is made
• up of a number of different companies including
  The Wild
• Zappers, an all male deaf dance company which has
  toured
• nationally and internationally National Deaf
  Dance Theatre,
• a mainstream dance company for both deaf and
  hearing
• communities and I Didnt Hear That Color, a deaf
  African
• American touring theater troupe.
• More on Fred

10
Glenn B. Anderson

• The U.S. Senate confirmed six of President
  Bushs
• nominees to the National Council on Disability
• (NCD) on September 26, 2002. Among those
  confirmed
• was Glenn B. Anderson, Ph.D., of Little Rock,
  Arkansas.
• Dr. Anderson is director of training at the
  University of
• Arkansas Rehabilitation and Training Center for
  Persons
• who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
• He is a professor in the Department of
  Rehabilitation,
• Human Resources, and Communications Disorders and
  
• he also serves as chair of the Board of Trustees
  at
• Gallaudet University.
• More on Glenn

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Isaac Agboola
Was appointed chair of the Department of
Business at Gallaudet University effective May
2003. He is the first deaf African American
chair of an academic department at Gallaudet
University. Was the secretary of the District
of Columbia Black Deaf Advocates and Workshops
Chair for the 2003 NBDA Conference. He is
involved in numerous community activities
including serving on the Maryland Governor's
Advisory Board for Telecommunications Relay
(GABTR), Treasurer of the Gallaudet University
Alumni Association, and advisor to the Zeta Sigma
Psi fraternity, a new fraternity established
by black male students at Gallaudet University.
More on Isaac
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Joanel Lopez

• Lopez is a Lexington School for the Deaf
  graduating senior
• who has his mind set on enrolling at Howard
  University
• in the fall. Only once before in the 140 year
  history of
• Lexington has a graduating senior applied, got
  accepted,
• and elected to enroll into Howard University, a
  historically
• Black college.
• He participated on the Lexington soccer,
  softball,
• and wrestling teams. He also served as his class
• representative to the schools student
  government.
• His goal is to study politics and science in the
  hopes to
• protect the environment.
• More on Joanel

13
Marvin Timothy Albert

• He become the first Deaf president of a hearing
• organization, overseeing all of RITs black Greek
  and non-Greek
• organizations. Also, he pledged Alpha Phi Alpha
  Fraternity,
• Inc., an international black Greek fraternity.
• While juggling school, Tim served on several
  local and national
• NBDA committees. He received two national awards
  from NBDA
• and also holds the distinction as being the
  NBDAs first and only
• King. Today, he is the President of District of
  Columbia Area BDA
• (DCABDA) and on his ninth year as NBDA Youth
  Empowerment
• Summit (Y.E.S.) Director. He also serves as the
  only man on the
• Board of Directors for Deaf Abused Women Network
  (D.A.W.N.).
• He is graduating with a Masters of Social Work
  degree, and is
• talking about getting a Ph.D in the future.
• More on Timothy

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Michelle Banks

• Michelle Banks is the founder and artistic
  director of Onyx
• Theatre, Inc. Her films credits include Malcolm X
  and
• Compensation.
• Played in her first television role last fall in
  a popular Black
• television series called "Soul Food."
• Serves as the Cultural Director for LABDA.
• She attended Kendall Demonstration Elementary
• School (KDES), the Model Secondary School
• for the Deaf (MSSD), and Gallaudet University.
• More on Michelle

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Nathie Marbury

• Her face is familiarit is on the cover of
  videotapes about sign language storytelling. But
  Nathie Marbury, who has finished the coursework
  for her PhD in Applied Linguistics at the
  University of California, Los Angeles, considers
  herself primarily a teacher. Marbury has taught
  deaf and hearing students throughout the United
  States. She is part owner of a sign language
  videotape company, Building Bridges, and teaches
  at Shoreline Community College in Seattle.
• More on Nathie

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Thomas Samuels
He was the first Chairperson of the National
Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) Board of Directors
and also served as NBDA Vice-President for three
years. Also a Black Deaf history researcher,
Samuels has given numerous Black Deaf history
presentations/workshops locally and nationally
to Deaf and hearing organizations, Deaf Senior
Citizens, Schools, Colleges, Libraries,
and social groups. Thomas is a professional
videographer and photographer and is currently
working on developing Black Deaf related
literatures, videotapes, photos and CD of Black
Deaf history. More on Thomas
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Toronja Williams

• Was crowned Miss Black Deaf America (MBDA)
• 2003 during the 19th Annual NBDA Conference in
  Detroit.
• A graduate of the American School for the Deaf
  (ASD)
• in West Hartford, Connecticut, she currently
  attends a
• community college and hopes to transfer to
  University of
• Pennsylvania for her bachelor's degree in
  Political Science.
• You've got to have a positive self-esteem and
  believe
• that you can be anything you want to be!"
• More on Toronja

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Tyese Wright

• Graduated Valedictorian and received the Linwood
  Smith Award and the Kendall Cup which is
  Kendall's most prestigious award, for excellence
  in academics, leadership and extracurricular
  activities.
• She currently teaches kindergarten at Kendall
  Demonstration Elementary School (KDES).
• At the tender age of nine, she recited the Pledge
  of Allegiance in sign language for President
  Ronald Reagan at the bicentennial celebration of
  the United States Constitution in front of over
  two hundred thousand spectators.
• At age eleven, she served as a U.S. delegate in
  Paris, France for the Children's International
  Summer Village, a volunteer organization that
  promotes peace, leadership and long friendships
  and was featured in the 1995 issue of World
  Around Us Magazine, entitled "An American in
  Paris." She's also featured in the first book
  written on successful deaf women.
• More on Tyese

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References

• http//www.deafweb.org/bdahistory.htm
• NDBA website http//www.nbda.org/index.html
• http//clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/WorldAroundYou/no
  v-dec97/interview.html