Introduction
A weeklong protest grabbed American national attention in 1988. This protest at Gallaudet University, a liberal arts university in Washington D.C., was pertaining to the appointment of a hearing person for the presidentship of a Deaf university. The students seized control of the campus and barricaded the parking area and the entrances. Due to the protest, all activities in the campus were halted including classes. The students along with their supporters from amongst the staff raised a sum of $25000 to fund the strike and marched to the capital to grab the attention of the National media. This paper recounts the events of the weeklong strike and captures the reactions of the various parties involved in the strike. Further, the paper will also try to capture the main impact the strike had on the nation.
Discussion
The rally marked a peaceful revolt against oppression of the deaf. The rally fliers were significant enough to demonstrate the reason for the strike:
“It’s time! In 1842, a Roman Catholic became president of the University of Notre Dame. In 1875, a woman became president of Wellesley College. In 1886, a Jew became president of Yeshiva University. In 1926, a black person became president of Howard University. AND in 1988, the Gallaudet University presidency belongs to a deaf person. To show OUR solidarity behind OUR mandate for a deaf president of OUR university, you are invited to participate in a historic RALLY!” (Gannon, Beatty, & Louie, 2002, p. 20)
The theme of the rally was “The time is now!” and there were 1500 people who joined the rally which was more than the estimated number. The rally goers were wearing yellow buttons and blue stickers with “Deaf President Now” printed on them, a phrase which caught national attention like wildfire. The movement gained support of the Congress and the National Association of the Deaf and they wrote to Gallaudet’s management board to appoint a qualified deaf candidate.
The flow of the events showed that Elisabeth Ann Zinser resigned from her presidentship of Gallaudet University due to continuous protests by the students. After her resignation, she said, “I came to understand how deeply some see the social stature of deaf persons reflected in the presidency of this university.” (Ayres, 1988, p. 1) However, the board was reluctant to let go Dr. Zinser and said that it would up to the board to accept or reject her resignation and appoint a deaf candidate. The main reason for the protest was that the university although being the first university in the world for deaf, had only a 4 to 21 representation in the management board and until 1988 there were no deaf presidents (Cramer & Brand, 1988).
The movement assumed the momentum of a social movement as the whole nation was involved. This was affirmed in Zinser’s comment when she said that she left her position due to the “extraordinary social movement of deaf people” and not to the “demands of the protesters” (Ayres, 1988, p. 1). However, the board was not convinced that a deaf president was capable enough to run the university. Thus, it was allegedly reported that the board chairperson Jane Bassett Spilman said, “deaf people are not ready to function in a hearing world” (Cramer & Brand, 1988).
The popular feeling among the protesters was that they were being oppressed due to their disability to hear. This feeling was well expressed through the signs and their comments in the media. One student protestor, Rebekah Hammer said, “Prejudice is believing that hearing people have to take care of deaf people.” (Cramer & Brand, 1988). The feeling of being oppressed, subjugated, and treated as the “other” was reiterated through the protestors. The main issues, which were demanded by the protestors, were:
- Resignation of Dr. Zinser and appointment of a deaf president.
- The board chairperson, Jane Bassett Spilman, resign from her position.
- The board of the trustee, which consisted of 21 members, had only 4 deaf members. The protestors demanded reconstruction of the board with a majority of deaf candidates.
- There would be no reprisal against any student or staff involved in the protest.
The student movement gained a national momentum. It was no longer a movement that encompassed the student body rallying to get a deaf president appointed rather it assumed a social movement status with the involvement and sympathy of the completely deaf community. The movement was a cultural movement, which signified the presence and oppression against the deaf people. The community felt even more insulted due to the appointment of a hearing president even after repeated requests from the student and faculty body. This made them feel the oppressive attitude of the board and the capability of the deaf assuming leadership role. A student, Sherri Lambert, remarked, “A deaf president is a role model of all deaf people. He is the leader of the whole deaf community.” (Rome News-Tribune, 1988, p. 2).
Conclusion
The uprising of the students marked a new era in civil rights movements. The Deaf President Now movement gained national, media, and political support due to the nature of the protest, which was peaceful, and mostly raised public opinion. Further, it was fought with unnerving unity among the deaf. Above all it marked the advent of a unique culture i.e. Deaf Culture to which the hearing presidents of the university had very little exposure and only a deaf president could fill the vacuum.
Reference
Ayres, B. D. (1988). Demonstrations by the Deaf Bring A Resignation but Not Yet a Truce. The New York Times , p. 1.
Cramer, J., & Brand, D. (1988). Education: This Is the Selma of the Deaf. Web.
Gannon, J. R., Beatty, J., & Louie, C. (2002). The week the world heard Gallaudet. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
Rome News-Tribune. (1988). Deaf people protest school’s president. Rome News-Tribune , p. 2.