June 3, 2020
Dear College Community,
As members of the Sonoma County Deaf Community, we stand in solidarity with our Black/African American colleagues, friends, family, advocates, and community. The emails that have been sent out are both heartbreaking and heartwarming. We are saddened by the personal experiences of those colleagues who have shared their stories and have felt uplifted by the outpouring of concern and the commitment to create a more just society, starting with our own college campus. The National Deaf Center posted a Statement on Racism and Oppression which included several video clips by Black- Deaf individuals sharing their own stories, which we have included below:
- Justin Folk
- Tara Miles
- Awet Moges
- Kriston Pumphrey
- Rezenet Moges-Riedel
- Warren 'Wawa' Snipes
- Felicia Williams
We agree with the findings of their 2019 report on Postsecondary Achievement of Black Deaf People in the United States, which concludes: “We must tackle systemic racism, audism, sexism, classism and other forms of oppression that create cracks throughout the educational pipeline that deeply impact Black deaf students’ college access, achievement, and overall quality of life.” We are here to join the fight against racism and will do our part to call out intersectional oppression, discrimination, and microaggressions.
Yours in solidarity,
The Santa Rosa Junior College ASL and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Programs
Heidi Brockman | Staff Sign Language Interpreter
A Dreamer | Staff Sign Language Interpreter, Senior
Debbie Ezersky | DRD Department Chair/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Coordinator
Tanya S. Irvin | Administrative Assistant
Dolph Rehkop | ASL Program Coordinator
Karen Stevens | Staff Sign Language Interpreter