DISRUPTING ANTI-BLACKNESS IN K-12 DEAF EDUCATION

Abstract

Discussion of anti-Blackness in deaf education is limited and the experiences of Black Deaf students are significantly understudied. While existing research has explored the educational outcomes of deaf students, these studies often fail to incorporate a critical race analysis, resulting in a perpetuation of longstanding racial inequalities rather than efforts to dismantle them. This oversight marginalizes the complex lived experiences of Black Deaf students, whose experiences are influenced by intersections between race, deafness, and other identities. The purpose of this study was to examine how Black Deaf students navigate and interpret their lived experiences in schooling spaces that are often shaped by systemic anti-Blackness. Given Black Deaf students' intersecting identities, a single conceptual framework cannot fully capture their unique K-12 schooling experiences. To address this gap, I developed Black Deaf Critical Theory as a new framework to examine how power structures and racial inequality in deaf education, influenced by anti-Blackness, Whiteness, and hearingness, manifest through pedagogical practices, curricula, and policies that uphold White supremacy. A narrative inquiry approach was utilized to center the voices of former Black Deaf students by exploring their schooling experiences. Through interviews and a focus group, Black Deaf participants shared schooling experiences that often failed to acknowledge or address their unique needs and challenges. The findings highlight the urgent need for educational practices, policies, and curricula that are explicitly Black Deaf-centered. These approaches must actively challenge and dismantle the entrenched systems of anti-Blackness, Whiteness, and hearingness within deaf education. This study seeks not only to elevate the voices of Black Deaf students but also to advocate for transformative changes in deaf education.