Sociolinguistic Aspects of the Black Deaf Community

Publisher Summary The Black deaf community can be described as a group of individuals who live in a hearing and color-conscious society (Anderson, 1972). They are continually striving to overcome the communication problems faced in everyday living while still having to contend with racist attitudes that govern society. They are a group of individuals that appear to be immersed in both the Black and deaf cultures. This study explores all of these issues and presents empirical data that permits a clearer sociolinguistic perspective than has heretofore been possible. Data relating to the issue of identity consist of the results of a survey conducted with sixty Black deaf individuals. For the issue of communication patterns, data consist of videotapes made of the conversational interaction of seven dyads controlled for race, audiological status, and signing skills. Overall, as an essential part of the deaf community, the Black deaf community faces the challenges of securing better education, more promising employment opportunities, and social advancements similar to those already acquired by members of the Black community at large. Both in drawing attention to these issues and in describing some sociolinguistic features of Black deaf discourse, the chapter discusses further research on the Black deaf community. It is hoped that future studies will increase the understanding of this particular minority group and other minorities within the deaf community at large.