Deaf Actors come together to Protest against a miniseries called THE STAND

Henry Zaga as Nick Andros

A protest statement has been released that was signed by many deaf actors. The 70 70 signatories are against the casting of a hearing actor to play a Deaf character on the new CBS All Access limited series The Stand. The series is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The statement reads in part: 

We will not endorse, watch, or support your miniseries on CBS All Access. We will share our displeasure of the casting decision and airing of the miniseries on CBS All Access with our Deaf community, signing community, friends, and family of Deaf individuals; together we make up 466 million worldwide.

The letter says "not one Deaf professional actor was called in to audition for the role" of the deaf character." Deaf Austin posted more:

Here is the trailer for the CBS miniseries:

What the U.S. civil rights fight and Deaf history have in common

Mission Network News spoke with Mark Sorenson of DOOR International abot injustices faced by the Deaf community in the US. Sorenson says:

The Black struggle for civil rights has really had an impact on the Deaf community in many ways throughout the years. Actually, the push for Black freedom and equality began America’s journey towards becoming a true democracy. They fought for rights for Black people initially, and then that had an impact on the women’s rights movement, and eventually on disability rights efforts as well.

Read the full interview here.

Why people are protesting at MSD

The Fredrick News-Post takes a look at why parents and alumni are protesting at the Maryland School for the Deaf in a story you can read here.

Protesters gather at Deaf School

Protesters gathered yesterday at the Maryland School for the Deaf calling for superintendent James Tucker to be fired. The group calls themselves the Maryland School for the Deaf Survivors. The group posted some video of the gathering on their Facebook page.

 

Making the BLM more accessible for the deaf

CBS News takes a look at how the deaf Black community is impacted by police who are abusive.

Deaf Black lives matter group honors Black deaf sanitation workers

Several dozen deaf black people joined together to march in Memphis yesterday. Besides protesting against police brutality and systemic racism, they also honored black deaf sanitation workers who marched before them. Read the full story at the Commercial Appeal here and watch the video below from WJHL-TV News channel 11.

Rally at Utah State Capitol

A protest at the Utah state capitol brought out dozens of deaf people Saturday (Oct 25). They say there is a lack of communication options that "hinder them from getting access to quality care at hospitals and medical facilities." Find out more in this ABC-4 video news report.

Bison Decide What to Do During the National Anthem

The Gallaudet University football team has been wrestling with what to do when the national anthem is played before Bison games. Matthew Davis writes:

The team’s head coach, Chuck Goldstein, wanted his players to think about their protest. "These situations help us come together," he relayed in simultaneous communication, signing and speaking at the same time. 'You can understand each person on the team, because each person is different. You’re from different places—different people have different struggles in life. He encouraged his players to discuss why they protested and if they could find a way to protest “together.”

Read the full story at The New Yorker here.

Protestors with disabilities handcuffed, dragged out of Congress

As we reported yesterday, there is a bill in Congress that would "undermine" the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to the ACLU and other advocacy groups. People protesting that proposed law were "dragged from Congress on Tuesday" according to Vice and other media outlets. Here is video of showing U.S. Capitol Police "forcibly removing demonstrators, several of whom had disabilities." Read more in Vice News.

More protesters being pulled out of the Rules committee meeting pic.twitter.com/V6HEIhhZmI

— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) February 13, 2018

pic.twitter.com/UJMPsedtjT

— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) February 13, 2018

Protesters made it all the way into the Rules committee hearing inside the Capitol. Cops coming in now to take them away pic.twitter.com/N4eblrbpiL

— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) February 13, 2018

Protests over Police Shooting of Deaf Man

Protesters gathered at the City Hall in Oklahoma City Sunday in support of Magdiel Sanchez. The deaf man was shot and killed by police in his own front yard. The officers face no criminal charges. KFOR-TV has a video report.

Deaf Rights Advocates Rally in Lousiana

Deaf rights advocates gathered on the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol this morning. WAFB-TV has a video report.

WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports

Rally for Deaf Florida Man, Arrested at Protest

A demonstration opposing the Syrian airstrike turned violent in Jacksonville, Florida. Among those arrested was Connell Crooms, who is deaf. Action News Jax has a video report about a rally in his support at the county courthouse.

Terps Laid Off in Conn.

The state of Connecticut is laying off sign language interpreters working with the Department of Rehabilitation Services. The switch to private interpreting services starts July 15. Dozens came to protest the change today in Hartford at the department's offices. Read the full story at the the Hartford Courant.

Protests in Vermont

Several hundred people gathered at the Vermont statehouse to call on the state to reopen the Austine School for the Deaf. Vermont Public Radio has a report here.

Students arrested at deaf school

Protests at a deaf school in Ontario led to the arrest of two students and one former student on Tuesday. They want to see changes to the way students are treated at the Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf--including teachers who refuse to use sign language when talking to them. The trio now faces charges of trespassing and will appear in court next month. Read the full story from the Toronto Star here.

Protests at Seattle Men’s Chorus concert

Protesters marched in front of Seattle's Benaroya Hall last night over the sign language interpretation of the Seattle Men's Chorus. KING5-TV filed a video report on the controversy.

Arizona schools for deaf, blind in upheaval

This spring, students at the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind gathered rubber ducks and a coffin and staged elaborate protests with a goal of forcing a face-to-face conversation with Superintendent Robert Hill. Hill has become a lightning rod of controversy. He faces accusations of sexual harassment, disability discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation. The conflicts have thrown the school system into chaos that has drawn in the governing board, several state agencies and Gov. Jan Brewer. At the protest, the students, many of them deaf, took to the sidewalks with signs urging passing cars to “honk loud.” They made masks of Hill’s face and held a pseudo-funeral, “burying” the administrator who they said had buried them with his disregard. They placed rubber ducks throughout the campus, a gesture suggesting Hill was a lame-duck superintendent. Read more at Arizona Central here. Or watch this video report on the Spring protest from KGUN-TV.

Flashback: DPN report

ABC's Nightline broadcast from 25 years ago today - March 9, 1988 about the Deaf President Now protests at Gallaudet University. It's a fascinating look back in time with an interview of Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin. Watch the video below on DeafNewsToday.com (with captions).

Column: The Gallaudet Mob

The Weekly Standard magazine offers a column that criticizes the Deaf President Now movement (now 25 years old) as a "dubious" civil rights effort led by "campus radicals and malcontents" who "formed a mob to intimidate the duly constituted board" to toss out a "well-qualified woman" for the job as President of Gallaudet because she was "deemed politically unacceptable." You can read the entire column here.

Marking DPN

It has nearly been a quarter of a century since Gallaudet was rocked by the Deaf President Now protests. The school will mark the 25th anniversary of the grassroots effort that put Deaf Culture in the headlines and brought Gally its first deaf president, I. King Jordan. He has been followed by two other deaf presidents. The protest began on March 6, 1988. For more on the lectures, panels, and other events planned every the next few weeks to commemorate this movement, click here.