We Stand w/ YOU NTID/RIT students

Latinx child’s hand signing “STAND” on a tree trunk

So the students of NTID/RIT have been schooling the administration, faculty and staff on a lot of important concepts and realities like social justice, intersectionalities, language access, safe space, White fragility, microaggression and more.

as an alumni of NTID – #istandwithyou
#NTIDAlumniKnow #AlumniStandWithNTID
#NTIDAlumniCare #NTIDAlumniGotYourBack #EnoughIsEnoughNTID #WakeUpNTID #NTIDconvocation #NTIDConvocation2016 #DeafEd

as a faculty member of NTID – #istandwithyou
#NTIDfacultyknow   #facultyStandWithNTID   #NTIDfacultyCare #NTIDFacultyGotYourBack #EnoughIsEnoughNTID #WakeUpNTID #NTIDconvocation #NTIDConvocation2016 #DeafEd

detail of Nancy Rourke painting – hands signing “STAND” and other hand with bent ring finger for Nepali sign for “Deaf”

thank u for teaching us and for not giving up.  Keep standing

See the results of a survey students conducted at the NTID Convocation on November 19, 2016:
(go to the Stripeticle Newsletter and scroll down for the full story and video and picture of students taking to the stage in a peaceful protest)

http://us9.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9bc8e90a19e5a450777179b4c&id=2ebb5ff4eb

Survey Conducted at NTID Convocation

Question: Do you feel CONFIDENT that the administrators fully listen to your concerns and is doing their best to solve these concerns in the community’s best interest?

Staff/Fac.

YES= 94

Both/unsure= 6

NO= 77

 

Student

YES= 8

NO = 72

 

Alumni

YES = 7

NO = 5

 

Adm (administrators)

YES = 8

Blank = 1

This is a significantly high vote of no confidence –
90% of the students at the convocation voted NO CONFIDENCE in the administration
43% of the staff/faculty voted NO CONFIDENCE

this is a H U G E red flag to the administration that changes need to be MADE – not just talked about.

What are the issues:

lack of faculty of color
lack of knowledge of intersectionality and privilege by the faculty and administration
communication access

fully understanding, recognizing and utilizing ASL as a language of instruction
and more

i aint in facebook but i assume Ebony Club, Communication Access Now (CAN), NTID Student Congress (NSC), Deaf International Student Association and Deafblind students letters are shared some where out there in FB. Students have been lobbying hard and justly on these issues since 2015 – many of these issues have been around for a long long long time.

methinks we ought not to repeat bad history and instead heed the wisdom Jesse Jackson shared in his letter to another group of protesting Deaf students

to see the full letter go to:

http://www.gallaudet.edu/dpn-home/issues/letters-of-support/rev-jesse-jackson.html

the students are asking that we truly understand them. methinks it is understandable why they think that we do not since so many of us dont even know as much as the students currently do.  They have progressed ahead of many of us in the quest for equality for all.  would that we heed their hearts and words and work WITH them for equality of condition and affective education.

see the video below for an awesome collection of amazing NTID/RIT alumni supporting the students – it made me weepy as i know so many of these good folks.  See, the current students and graduates (recent and from many moons ago) have much to teach us. Would that we learn.

Stand on NTID – #istandwithyouNTID