((PKG)) McCASKILL SISTERS
((TRT: 09:22))
((Topic Banner: McCaskill Sisters))
((Reporter/Producer: Marsha James))
((Camera: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Main characters: 2 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((BANNER: The McCaskill sisters use American Sign Language and their interview is interpreted by Diana Markel, JaRon Gilchrist and Kafi Lemons Bryant.
((Voice of Diana Markel,
ASL Interpreter))
((Carolyn McCaskill,
Second Black deaf woman to receive a Ph.D. in the history of Gallaudet University))
I’m Carolyn.
((Angela McCaskill,
First Black deaf woman to receive a Ph.D. in the history of Gallaudet University))
And I’m Angela.
((Diana Markel,
ASL Interpreter))
We are the McCaskill sisters.
((Angela McCaskill))
She’s the older one, just to let you know that.
((Angela McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
Hello, I’m Dr. Angela McCaskill and I’m the first Black deaf woman to receive a Ph.D. in the history of Gallaudet University.
((Carolyn McCaskill, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Black Deaf Studies, Author and Educator))
I’m Dr. Carolyn McCaskill and I’m the second Black deaf woman to receive a Ph.D. here from Gallaudet University and that’s history.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Voice of Kafi Lemons Bryant, ASL Interpreter))
We’re both from Mobile, Alabama
((Courtesy: Angela and Carolyn McCaskill))
and we were born and raised there. And then later in life, we moved here
((Voice of Kafi Lemons Bryant, ASL Interpreter))
to Upper Marlboro area in Maryland.
((Angela McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
So, I became deaf at age 13. Noticed my hearing started to deteriorate. So, it was more hard of hearing. I could hear but I could not comprehend what I was hearing. So, throughout school it was a little bit frustrating. But I was always sitting in the front of the class, making sure that I didn't miss any of the instructions. And I had tutoring, so I was able to function okay.
((Voice of Kafi Lemons Bryant, ASL Interpreter))
((Carolyn McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
I was born hearing and I lost my
((Courtesy: Carolyn McCaskill))
hearing at age five. We went to a hearing school
((Carolyn McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
and I continued to go to hearing school up until the 7th grade. But at that time, I was so frustrated because at that time, I didn’t know sign language at all and there were no resources to help me with my hearing loss in this school.
((Courtesy: Alabama Messenger))
And I remember often that the kids at the school would often laugh at me and tease me because of my voice. They weren't sensitive to my needs.
((Carolyn McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
So, my mom allowed my sister and I
((Courtesy: Alabama Messenger))
to transfer to Alabama School for the Negro Deaf.
((Courtesy: Gallaudet University/YouTube))
When I heard about Gallaudet while I was there, I was shocked. That was like a college for deaf kids.
((Carolyn McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
And I remember learning that was the only liberal arts school in the world for the deaf. And for me, I was like OMG.
((Courtesy: Gallaudet University Archives))
Deaf people in college like me.
((Courtesy: Gallaudet University/YouTube))
That was an awesome experience for me, just to hear about Gallaudet and be able to attend.
((NATS))
((Voice of Diana Markel,
ASL Interpreter))
((Carolyn McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
Currently, I’m the director of the Center for Black Deaf Studies and I am a professor from the Deaf Studies Department.
((Courtesy: Gallaudet University/YouTube))
We have the opportunity now to share with everyone more about the Black deaf experience, about our history and our culture and our language.
((Voice of Diana Markel,
ASL Interpreter))
((Carolyn McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
So, this book was published in 2011. So, it tells the story about Black ASL [American Sign Language] and how it emerged. And it emerged as a result of segregation and that was in deaf residential schools.
((Courtesy: Gallaudet University/YouTube))
So, Black deaf signers much more used two-handed signing. Another feature that we found amongst Black deaf people
was the actual location of where the sign was placed. And it was higher up on the head.
((Carolyn McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
Obstacles I faced as a Black deaf woman had always to do with equity in terms of access. I can remember when I applied for a job. And it took three months, at that time, for the agency to make a decision to even offer me the job. After they hired me and I had worked there for a while, I asked because I was so curious about that. I talked with other co-workers. And people were a bit uncomfortable to actually even be honest with me about what had happened. But they said, “You know, first of all you're a woman.” And I asked, “Was there anything else?” And they said, “Because you're Black.” And then I asked, “Anything else, even to that?” And they added, “Well, because you're deaf.”
So, just in that one situation there was audism, racism and sexism at play.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Voice of Diana Markel,
ASL Interpreter))
((Angela McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
So, being the first Black deaf woman to receive a Ph.D. from Gallaudet University, to be honest, it was bittersweet. So first, I couldn’t believe that there was no one before me that had obtained this.
((Courtesy: Angela McCaskill))
I received my degree in 2004
((Voice of Diana Markel,
ASL Interpreter))
and so, of course, I was incredibly happy.
((Courtesy: Angela McCaskill))
But at the same time, I knew this has to change.
((Voice of Diana Markel,
ASL Interpreter))
((Angela McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
There are many deaf Black people. We, as a community, are very intelligent, very smart and we can obtain these types of degrees.
And so, that was even more motivation for me and to continue on to write the book, Black Deaf Professionals with Doctoral Degrees.
((Angela McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
I wanted to continue to encourage people to pursue these degrees of higher education and doctoral degrees and I am happy to say that in my recent book, I’ve documented a total of 22 Black deaf people, who have earned Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees.
And this is the second edition of Black Deaf Professionals with Doctorate Degrees.
((Courtesy: Angela McCaskill))
And in addition,
((Angela McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
I was able to come up with a set of recommendations for higher education. And that’s because these students talked about some of the institutional racism and the systemic racism that they faced. And so these recommendations were made and there were four main recommendations:
One is to set up support groups because many of these students had expressed the isolation that they felt.
Second was that for each person they would be mentored.
((Courtesy: Gallaudet University/YouTube))
((Voice of Diana Markel,
ASL Interpreter))
They would be assigned a mentor and ideally, it would be nice to have
((Angela McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
a mentor within their own doctoral program.
The third recommendation was for the university to set a writing center for academic writing because that is a challenge, both for hearing and deaf people.
And the fourth recommendation, we wanted to try more to assess students who come from other countries, who have higher obtainment rates within higher education here in the United States. And why is that? So, that is something that we’re hoping Black Deaf Professional Doctorate Project can do more assessment and evaluation of.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Gallaudet University/YouTube))
((Voice of Diana Markel,
ASL Interpreter))
So, Gallaudet to me, is incredibly unique.
((Angela McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
I would say that people come from all over the world. They come here to the university in Gallaudet, to learn
((Courtesy: Gallaudet University/YouTube))
and it’s a very diverse community here.
And we’re all signing. This is a signing community. You come to this campus and there can be hearing people and deaf people and yet everyone has to sign or learn to sign.
((Angela McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
I want to tell the human world that we are people, same as you. We are intelligent, same as you. We have knowledge, skills, ability. Accept us for who we are. Include us. Embrace us like we do everyone else. Don't make me feel that I’m invisible. Deaf people can do all things except hear.
((Voice of Kafi Lemons Bryant,
ASL Interpreter))
((Carolyn McCaskill, Ph.D., Author and Educator))
I echo those sentiments, to acknowledge who we are and accept us and include us. Absolutely.
((NATS: Angela and Carolyn, talking in kitchen))
((Angela))
So, what are you doing tonight?
((Carolyn))
I had planned to relax.
((Angela))
You’ve been working, working, working overtime.
((Carolyn))
Trying not to read anymore emails.
((Angela))
Really? I’m surprised you’re not even going to read it on your phone.
((Carolyn))
I’m not sure I’m not.
