From: Jane Norman <jane.norman@gallaudet.edu>
To: jane.norman@gallaudet.edu
Subject: An open letter to the community
Date: Fri, 5 May 2006 16:01:03 -0400
May 4, 2006

Greetings,

My name is Jane Norman, I am a professor with the Communication Studies
department and am a diversity fellow with Academic Affairs. I just came
from witnessing a terrorized student who broke down, crying. Someone did
not let her off campus and was trying to force her to sign a paper. She
did not want any part of it and was being pressured. All she wanted was
to go off campus. She has the right to leave campus. This was a student
of color, an international student.  This is not acceptable.
I do not support the protest.

I teach about demonstration. I believe in free speech but there is a
limit. The protest originally focused on personal attacks on Dr.
Fernandes and the real issues are not being addressed. Is it possible
that some of us are afraid that in becoming inclusive we will lose the
powerful focus on our language, ASL and Deaf culture? This is a myth. In
inclusiveness, there is strength.  Utilizing terror tactics is
self-defeating; they do not encourage communication. These tactics
promote fear and misunderstanding and fuels oppression. There is a line.
It is being crossed. It is not acceptable. I appeal to everyone to be
reasonable, respectful and civil.

A hearing mother brought her deaf child on campus yesterday. The child
was terrified seeing all the angry faces and started crying and could
not be pacified. This is not acceptable.

I was just shown a TTY paper. A deaf person called and asked, “is
Fernandes a Latino name? I have experience with Latino people and do not
want them on campus. Keep them off.” This is not acceptable.
The days of exclusivity are over. Pushing people out right and left.
These days are gone. Long gone, over. I do not support this protest.
The white deaf yardstick has to go. We cannot measure who is deafer than
others. We are deaf in many different ways. No one is deafer than
others.  Our language, ASL and Deaf culture are the core and it is
being expanded to include all deaf students and all Deaf cultures. All.
It must be made known that not all faculty; staff and students support
the protest. There are many of us but it is risky and at times dangerous
to speak out. We know to do so is to be threatened with lost friendship,
relationships and all associated with this. Some of us are going through
difficulties, there are many Deaf people not taking a stand, and this
fact must not be ignored. Many of us are being pressured to join the
protest. This is not the way to do it. Just as some students have the
right to protest, we have the right to not protest. We have the right to
support Dr. Jane Fernandes. This does not mean that we do not hold ASL
and Deaf culture dear to our hearts. It is important to know that Deaf
culture does not mean white deaf culture only. Deaf culture includes all
kinds of Deaf people who are different from each other--in race,
nationalities, cultures, languages, gender, age, sexual orientation,
disabilities, class—the same as in the world.  All must be recognized
and included.

Dr. Fernandes is leading us into the 21st century. We at Gallaudet are
working to become inclusive and we will grow. The growth is painful but
necessary. Gallaudet must include all students, no matter how we became
deaf; what color we are; when we learned sign language; whether our
parents are Deaf or not. Gallaudet belongs to all. The days of
exclusivity are over. We must all be in the boat together. We cannot row
with one oar. We must all pull the oars of the boat together and pull,
pull and pull.  We are going through a very difficult time but we will
emerge as an inclusive university. Everyone has a place no matter what
part of the Deaf culture you belong to or how you became deaf. In my
view, Hearing people, too belong on this campus. We are in the midst of
change and there are many layers of resistance. We must all make an
effort to communicate. Gallaudet is for all.

Dr. Jane Fernandes has worked long and hard on diversity. Dr. Fernandes
is our 9th president and will lead us into the 21st century. We are
focusing on diversity. Gallaudet is struggling to become a place for all
Deaf people.

Jane Norman, Ph.D.
Professor
Communication Studies
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002