2,585
DEAF PRESIDENT NOW.
ASL 1- DAY 36
5th grading cycle
SUMMARY
The week that changed Deaf History forever
Initial President Chosen
March 6th
10 hearing board members chose the next President of Gallaudet University.
Protests begin
March
8th-12th
"Students made it clear that they did not want [them] on campus."
NEW PRESIDENT CHOSEN
March 13th
D.P.N.
"Biggest celebration in Gallaudet University history to date followed."
Gallaudet University
The ONLY university for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in the entire WORLD!
The Election:
who will it be?
- Washington, DC
- Was established in 1864
1
1
Tour of Gallaudet University
2
2
1987
Jerry C. Lee, President of Gallaudet until 1987.
The Board of Trustees established a committee to begin the search for a new president after Dr. Jerry C. Lee resigned at the end of 1987.
3
3
Finalists
Dr. I. King Jordan
a DEAF man who was currently the dean of the University's College of Arts and Sciences
What do you think?
Dr. Harvey Corson
a DEAF man serving as the superintendent of the Louisiana School for the Deaf
Dr. Elisabeth Zinser
a HEARING woman and assistant chancellor of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
Day 1
Sunday, March 6, 1988
• 10 hearing board members voted for Elizabeth Zinser over I. King Jordan who received 4 votes (3 deaf members and 1 hearing member). A news release was distributed at approximately 6:30 pm announcing that Dr. Elizabeth Zinser was appointed
• Several hundreds protestors then decide to march to the Mayflower Hotel where the Board was staying to demand an explanation.
• At midnight, protestors marched to the White House then to The Capitol on their way back to Gallaudet.
• Protestors headed to the Hughes Gym to discuss plan and agreed to lock the whole campus. Through out the night, protestors moved their cars to the gates.
Day 1
Why was it so important to have a Deaf president?
News Report
Finger Spelling
Did you notice?
What did he spell?
FS to Express Anger
Dr. Charles Giansanti, retired Gallaudet professor. Dr. Giansanti explained that back then, we did not have closed captions on television, he thought to express his anger and frustrations by spelling out the words on bottom right corner.
He wanted to enunciate his point more clearly through fingerspelling. Fingerspelling is often used to emphasize things and meanings, not necessarily to emphasize the use of English.
Why did he do this?
Day 2
The 4 Demands:
March 7, 1988
1) The Board must select one of the two deaf finalists as our seventh president of Gallaudet University.
2) Ms. Jane Basset Spilman must immediately resign from the Board as a Chairman and a member.
3) 51% of the Board members must be deaf.
4) There will be no reprisals against administrators, faculty, staff, and students involved in our historical movement.
Day 2 & 3
Result of the demands
Better luck next time....
• The Board met with 10 students, 2 faculty members, and 2 staff representatives for three hours in the Field House.....
• Afterwards, the Board stated that its selection of Elizabeth Zinser was final.
• Dr. Harvey Goodstein, Gallaudet professor, walked onto the stage and announced that the Board will not agree to any of 4 demands.
...but we're not done yet.
• Protestors walked out almost immediately and marched to the U.S. Capitol and Lafayette Park.
• More television stations and newspapers are turning their attention to Gallaudet.
• Protestors met again in the Hughes Gym in the evening.
Day 3
DAY 3
March 8, 1988
• The gates were re-opened but the students boycotted classes.
• A press conference was held to announce the formal Deaf President Now organization
• 4 students were identified as DPN leaders
• Spilman was quoted in Washington Post as being “surprised by the intensity of the reaction to the board’s decision. I knew there would be severe disappointment, deep disappointment. I did not expect this.”
• Another rally was held at the Hughes Gym that evening.
Who were the "Famous Four"?
As a group, you will conduct research about the 4 students who became leaders of the DPN movement.
In your research, you need to find each of their names, current ages, where they live, and where they are working now/what they are doing.
Then, on a piece of paper, sketch out an outline of a poster that you might make for each person. Each poster must include some sort of picture (be creative, it doesn't need to be OF the person [although that would be cool if you can], but maybe something related to DPN or what they do now).
EVENTS
Day 4
March 9, 1988
Day 4
• Gallaudet campus police tried to gain control but students kept their stronghold.
• Elizabeth Zinser arrived in Washington D.C. from North Carolina and said “I am in charge and take whatever steps necessary to return Gallaudet to normalcy.”
• In a meeting with 4 Leaders, Zinser refused the request to resign.
• At a press conference, Gallaudet board chair, Janet Bassett Spilman, assured that Zinser was still our President.
cont...
Day 4
- I. King Jordan, another candidate, gave his support to Zinser.
• The faculty’s vote of 147/5 in complete support of protest.
• A forum was held at Hughes Gym to discuss students’ plans of spring break on the following week. Students elected to miss spring break and stay at Gallaudet if protest continues longer than anticipated.
• Ted Koppel of the well-known Nightline program on ABC interviewed Greg Hlibok, Elizabeth Zinser and Marlee Matlin, first Deaf Oscar winner for 35 minutes.
• Rumors swirled that Elizabeth Zinser was trying to get on campus, so protestors moved Gallaudet buses and flatten the buses' tires to block the gates. Students stayed up overnight blocking the gates.
UPCOMING
ABC'S Nightline Special
Day 4: March 9th, 1988
IN BRIEF
Day 5
March 10, 1988
Finishing up DPN
• At a press conference was held with Dr. I. King Jordan reversing his support from Elizabeth Zinser toward the protestors. Everyone cheered and erupted in applause.
• American Postal Services Union president arrived on campus and presented a check of $5,000.
• $12,000 has been raised for DPN fund. Student Body government voted to add other $5,000.
Day 6 & 7
Day 6
• At 10 am at a press conference, Zinser formally announced her resignation.
3,000 marched from Gallaudet to The Capitol Building and the speakers emphasized that we will not stop until 3 ½ demands are met. Busloads of supporters from Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts arrived to join the protest.
ABC Worldwide News selected Greg Hlibok as Person of the Week.
Day 7, “Board Buster Day”
If you were to write a letter, what message would you send and to who (Zinser or Spilman)?
March 11, 1988
All-day Arts Festival: Free Spilman dogs and board burgers were given out.
• The board members who went home last week returned for an emergency meeting.
• Approximately 500 letters were received and only 5 supported board’s selection of Zinser.
• Approximately 250 letters were delivered to Janet Basset Spilman.
Day 8
Day 8
The board held an emergency meeting all day. A press conference was held at 8 pm with Phil Bravin announcing:
I. King Jordan was elected Gallaudet’s 8th president, first Deaf ever.
Jane Basset Spilman resigned from Gallaudet Board.
Quotes:
“If deaf persons are not considered good enough to run the university, then what’s the point of having a university for deaf people?”
- Dr. Allen Sussman (Class of 1955) Gallaudet Faculty Member
“The problem is not that the students do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen. Your determination, strength, and unity have achieved an historic victory at Gallaudet… Your victory was a victory of all of us… It was a victory for all people who ever felt the pain of being stereotyped, devalued, and unrepresented.”
- The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson
“A Deaf person can do anything a hearing person can, except hear.”
- Dr. I. King Jordan
DAY 5 CONT....
• At around 7:30 pm, Dr. Elizabeth Zinser announced her resignation from the position.
• Shortly afterwards, fire alarms went off in all dormitories to learn about Zinser’s resignation. Leader Jerry Covell cautioned the protestors that we have 3 ½ demands because the first demand was not fully met.