Gallaudet United Now Movement
Encyclopedia
The Unity for Gallaudet Movement is a protest movement started by students, faculty and alumni of Gallaudet University
and other sympathizers who do not support the nomination of Dr. Jane Fernandes
as president of the university. I. King Jordan
, Gallaudet University's previous president who was brought into the office as a result of the Deaf President Now Movement
announced his retirement for the end of 2006. His successor was narrowed to three possible candidates - the two that were eliminated were Ronald Stern and Stephen Weiner, leaving Fernandes the presidency.
Ryan Commerson, LaToya Plummer, Leah Katz-Hernandez, and Delia Lozano-Martinez were named as Faculty, Students, Staff, and Alumni (FSSA) spokespersons. Chris Corrigan was described as the "Mayor of Tent City" and largely responsible for rallies. Noah Beckman, in his role as Student Body Government president, and Tara Holcomb, as Student Body Government's Director of Ethics and Conduct, emerged as strong voices for the students the SBG represented. The participation of former SBG president/alumna Tawny Holmes and graduate student Erin Moran were also critical. They encouraged the students to speak out about Dr. Jane Fernandes as the 9th president. During October, Commerson essentially filled the role as the democratic leader of the protest, with Holmes as the active alumnus leader and Moran as the coordinator of Tent City. Alumnus Sean Moore was also involved in organizing the impetus to move forward the protest activities. Plummer was key in negotiations with the DC police and the short-lived Fernandes transition-administration.
On October 1, 2006, Tent City was in the process of being revived by students when they ran into problems. Campus workers had put down a highly concentrated liquid fertilizer called Earth Juice. The administration claimed that the fertilizing was planned months in advance. The next day, the Tent City was revived to protest the 9th president selection. Eventually the students seized the Hall Memorial Building (HMB), and locked it down in order to prevent any classes from resuming and force the university administration to the negotiation table.
On October 6, 2006, officers from the Department of Public Safety raided the Hall Memorial Building in an attempt to break up the lockdown. The students later alleged that the officers assaulted several students. I. King Jordan
has ordered an independent investigation.
On October 12, 2006, police were called in to arrest the students.
National Association of the Deaf
's president Bobbie Beth Scoggins of Kentucky cut her vacation short and flew in to declare NAD's support of the students' demands.
On October 16, 2006, 168 of the 221 eligible voting faculty members at Gallaudet University attended a faculty meeting. This represents 76% of the eligible voting faculty and was the largest attendance ever.
On October 19, 2006, the Washington Post reported that "[o]f the 20 trustees, three of whom are members of Congress, perhaps as many as seven do not support Fernandes becoming president".. This article was the catalyst in shaking the Board of Trustees up and creating unease in their firm stand to not condone the protest for the first time.
On October 21, 2006, more than 4,000 people from around the nation attended a protest march to the Capitol
, in Washington D.C.
On October 29, 2006, the Board of Gallaudet withdrew its appointment of Fernandes, without naming an alternative.
Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University is a federally-chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in the District of Columbia, U.S...
and other sympathizers who do not support the nomination of Dr. Jane Fernandes
Jane Fernandes
Jane Kelleher Fernandes is a deaf educator and is the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of North Carolina Asheville as of July 1, 2008. Dr. Fernandes was the former President Designate of Gallaudet University...
as president of the university. I. King Jordan
I. King Jordan
Irving King Jordan became, in 1988, the first deaf president of Gallaudet University, the world's only university with all programs and services designed specifically for students who are deaf and hard of hearing...
, Gallaudet University's previous president who was brought into the office as a result of the Deaf President Now Movement
Deaf President Now
Deaf President Now was a student protest at Gallaudet University. The university, established by an act of Congress in 1864 to serve the Deaf, had always been led by a hearing president...
announced his retirement for the end of 2006. His successor was narrowed to three possible candidates - the two that were eliminated were Ronald Stern and Stephen Weiner, leaving Fernandes the presidency.
Spring protest
On May 1, 2006, Celia May Baldwin, the chairperson of Board of Trustees announced the 9th president of Gallaudet University to be Dr. Jane Fernandes. During the announcement, a graduate student well-known for being outspoken about his views, Ryan Commerson calmly stood up and uttered a single sentence before he walked out of the auditorium where he was immediately taken down by campus security. This resulted in an unspoken and unplanned for exodus of students and recent alumnus to the center of the campus from the several overflow places where people could view the announcement. Noah Beckman, the newly elected Student Body Government president got up on the same temporary stage where he was sworn in that very same day and assumed the position of accepting strong suggestions from alumnus leaders to move to the front gate of Gallaudet, echoing the historical Deaf President Now movement. Tent City was born that evening when students refused to move from the front gate area and couple came up with a brilliant idea which was to bring their tents over to sleep in. This stage of the protest focused on the forming of the Faculty, Students, Staff and Alumni Association (FSSA) which was basically a council of representatives from each body including minority organizations which had a history of being overlooked by the previous administration headed by President I. King Jordan and Provost Jane K. Fernandes. FSSA council meetings were very emotional and angry moderated meetings to vent years of frustration over the management by intimidation by the administration on all the representative bodies that resulted in disconnection with the true spirit of the University which was to promote the higher education of Deaf students all over the world. Meanwhile, students rallied outside, but soon many were forced to leave due to closing of dorms and facilities after the Commencement Exercises for the summer. During this week and half protest, Celia May Baldwin resigned from the Board of Trustees, with a memo being released through the Gallaudet Office of Public relations which stated the reason was due to personal threats being made toward her by community members regarding the selection.Fall Protest
On 20 September 2006, the Gallaudet Student Congress passed a resolution stating that they did not recognize Jane K. Fernandes as the 9th president of Gallaudet University.Ryan Commerson, LaToya Plummer, Leah Katz-Hernandez, and Delia Lozano-Martinez were named as Faculty, Students, Staff, and Alumni (FSSA) spokespersons. Chris Corrigan was described as the "Mayor of Tent City" and largely responsible for rallies. Noah Beckman, in his role as Student Body Government president, and Tara Holcomb, as Student Body Government's Director of Ethics and Conduct, emerged as strong voices for the students the SBG represented. The participation of former SBG president/alumna Tawny Holmes and graduate student Erin Moran were also critical. They encouraged the students to speak out about Dr. Jane Fernandes as the 9th president. During October, Commerson essentially filled the role as the democratic leader of the protest, with Holmes as the active alumnus leader and Moran as the coordinator of Tent City. Alumnus Sean Moore was also involved in organizing the impetus to move forward the protest activities. Plummer was key in negotiations with the DC police and the short-lived Fernandes transition-administration.
On October 1, 2006, Tent City was in the process of being revived by students when they ran into problems. Campus workers had put down a highly concentrated liquid fertilizer called Earth Juice. The administration claimed that the fertilizing was planned months in advance. The next day, the Tent City was revived to protest the 9th president selection. Eventually the students seized the Hall Memorial Building (HMB), and locked it down in order to prevent any classes from resuming and force the university administration to the negotiation table.
On October 6, 2006, officers from the Department of Public Safety raided the Hall Memorial Building in an attempt to break up the lockdown. The students later alleged that the officers assaulted several students. I. King Jordan
I. King Jordan
Irving King Jordan became, in 1988, the first deaf president of Gallaudet University, the world's only university with all programs and services designed specifically for students who are deaf and hard of hearing...
has ordered an independent investigation.
On October 12, 2006, police were called in to arrest the students.
October 13, 2006
Marking a historical moment in Gallaudet history, 133 protesters were arrested for civil disobedience by the 6th Street gate on this evening known nationally as "Black Friday" due to insistent orders by I. King Jordan to the reluctant DC police who tried to avoid as much involvement with the arrests for in their words, "Those students aren't doing anything wrong." While thousands of alumni and Gallaudet supporters watched with broken hearts, via repeatedly crashing internet servers and standing by, each protester was quietly picked up and carried up by upset/stressed campus security officers across the line separating campus from the public street of DC into a DC Police white van. Protest leaders went first, followed by waves of students, alumnus and prominent community members. For example. Tim Rarus, one of the 1988 Deaf President Now leaders, was one of 133 people arrested at Gallaudet University on Black Friday (10/13/2006) as ordered by I. King Jordan. Just before he was arrested, he shouted "I helped put you in office, now you're arresting me!".Aftermath
On the next day, the number of protestors grew from 300 to nearly 1,000. Gallaudet alumni flew in to help the students. Tom Holcomb, a leader of alumni, had flown in earlier in the week in order to help out with the protest and organize a shift pattern.National Association of the Deaf
National Association of the Deaf
National Associations of the Deaf are national bodies that represent Deaf people and the Deaf community in their respective countries. They are usually members of the World Federation of the Deaf and advocate for sign language.-See also:...
's president Bobbie Beth Scoggins of Kentucky cut her vacation short and flew in to declare NAD's support of the students' demands.
On October 16, 2006, 168 of the 221 eligible voting faculty members at Gallaudet University attended a faculty meeting. This represents 76% of the eligible voting faculty and was the largest attendance ever.
On October 19, 2006, the Washington Post reported that "[o]f the 20 trustees, three of whom are members of Congress, perhaps as many as seven do not support Fernandes becoming president".. This article was the catalyst in shaking the Board of Trustees up and creating unease in their firm stand to not condone the protest for the first time.
On October 21, 2006, more than 4,000 people from around the nation attended a protest march to the Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, in Washington D.C.
On October 29, 2006, the Board of Gallaudet withdrew its appointment of Fernandes, without naming an alternative.
External links
- Gallaudet University's Faculty Staff Students Alumni Coalition
- Sign Cast
- Photos from 'Black Friday'
- Kenneth G. Samson protest pictures
- Deafweekly
- Tent Cities across the World
- Michelle McAuliffe's Gallery of May protest
- Unity for Gallaudet Photos - Jeff Fredrickson
- T and J Ferguson Photos
- Photos Documenting the Entire Protest
- Underground Newsletter Addressing the Protest
- Speech by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton in which she refers to the Unity for Gallaudet movement, 2007