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NOW
The Necessity of Now spotlights the rich history, culture, and achievements of Black Deaf people who continue to face barriers with educational success and employment opportunities.
The Necessity of Now is foregrounded by the knowledge that the world is a better place when all people can reach their full potential and share their unique talents and gifts.
Our Heartfelt Thanks for Standing with Us
Campaign Progress as of 8.31.2025
Video description: Evon Black and Dr. Jeremy L. Brunson are standing in the lobby of Ole Jim at Gallaudet University. Ms. Black is wearing a deep purple shirt. Dr. Brunson is wearing a light purple shirt and tie.
Transcript: We are excited to announce that all donations to the Necessity of Now (NOW) fundraising campaign made by individuals, families, classes, and organizations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a generous anonymous donor who is a Gallaudet alumnus. This means that every contribution you make, regardless of the size, will have twice the impact!
Since we officially launched NOW nearly two years ago, more than 1,000 individuals, couples, families, corporations, foundations, and organizations have supported the campaign.
Thanks to the generosity of people like you, we are now more than 93% of the way toward achieving our $23 million fundraising goal.
The inspiration behind the NOW campaign started in the 1950s during segregation with the story of Mrs. Louise B. Miller, a resident of Washington, D.C., and the mother of four children, including three deaf sons. Mrs. Miller attempted to enroll her eldest son, Kenneth, for admission to the Kendall School for the Deaf located just a few miles from her home on Gallaudet’s campus. However, Kenneth was denied admission because he was a “Negro” according to a letter from then-Gallaudet President Dr. Leonard M. Elstad to Mrs. Miller.
Mrs. Miller knew that early education was paramount for Kenneth to succeed and was determined to fight not only for her son, but for all the other Black Deaf children in Washington, D.C.
After all other avenues she explored were unsuccessful, Mrs. Miller and other Black parents filed a class action lawsuit against the District of Columbia Board of Education for the right of Black Deaf children like Kenneth to attend Kendall School. Their first lawsuit was not successful, but their perseverance paid off when they won their second lawsuit. The hard-fought triumph served as a watershed moment in Black Deaf history.
In 1952, a segregated Kendall School Division II was hastily built. Two years later, Brown vs. Board of Education dismantled segregation across the nation, and Kendall School Division II closed its doors forever.
Forty years later, the former school building was torn down to make way for newer campus buildings.
The memory of the school was relegated to a plaque placed on the back side of a brick wall, largely hidden from view. Students, employees, and visitors to campus walked past its site for years, unaware of the history and experiences of Kendall School Division II’s community.
Several years ago, however, community activists demanded to know why Mrs. Miller’s fight and the history of Kendall School Division II were not receiving the recognition they deserved.
Their activism sparked the creation of the NOW campaign – a culmination of years of behind-the-scenes work, including heartfelt and sometimes painful community dialogues about Gallaudet’s discriminatory past, and how we could move forward together toward a more equitable future.
NOW funds a vibrant outdoor learning space on campus called the Louise B. Miller Pathways and Gardens: A Legacy to Black Deaf Children, student scholarships, and research and programming at our Center for Black Deaf Studies.
This effort will ensure that we commemorate and confront our past, honor, and celebrate the brave people who fought for equality and educational justice, and hopefully catalyze collective healing for some of the past injustices experienced by the Black Deaf community.
Today, we are calling on our community to help us cross the finish line and meet our fundraising goal by Homecoming in October by making a contribution of any size to be matched by a generous anonymous donor.
We hope we can count on your support to meet our $23 million goal by Homecoming. Your gift to the Necessity of Now ensures that the four cherished themes of the campaign – Awareness, Freedom, Remembrance, and Healing – are forever woven into the fabric of Gallaudet.
Every dollar counts! Double your impact today at gu.live/NOW
Thank you.
We are excited to announce that all donations to the Necessity of Now fundraising campaign made by individuals, families, classes, and organizations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a generous anonymous donor who is a Gallaudet alumnus. This means that every contribution you make, regardless of the size, will have twice the impact!
Since we officially launched Necessity of Now nearly two years ago, more than 1,000 individuals, couples, families, corporations, foundations, and organizations have supported the campaign.
Evon J. Black, ’87 & G-’96, co-chair of the Necessity of Now (NOW) fundraising campaign and co-director of the Center for Black Deaf Studies presented a webinar on February 15 about Mrs. Louise B. Miller’s historic fight for educational justice for Black Deaf children, Kendall School Division II, and the NOW campaign.
Campus construction projects for 2025-26 academic year
New Fundraising Record Set
Kendall 24 Day First Anniversary
Evon Black Presented at NAD Conference
Gallaudet University is on a mission to confront its prejudicial past and to dismantle persistent obstacles that have perpetuated an unequal system for Black Deaf people.
The University owes this restorative justice movement to student activists who called on Gallaudet to take a deep look at how it has historically hindered the ability for everyone in the community to thrive.
Learn more about Louise B. Miller, Kendall School Division II, and Gallaudet’s acknowledgement of past injustices
The Pathways and Gardens will incorporate four key themes:
The Pathways and Gardens complements African American historical sites in D.C., such as the African American Heritage Trail and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The Necessity of Now campaign will lay the foundation as the first anchor of a broader economic development effort. The site will be the “front porch” of Gallaudet’s Creativity Way project that will directly link the campus to the dynamic Sixth Street corridor adjacent to campus. Our community will have a deeper connection to the bustling economy that exists there today and into the future. As development continues on land owned by Gallaudet, we are imagining a space where Deaf-owned businesses and arts and culture abound and our students, alumni, faculty, and staff will have new opportunities to thrive economically.
The campaign will elevate CBDS and further its influence on the world.
Since its establishment in 2020, CBDS has:
The enduring legacy of a D.C. mother who fought for Black deaf children
Gallaudet University fundraising campaign honors unsung hero, highlights history of Black deaf students
One Of The Largest Fundraisers Has Been Launched To Further Deaf Studies
Building Up the Black Deaf Student Community
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