Necessity of 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.
Necessity of Now Donor Book
Our Heartfelt Thanks for Standing with Us
$22,244,876.07 of $23,000,000 Goal
Campaign Progress as of 12.1.2025
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.
Help us meet our Necessity of Now campaign goal
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.
News
Checking in with the Center for Black Deaf Studies
D.C. Street Named in Honor of Mrs. Louise B. Miller
Campus construction projects for 2025-26 academic year
Acknowledging Our Past, Investing in the Future
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.
The Power of a Mother’s Love
Accordion Title
Necessity of Now honors the enduring impact of Louise B. Miller, who led the fight for educational justice for Black Deaf children during segregation. She and fellow parents of Black Deaf children in Washington, D.C. won a civil lawsuit against the District of Columbia Board of Education for the right of Black Deaf children to attend the local school for the deaf on Gallaudet’s campus.
Learn more about Louise B. Miller, Kendall School Division II, and Gallaudet’s acknowledgement of past injustices
At last – The Kendall 24 finally receive their degrees after 70 years
Louise B. Miller Pathways and Gardens: A Legacy to Black Deaf Children
The Pathways and Gardens will incorporate four key themes:
- Awareness of Black Deaf people’s joy and triumph in the face of oppression;
- Freedom that arose from the arduous journey from being denied access to a local education on Gallaudet’s campus by the Board of Education of District of Columbia, to educational justice which Mrs. Miller's advocacy won for Black Deaf students, including those from Kendall School Division II;
- Remembrance obligates us to give tribute to the parents who were successful in Miller v. Board of Education of District of Columbia which shifted the landscape of Black Deaf education and calls our attention to the fact that the struggle they addressed began before their lawsuit and has continued since their victory;
- Healing We must remain vigilant as we confront the painful legacy of inaccurate dominant narratives that have perpetuated injustices in the Black Deaf community. We acknowledge the harm caused by these narratives, which have marginalized and silenced voices, perpetuated inequality, and fractured our sense of unity. Yet, in acknowledging this pain, we find strength in our commitment to reconciliation, equity, and fairness.
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.
Center for Black Deaf Studies
The campaign will elevate CBDS and further its influence on the world.
Since its establishment in 2020, CBDS has:
- Conducted extensive research on the history and impact of Kendall School Division II and its 24 Black Deaf students and four teachers.
- Developed a Black Deaf Studies minor. Aireyonah Crockett, ’23, was the first student to graduate with a minor in Black Deaf Studies in May 2023.
- Hosted the first-ever Black Deaf Studies symposium in Spring 2023 that was attended by over 300 people.
- Become a hub of support and community for Gallaudet’s Black Deaf students.
- Received national media coverage from The New York Times, USA TODAY, The Washington Post, and Good Morning America.
Necessity of Now in the News
The Washington Post | December 9, 2023
The enduring legacy of a D.C. mother who fought for Black deaf children
WTOP News | December 11, 2023
Gallaudet University fundraising campaign honors unsung hero, highlights history of Black deaf students
Essence | December 14, 2023
One Of The Largest Fundraisers Has Been Launched To Further Deaf Studies
Inside Higher Ed | December 20, 2023
Building Up the Black Deaf Student Community
Make your gift today
Bookmark this page to stay up-to-date on the latest campaign milestones, news, events, and more.
