On Saturday, July 22, there will be a graduation ceremony to honor the 23 Black Deaf students and four Black teachers of Kendall School Division II for Negroes, the segregated school for Black Deaf students on Gallaudet’s campus from 1952 to 1954. At this ceremony, students and their descendants will receive high school diplomas conferred by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center.
This event is hosted by the Louise B. Miller Pathways and Gardens: A Legacy to Black Deaf Children Steering Committee. The Steering Committee represents the following Gallaudet University divisions: Office of the President; Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive Excellence; Center for Black Deaf Studies; Institutional Advancement; Campus Design and Facilities; and University Communications.
Here is the list of graduates and educators:
Students
Mary Arnold
Irene Brown
Darrell Chatman
Robbie Cheatham
Dorothy Howard
Robert Jones
Richard King
Rial Loftis
William Matthews
Donald Mayfield
Robert Milburn
Kenneth Miller
Willie Moore
Deborah Moton
Clifford Oghurn
Diana Pearson
Doris Richardson
Julian Richardson
Christine Robinson
Norman Robinson
Janice Ruffin
Barbara Shorter
Dorothy Watkins
Educators
Rubye S. Frye
Mary E. Britt
Robert Robinson
Bessie Z. Thornton
For more information, visit the Center for Black Deaf Studies website.
