The aim of this project is to describe the linguistic features of a variety of American Sign Language (ASL) used by African-American signers, usually referred to as Black ASL. The long-term systematic separation of black and white deaf children provided the conditions for the development of these two distinct varieties of ASL. The first school for white deaf children was established in 1817, but no attempt was made to establish a school for black deaf children until the mid-1850s. In most cases, segregation lasted until the mid-1960s, well after the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954.
Data for this project consist of videotapes of free conversation and interviews in five sites selected according to when the schools for black deaf children were founded: North Carolina (the earliest site, 1869), Texas (1887), Arkansas (1887), Alabama (1892), and Louisiana (1938). Signers are placed in two groups: "over 50", i.e. those who attended school during segregation, and "under 35", i.e. those who attended school after integration. Specific aspects of sign formation and vocabulary will be analyzed. The findings will be widely disseminated in a book and DVD about the project, at professional conferences and community workshops, in teaching materials and on the project web site. The project involves the collaboration of the Department of Linguistics and the Department of ASL and Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University and the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Davis.
