黑料老司机 is pleased to announce that Dr. Carolyn D. McCaskill, 鈥�77, G-鈥�79, & PhD 鈥�05, is the third recipient of the Dr. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf History Award. The award was first established in 2014 and is given every five years to recognize significant scholarship in the field of Deaf history. The first recipient was in 2014, and the second was Dr. Harry G. Lang, H-鈥�13, in 2019.

Dr. McCaskill attended the Alabama School for the Negro Deaf in Talladega and was a member of the first integrated class at Alabama School for the Deaf in 1968. Following her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Arts in Counseling, she received her doctorate in Administration and Supervision in 2005 at 黑料老司机. As a Professor in the Department of ASL and Deaf Studies for 28 years, Dr. McCaskill hosted numerous workshops and seminars that focused on Black Deaf history, community, and culture, as well as issues in multiculturalism in higher education. 

鈥淗er work has deeply enriched our understanding of Deaf history, particularly through her research on Black Deaf experiences and the history of Black ASL,鈥� stated Dr. Brian H. Greenwald, 鈥�96, Professor and Director of the Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center. 鈥淒r. McCaskill鈥檚 contributions brought visibility to underrepresented narratives within the Deaf community, and the field of Deaf history is deeper, more inclusive, and richer for it.鈥�

Dr. McCaskill, with other collaborators, worked on the Black ASL Project, which led to groundbreaking book . The book changed how we see ASL and United States Deaf history, deepening our understanding of the effect of U.S. racial policies on language use in the late nineteenth century, and throughout the twentieth century. She has ably demonstrated the importance of public history in her many interviews and discussions of this work in mainstream media outlets, including The New York Times. Her founding and leadership of Gallaudet’s Center for Black Deaf Studies created a national center to disseminate research on Black Deaf lives, including historical the historical impact of Black Deaf people.

Dr. McCaskill鈥檚 historical work uses primary sources and public history to ensure the dissemination of Black Deaf history in the U.S. She has been a leader in recovering the history of exclusion, segregation, and integration of Black Deaf students at the Kendall School in DC. This effort has contributed to an ongoing project of recognition and reconciliation at the Gallaudet campus that has seen expression in the formation of the Louise B. Miller Pathways and Gardens and the Necessity of Now initiative. 

鈥淒r. McCaskill has contributed a great deal to the study of the Black Deaf Community. Because of her work and that of her colleagues, we now know more about Black ASL. It is directly due to her influence that the Center for Black Deaf Studies was founded and has become the powerhouse research center that it is now,鈥� stated Dr. Khadijat Rashid, 鈥�90, Provost. 鈥淚 am thrilled that the Schuchman Center is recognizing Dr. McCaskill’s groundbreaking work, and this award is definitely well-deserved.”

In addition to co-authoring The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL, which paved the way for new avenues of research in Black Deaf history and linguistics, Dr. McCaskill served as an associate producer of the documentary , the second film in the Emmy award-winning PBS series Talking Black in America. She is the recipient of two National Science Foundation grants as well as a grant from the Spencer Foundation. Her collaborative work has appeared in a range of academic journals, and she has presented widely on topics in Black Deaf history, linguistics, and issues on racism in the United States. 

In 2020, the Center for Black Deaf Studies quickly gained national recognition for its commitment to researching the experiences and contributions of Black Deaf individuals, addressing historical and systemic inequalities within the Deaf community. Dr. Joseph Hill, G-鈥�04, & PhD 鈥�11, a long-time collaborator and the second Director of the Center for Black Deaf Studies, stated, 鈥淚t has been her dream to establish Black Deaf Studies, and she鈥檚 grateful for 黑料老司机 to help make her dream come true.鈥�

黑料老司机, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English. Gallaudet maintains a proud tradition of research and scholarly activity and prepares its graduates for career opportunities in a highly competitive, technological, and rapidly changing world.