The Division of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion presents the Spring 2022 Series of Lectures, with our very first speaker of the semester, Akilah English.

Constructing a Counternarrative Through Intersectional Lens

Abstract: Too often who gets to tell narratives and how narratives are told depends on power—most often telling and reinforcing dominant narratives (the stories of those

who hold power). Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened (DDBDDHHLD) individuals are often subjected to one-sided, deficit portrayals. Critical Race Theory (CRT) gifted us with a counternarrative. We rely on it as a tool to challenge white dominant narratives in our community.

The participants will understand intersectionality as multiple identities of oppressions and we interrogate the purposes of everyday racism within white supremacist structures—within U.S. schools, institutions, and surrounding communities where it continuously mutates like a virus, hiding in plain sight in our works, in our policies, and in our daily practices. The goal of the sessions is to centralize race in our understanding of white supremacy and white power structures, and importantly, it is to interrogate the significance of our own racialized identities in showing up (or not showing up) for racial and social justice work. As a learning community, we will seek out alternate viewpoints and spend significant time considering our own roles in both supporting and dismantling systems of privilege, power, and oppression. When grounded in compassion and trust, counternarrative can nurture a sense of self-worth and cultivate critical understanding of the role of power and privilege in maintaining systems of oppression, ultimately leading to collective liberation.

 Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the role of counternarratives in building racial equity and justice
• Learn intersectional examples of how counternarratives have been used to resist oppression
• Identify, deconstruct, and reconstruct the countering narratives to the dominating narratives by centering the voices of racially marginalized Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened individuals

About the speaker:

Akilah English is a deaf and hard of hearing specialist for the District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington, D.C. With more than 15 years of experience, she has taught at elementary and middle schools in the District, Maryland, and Massachusetts. She earned her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Gallaudet University and master's degree in Deaf Education from McDaniel College.

Akilah is an active member of the National Black Deaf Advocates and a board member for Maryland School for the Deaf. She has a passion for education that is centered in social justice. Akilah has presented workshops and training on social justice to Deaf educators at both state and national level. She is a committed change advocate, which is reflected in her work with numerous boards and organizations focusing on education and Black Deaf communities. Akilah is currently attending the University of Maryland-College Park where she is pursuing a PhD in Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership with a specialty in Minority and Urban Education.