Curatorial Statement: Homepage Statement

Curatorial Statement: Homepage Statement

In this video project manager Jannelle Legg describes the historical contexts which shaped the nature of the project and the inclusion or exclusion of perspectives.

Zilvinas Paludnevicius

Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center Collection

2022

American Sign Language

A video featuring Jannelle Legg, a middle-age white woman, standing in front of a historical exhibit displaying images of Deaf schools and Deaf printers.

Deaf printers were employed at The Washington Post throughout the 20th century. Across this period, the dynamics of this workplace changed considerably as a result of broader social, political, economic, and technological trends. The composition of the workforce at the Washington Post reflected these historical contexts. Deaf women and people of color experienced barriers to entering the workforce at the Washington Post which white Deaf men did not. Social norms and educational practices regarding gender and race often precluded Deaf women and Black Deaf people from the training necessary for union membership and employment at a newspaper. Similarly, they may not have the same access to the social networks which Deaf printers utilized to locate friendly print shops and ease their entrance to the International Typographical Union. The absence of Deaf women and people of color is reflected throughout this project. Where possible we have attempted to recover insights on these experiences, but we acknowledge the exclusivity of the stories presented in the Deaf Printers Pages.

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