Former basketball coach, current professor of American politics, future curmudgeon
Deaf America’s strength has always been its pluralism and candor. My new essay in inquisitive, an intellectual magazine of Heterodox Academy, argues that deaf people must resist conformity and keep talking, listening, disagreeing, and persuading across divides.
Check it out here: The Case for a More Heterodox Deaf America.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Bonus points if you disagree!
What you said about resisting conformity is interesting. I need to take the time to read your article about Heterodox Deaf America. I remember meeting a CODA who was my interpreter many years ago. Their Deaf parents “embarrassed” them because they were “not modern”. They wore “old fashioned” clothes, which made me laugh inside because when I was a deaf kid, I went through a phrase of wanting to dress up like Holly with the 19th century bonnet and 19th century dresses. I also loved fairytale stories and wanted to dress up like the characters in storybooks. If that makes me old fashioned, then so be it. Sometimes “modern fashion” does not appeal to me. While everyone was plucking their eyebrows, I had no interest in plucking my eyebrows. I am not sure if this is what you meant by resisting conformity. My hearing great-grandmother was quite the non conformist. She was a suffragist and fought for women’s right to vote. My hearing great grandfather believed that women could go to University, which was rare for men in his generation.
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No bonus points for me because I agree with everything you say! Vital, clear, well read, and very, very exciting. May the complex but right path of answers you’re opening up stretch far and take you and Deaf America far. Veditz would be proud.
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Brendan…
I opened the link and the message stated:
Oops! That page can’t be found.
Will you check it to make sure it is properly linked?
Smitty… = = = =
>
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Thanks for letting me know! Just fixed the link.
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The link to your article isn’t working FYI.
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Brendan Stern 
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