2009-02-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

IT'S A NEW DAY

Barack Obama, an African American, is President of the United States of America.

This historic occasion is not lost on us as American Sign Language interpreters. We get it. As sign language interpreters who support the work of felling racial barriers, and who understand the nature of multiplicity, multiculturalism, multi-ethnicities, and multi-lingualism, we recognize this grand phenomenon – the swearing of a President who is Black/African-American.

I have heard people say that this day would not come, at least not in their lifetimes. That statement suggests little optimism, little hope and no belief in the consciousness of the American people as a whole.

We interpreters who are Black/African-American and our allies have heard a similar retort in our field: will RID (the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf) ever swear in a president who is Black/African-American ? "Not in our lifetime." Will we as
interpreters move beyond stigmas placed on groups because of skin color and
lowered expectations of skill-level? "Not in our lifetime." Will skills ever
be assessed without an inherent racial bias or latent racial discrimination:
"Not in our lifetime."

CHANGE HAS COME TO AMERICA,

If you are a Black/African-American interpreter or a NAOBI ally who believes the "Not in our lifetime," I invite you to put on different thinking cap just like the majority of Americans who voted in last year's election.

Change came to the USA because of years of struggle and effort.

What we saw on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, was the culmination of many years of efforts. We can thank the Reconstructionists for their work; NAACP and its supporters; every playwright who placed a Black/African-American character in a public office; every TV show and every film who had a President of the United States who was
Black/African-American. We can thank every actor who played such a role. Even
more, we can thank every Black/African-American person who campaigned and won or
lost any local, municipal, state or national election. We can thank every current and former mayor and governor who are Black/African-American. We can thank Bill Clinton for the numbers of African-Americans he appointed to top federal positions. We can
thank George Bush for appointing persons like Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice
to the top position in Foreign Affairs.

Because of the abovementioned, it is not odd to see a person who is
Black/African-American in the highest office in America, dare I say the world.

CHANGE HAS COME TO THE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETING FIELD

Change comes to the Sign Language Interpreting field because of years of struggle from many of our predecessors, and will continue because of our current efforts.

Because of the forebears of the National Black Deaf Advocates who allowed Black/African-American interpreters to meet (and form NAOBI) during the NBDA conferences; because of people like Leandra Williams who served on her state level in RID; because of Anthony Aramburo and Johnathan Webb who currently serve on the national level of RID; because of agency owners and top ranking interpreters who are Black/African-American like Kathleen Taylor, Jolinda Greenfield, and Myisha Blackman, we are seeing change in the interpreting field.

As the nation elected a president who is Black/African-American, we moved beyond questions of race and color. For NAOBIans and its allies, we get to move beyond the pessimism of "Not in our lifetime." Our focus can be on creating an inclusive space for partners and allies. We can focus on moving beyond suspicions of racism and discrimination, albeit sometimes warranted. Instead, we can return to what we were taught growing up: to be twice as good. Where we are weak, we make ourselves strong. Where we are strong, we make ourselves confident.

FRESH PERSPECTIVES

As President of the National Alliance of Black Interpreter, Inc., I have
the best interest of NAOBI and its allies at the forefront of my mind. The following questions are some that I'm thinking about, and I look forward to you thinking about them with me:

How do we create and organization that has longevity and sustainability in a multicultural, multilingual environment?
How do we maintain our relevance in the 21st Century?
How do we define ourselves as interpreters who are Black/African-American and
what role does that definition play on our skill sets as interpreters?

How do partners and allies define their role as they support the mission of NAOBI?

I'm a firm believer that NAOBI brings a fresh perspective to the interpreting
field and we have a treasure chest of offerings. I'm looking forward to
bringing into the interpreting field new, fresh, and exciting faces of persons
who are Black/African-American. As a group, Black/African-Americans in general are virtually untouched as resources for expanding and growing the interpreting field. NAOBI can lead in that process of reaching out to the Black/African-American community and letting people know about this lucrative and unbelievably fulfilling career.

I'm looking forward to NAOBI leading the way as it relates to advocacy. How do
interpreters support each other and ban together to make sure we are treated
fairly by corporate agencies in terms of salaries and working conditions? As
the tide rises, all ships rise, too. Our consumers are better off, we interpreters are better off, and we have a field that is better off.

NAOBI, in this 21st Century, should lead the way in creating interactive spaces
and dialogues -- social networks -- for interpreters who are
Black/African-American and their allies.

Change, indeed, has come to America, and NAOBI is smack dab in the middle of
creating that change in the interpreting industry. Stronger partnerships with
industry organizations and agencies, as well as outside supporters and allies
will help us to create powerful, significant, and meaningful change in the
interpreting arena. That change looks like growth, expansion, advocacy,
support, partnerships that work, efficiency, and technological savviness on a
personal and organizational level.

Here's to relevance, significance and meaningfulness.
Here's to longevity and sustainability.

Please share your comments!

Please click link below to view Antonio taking the oath of office
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jq6oyhX5sw

Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.

NAOBI, Inc. - Words from the President