Research at
Gallaudet University
2005 - 2006

A Deaf Community's Tribute to Langston Hughes of the Harlem Renaissance

Status: Completed Begin date: February, 2005 End date: August, 2006

Description

A 30-minute DVD was created that consisted of a historical and pictorial documentary of the life, poetry, and times of Langston Hughes. The principal investigator, Barbara Hardaway, did the necessary research, wrote the script, and directed the production. While over a dozen poems by Hughes are spoken for hearing viewers on the DVD, three Deaf actors present the poems in an American Sign Language translation. In addition, Billie Holiday sings "God Bless the Child" as the Deaf actors present an ASL translation of the song. The project was completed in a year and six months with additional narrator changes made during the summer of 2006 by staff at Arlington Educational Television in Arlington, Virginia. The DVD was aired on Gallaudet television throughout Black History Month on a weekly basis and was continued for the next several months as well. At the presentation in Scotland listed below, copies of the DVD were distributed to audience members, so it can safely be reported that Langston Hughes in American Sign Language is now in Australia, Japan, South Africa, British Columbia, Edinburgh School for the Deaf, Hawaii, Nevada, Oklahoma, California, and other places around the world. Based upon feedback received, the DVD product was enthusiastically appreciated and was a very unique viewing experience for the audience.
 
In addition to the principal investigator, the following people were instrumental in the development of the DVD:
 
Film production and editing: Patrick Harris (Gallaudet Television Department) and Darrell Johnson (Arlington Public Educational TV Studios); Gallaudet ASL Performers:Deven Creech (student), Jodi Witt (student), and Jose Aquilera (student); Gallaudet ASL Coaches: Leticia Arellano (Center for ASL Literacy) and Dirksen Bauman (ASL and Deaf Studies); Sound Recording: Jeremy Koller (Arlington Public Educational TV Studios); Vocal Narrators: Mark Luncher (Gallaudet staff), Regina Weddington (Gallaudet staff), Megan Shannon (Gallaudet graduate student), and Jerry Cleveland; and External Collaborators: Karen DeSandies (assistant acting coach)

Investigators