Learn Black American Sign Language

Franklin R. Jones Jr. is a faculty member at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, where he teaches in the Deaf Studies Program. As a Black multigenerational Deaf man, Jones has a personal and professional interest in exploring the history and linguistic and cultural content of Black American Sign Language (BASL). He is also a sought-after speaker on topics related to educational, linguistic, and cultural equity in Deaf communities, with his talks covering a broad range of subjects such as Black Deaf experience, ASL, Deaf culture, linguistics, and pedagogy. His lived experience as a Black Deaf man informs his work and research, and he is dedicated to advancing the field of Deaf Studies through his teaching, community engagement, and scholarship.

Dr. Carolyn McCaskill is a graduate of the Alabama School for the Deaf and has a BA in Psychology with a minor in Social Work, and an MA in Counseling of the Deaf from Gallaudet University. She received her doctorate in Administration and Supervision and was the second black deaf female to do so from Gallaudet University. She is currently a professor in the ASL & Deaf Studies Department at Gallaudet University and has been teaching since 1996.

McCaskill is the co-author of the book and DVD The Hidden Treasures of Black ASL: Its History and Structure. Carolyn has hosted numerous workshops and seminars related to various aspects of Black ASL history, community, and culture on a local, national, and global level.