The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL: Chapter 1 

Don't cream your shorts

Me either

Hi brother, vet here, have you found any contacts to learn BASL with in Atlanta? I am hearing and learning BASL and ASL as a hobby.

@@mariahworkman4129 no I haven't

You would be correct. I’m in the same boat 🥹

Another way to look at it, imo, is the real learning begins when you get involved with the community. So keep studying at school for basics, then seek out local community. You'll pick it up naturally!

Don't be stupid. Their is no such thing as a "white" way of ASL. ASL and English are standardized by government to level the playing field across all walks of life. It is not taught and learned by whites only. Hispanic, Black, Asian, Indian, and Islanders all use ASL. Its for the purpose of navigation and trade. The same way Math, Science, and Reading are standardadized. Speech and Sign Language are standardadized. Now their is a field of thought within Education that believes that standardadized education reinforces civilization and upward mobility which is antithetical of revolutionary ideology. So it would be better for you to learn a cultural form of education so that you alienate yourself experiencing more hardships which would arouse resentful emotions that would then make you more likely to join revolutionary movements and become a social martyr. That doesn't have to be you. Let that be some other poor miserable soul who hates wisdom.

BASL alienates oneself from the broader pool of sign language speakers. This is done on purpose to limit upward mobility in society making signers who only understand BASL become more frequently in contact with challenges in communication as if there weren't already in signing. They then would have limited access to resources which makes them more likely to join revolutionary cults.

or any other race using it?

Preface: I have 0 authority on the matter, but this is how I think about it. Black ASL is very much tied to Deaf African American culture. The language is reflective of the culture, as all languages are. If you're not a member of that culture it doesn't make a lot of sense why you would want or need to use the dialect. There's no need for me to speak Spanish at a restaurant where no one else speaks Spanish and I am not a member of a Spanish speaking community. That said, if you interact frequently with the Black ASL community and your ability to communicate with them is hindered because you don't recognize Black ASL and can't produce Black ASL signs, then I imagine it would be acceptable to use it, thought I am not positive. This is likely dependent on a few factors such as how/in what role are you interacting with the community and if you're able to communicate with them easily by using mainstream ASL and simply being able to perceive and understand Black ASL signing. Overall, it is likely a complicated, nuanced issue that is based in the question of your own culture and your interaction with the Black ASL community. If the people in the community that you often interact with accept you using it, or even encourage you to use it, then do so. Language is highly community based with no true right or wrong. What is acceptable in one community might not be so in another. It is the job of non-native language learners to be aware of that and be able to adapt to community expectations based on where we are. The basic function of language is to be able to communicate effectively and consistently with another person/community of people. Following language rules doesn't matter if no one around you can understand you. So be aware of the community expectations around you and be willing to adapt as the community does, or as you move between communities.

That is not ignorant. It is a great question. It is okay to be used but I just witnessed a discussion which I was involved with. I am currently taking a Linguistics class at Gallaudet University. It is inappropriate for people of other races to call BASL their own or claim to be fluent in it.

Brittney Lipson Thank you for responding! I just imagine if someone is in a relationship with a deaf black person then they would want to learn black asl for them ya know

Brittney Lipson Is it though? Let’s say a white deaf kid was raised by black deaf parents. Isn’t Black ASL his/her language? And I’m pretty sure that kid would be fluent in Black ASL. You shouldn’t generalise white deaf people like that.

Thank you for your comment. The DVD has been discontinued, and all of the video content is now available here on RU-vid.

It’s the sign for the color black which is the index finger (of your dominant hand) across the forehead

@@missshaunab9225 I've also seen people use a "B" handshape to make the sign for "black". So as to distinguish a Black person from the color black.

@@dod2304 that sign is only used by the Black Deaf community. Non-Black signers just sign “black” with an index finger.

If you are black as in the culture/history, then it’s used with the “b” handshape, for everyone else it’s the index finger

That’s not what I’ve been taught. But maybe it depends on where you’re learning.

I am sorry you had that experience! However, after reading your comment I went back and watched the entire video a second time. I cannot see anywhere that the message was conveyed incorrectly (and the fact this is a published video also would support that they made sure it was accurate before posting ...). Where do you think there were inaccuracies?

@@4adinak Growing up talking and interacting with deaf as like you if you were to have dinner with a bunch of friends, you come to a place where their signing and emotions come as clear to you as the scenario I just described. The over all message was understood and right but word for word no. That what I was saying. So many times I sat in class and the interpreter said something that I signed but I had to stop them and say “no I didn’t say that “. Guessing they forgot that I could still hear. The general message was right. But if you are going to speak for me, I need words to be right as well along with the message.

@@DjBrownSugarV Absolutely 100%. It is a very really issue. I am asking where you think that happened in THIS video? I am fairly certain the script was written and recited and was not a simultaneous interpretation - that might be why it seems "off" when watching.

@@4adinak And, as the one Interpreter described...there is not a one to one translation. ie this word means that sign and vice versa. What we do is Interpret, not translate. There is always more than one way to say the same thing. So, because there isn't a one to one correlation, if someone doesn't have many mouth movements or signing in English word order (which is not ASL by the way) then the Interpreter expresses what it means, yes, but their word choices might be slightly different than someone elses. If that makes sense.

@@dod2304 You must be replying to the wrong person. I am an interpreter, and if you read my comments that is what I said (and also that it was likely scripted).

They can't. Its on purpose. To limit their ability to communicate which fosters resentment which is a core virtue for revolutionary cults.