Sign of the times, interpreter's graduation historic

Brian Jenerson didn't set out to make history when he enrolled in the sign language interpreting program at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), a college at Rochester Institute of Technology, four years ago. But in May, Jenerson became the first African American male to graduate from the 34-year-old program at NTID, the first college in the world to educate sign language interpreters formally.

"I had so many people in the program enthralled that a Black man would come into this field because it's so rare," says Jenerson.

Growing up in Rochester, N.Y., signing had always been a part of Jenerson's life. He would see his mother use sign language to communicate with his deaf grandmother and often wondered how they understood each other.

"Each of them seemed to be getting their point across very easily," remembers Jenerson.

Jenerson was fascinated with sign language. But for years, he let his interest rest in the back of his mind.

About five years ago, however, Jenerson decided he wanted to do something meaningful with his life.

"I was looking for a career that I could be effective in," says Jenerson, 39.

That's for sure. The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf has more than 10,000 members, but only about 10 percent of those are minority. Blacks make up only 4.5 percent of the registry's membership and Black men, less than 1 percent. Linda Siple, a professor of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education at NTID, says there are aspects of minority cultures that a White interpreter would never understand.

"Deafness spans all populations and when you're working with a diverse population, your interpreters need to be just as diverse," says Siple.

Kwenu Brooks agrees. As a full-time African American sign language interpreter for a mental health facility in California, he knows how much minority interpreters are needed.

"There are a fair number of Black deaf people who want to have their voice reflected in Black interpreters," says Brooks, a board member for the National Alliance of Black Interpreters. "There are opportunities out there for this to happen."

Jenerson says the most difficult part of the program was putting away his preconceived notions about deafness and learning to accept and embrace the culture. He believes there should be more education about deafness in minority communities.

He would like to contribute his talents to the field as an interpreter of college level courses for deaf students.

"I love what I do. It's a wonderful field," says Jenerson. "I'm living my ultimate dream."

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