How did Baltimore's African American deaf community engage with the Civil Rights movement?

[elipousson]

Most of the black deaf lived in Westport area near the Cats Paws factory where they worked. Recently I discovered from an older lady who saw my presentation mentioned why a lot deaf employees worked at the Cats Paws factory was because before then, there were hearing employees who became deaf due to huge noises in that factory so they hired more deaf instead and black deaf worked there while many deaf white never knew.

One deaf former Baltimorean called me recent that he read my book and said he used to grow up all his life near the Nortre Dame of Maryland University area and he said that area was considered upper class and he was totally in shock. He never knew other things existed like Cat Paws factory and black deaf silent club. He thought I was faking the info I said no it is told by black deaf with stories and those were their pictures.

So yours is interesting. There was a black deaf mute mission called Whatcoat Deaf Mute mission, a church group- possibly first black deaf church group in America was right in Baltimore. Then merged with Christ Church of the Deaf. (Note that I use exact terminology easier to google it up) Whatcoat mission began at the Lovely Lane Whatcoat church. There is a paper about it by Jannelle Legg. You could try find her article over internet with phrases like "Lovely lane deaf black church Baltimore"

Wish harry Leonard John's house is still up but it was removed. Only one rowhouse next to his is still there. Around two blocks away from cats Paws on w. Ostend. He was one of first three deaf black teachers in America. That would have been nice becoming into a deaf community museum.

– Kat Brockaway (2016-11-03)