"We Still Have a Dream" Deaf President Now Slogan (1988)

Source: http://www.sorensonvrs.com/march_2014_deaf_civil_rights_movement

Who/what: This sign’s slogan was one of the many powerful rallying cries utilized during the Deaf President Now campaign. The campaign was led by the student and faculty disappointment in the university’s decision to once again choose a hearing president as opposed to a deaf individual.  Jack Gannon later quoted that these protests will be remembered as “civil rights movement of deaf people.” (The Week the World Heard Gallaudet, Gannon).

Where: The slogan and associated protest were concentrated around Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. including marches to the U.S. Capitol.  However, with the addition of smart and catchy slogans such as “We Still Have a Dream,” some media outlets started to pay attention and sparked more widespread exposure.

When: Students marched on March 11^th, 1988.

Why: The slogan is especially interesting because it was originally used in the Civil Rights movement to protest to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday (http://www.sorensonvrs.com/march_2014_deaf_civil_rights_movement). 

The identities portrayed with this sign include the local and national “Deaf community.” However, due to borrowing from the Civil Rights slogan, the Deaf President Now campaign also embraced the identity of unity with the African American community.

Works Cited:
 "Deaf Civil Rights Movement." Deaf Civil Rights Movement. Sorensoncommunications, n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2016.