How would you feel if you were African American, deaf, and living in the twentieth century at the height of segregation? Well that was the reality of a man named Junius Wilson. In the book, Unspeakable The Story of Junius Wilson by Susan Burch and Hannah Joyner it looks into the life of Wilson and the deaf culture during his time. In my opinion, the title of the book says it all, it was truly unspeakable. Junius Wilson was an African American Deaf man who was falsely accused of rape, incarcerated, declared mentally insane and placed in a mental institution, castrated, and forced to do manual labor (Burch and Joyner). Although I really enjoyed this book, it was not written by Wilson and could not tell his full story. The book was written by
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However, due to the events in his life, it can be argued that he was forced out of Deaf culture and into the hearing world. I believe that Wilson is considered Deaf culturally because, “Wilson had been a member of a different sort of community—the black deaf community. In 1916 the young boy entered the North Carolina School for the Colored Blind and Deaf in Raleigh, a state residential school and the first southern school for black deaf children” (2). According to the PowerPoint presentation, a person who is Deaf, “often times attended a residential Deaf school” (Frisch). In addition, the authors states that, “[Wilson] interact[ed] with deaf peers, deaf students learned to communicate primarily in sign language, shared in storytelling a deaf folklore, and crated social connections” (2). So, Wilson learned sign language and only interacted with his Deaf peers. All signs that show that he was considered Deaf. However, “Wilson was separated from this community in 1924, when a minor infraction led to his expulsion” (2). When he was admitted into the mental hospital he was, “[introduced] into a community and culture that did not generally accommodate or even acknowledge his physical or cultural deafness” (2). He was forced into only being able to interact with the hearing world. Unfortunately, we really do not know how Wilson
However, due to the events in his life, it can be argued that he was forced out of Deaf culture and into the hearing world. I believe that Wilson is considered Deaf culturally because, “Wilson had been a member of a different sort of community—the black deaf community. In 1916 the young boy entered the North Carolina School for the Colored Blind and Deaf in Raleigh, a state residential school and the first southern school for black deaf children” (2). According to the PowerPoint presentation, a person who is Deaf, “often times attended a residential Deaf school” (Frisch). In addition, the authors states that, “[Wilson] interact[ed] with deaf peers, deaf students learned to communicate primarily in sign language, shared in storytelling a deaf folklore, and crated social connections” (2). So, Wilson learned sign language and only interacted with his Deaf peers. All signs that show that he was considered Deaf. However, “Wilson was separated from this community in 1924, when a minor infraction led to his expulsion” (2). When he was admitted into the mental hospital he was, “[introduced] into a community and culture that did not generally accommodate or even acknowledge his physical or cultural deafness” (2). He was forced into only being able to interact with the hearing world. Unfortunately, we really do not know how Wilson