ABOUT THIS BOOK

Black ASL has long been recognized as a distinct variety of American Sign Language based on abundant anecdotal evidence. The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL, originally published in 2011, presents the first sociohistorical and linguistic study of this language variety. Based on the findings of the Black ASL Project, which undertook this unprecedented research, Hidden Treasure documents the stories and language of the African American Deaf community. With links to online supplemental video content that includes interviews with Black ASL users (formerly on DVD), this volume is a groundbreaking scholarly contribution and a powerful affirmation for Black Deaf people.

This paperback edition includes an updated foreword by Glenn B. Anderson, a new preface that reflects on the impact of this research, and an expanded list of references and resources on Black ASL.

The supplemental video content is available online at the Gallaudet University Press YouTube Channel. Under Playlists, click “The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL: Companion Video to the Book.” The original Black ASL Project research videos are also available.

Featured in the film Signing Black in America: The Story of Black ASL, produced by The Language and Life Project at North Carolina State University (Dr. Walt Wolfram, Executive Producer). Look for it on PBS.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Carolyn McCaskill is Professor of ASL and Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University.

Ceil Lucas is Professor Emerita of Linguistics at Gallaudet University.

Robert Bayley is Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Davis.

Joseph Hill is Assistant Professor of ASL and Interpreting Education at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

REVIEWS

The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL offers readers unique insights regarding Black American Sign Language in vivid social, historical, and linguistic detail. Informed by universal linguistic principles, the authors offer carefully crafted observations and analyses that will be of interest to anyone who studies human language.

— John G. Baugh, Margaret Bush Wilson Professor in Arts and Sciences; Director, African and African American Studies at Washington University, St. Louis, MO

"The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL offers readers unique insights regarding Black American Sign Language in vivid social, historical, and linguistic detail. Informed by universal linguistic principles, the authors offer carefully crafted observations and analyses that will be of interest to anyone who studies human language."

— John G. Baugh, Margaret Bush Wilson Professor in Arts and Sciences; Director, African and African American Studies at Washington University, St. Louis, MO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

List of Illustrations

List of Tables

Foreword (Glenn B. Anderson)

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

2. The Sociohistorical Foundation of Black ASL

3. Research Methods

4. Signers’ Perceptions of Black ASL

5. Phonological Variation

6. Variation in Syntax and Discourse

7. The Effects of Language Contact

8. Lexical Variation

9. Conclusions

References

Supplementary Resources

Index

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