The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds - 388 - The Deaf President Now Protest

Episode Date: July 23, 2019

Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds examine the student and faculty protests at Gallaudet University.  SOURCESTOUR DATESREDBUBBLE MERCH

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American History podcast where each week I, man with eyebrows, man with toes, feeler, feeler of soft sheets. Dave Anthony reads a story from American History to his friend. Gareth Reynolds who has no idea what the topic is going to be about. The weird stuff. That was great. Yeah I know how to do a part of. I thought it was really good. Yeah my part was good. Well especially when I'm bragging about having toes. Well what happens on this show is I do our regular intro I get heaps of judgment and then and then I toss to you and it's pretty great. It's a pretty great way to start just being judged. Hey congrats on having toes and

eyebrows. It's huge. Some people don't. Don't you dare try. Well that's pretty fucked of you. I got a buddy with two club feet. Yeah well then he probably doesn't appreciate you going around toe boasting. I don't know if this will call him that but he can kick. Well I mean and what now what you're being sensitive now? No he's on the Argentinian soccer team. What's his name? Noto Lopez. All right what do we play in the intro? We're doing dates. Well this part's over. And called it quote his jam pass. Jam pass. I'm the fucking hippo guy. Dave okay. My name's Gary. My name's Gary. Wait is it for fun? And this is not going to come to Tigglypod guys. Okay. This is like

an up five part coefficient. Now hit him with the puppy. You both present sick arguments. No sleep, no hippo. That's like no hippo. Actually pardon me. Hi Gary. No. I see it done my friend. No. No. Rhonda. Rhonda in the car. February 16th 1857. You're Lord Jesus Christ. That's correct. And we love it. Congress established the Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind in Washington DC. Okay. It's a hot hot time. The birthplace of our Lord. Yeah. You know it. Yeah. You know it. Yeah. You know it. What? In 1864 the institution began dispensing college degrees. So they're college. Dispensing. Okay. Not just I mean you gotta earn it. Right. It's like Trump U. Right. Right.

Edward Gallaudet a hearing not deaf man. So I'll be using hearing. A hearing not deaf man. Yes. So this story. Oh he's capable of hearing. He's capable. Okay. So I'll be using a hearing man or a deaf person. Okay. Got you. His father Thomas had founded America's first deaf school. So Edward was named president. So he's the first the first president hearing man. Later that year the school's blind students were transferred to a school for the blinded Baltimore. Okay. The college was renamed a Gallaudet College in 1894 in honor of Thomas. In 1910 Edward was replaced by a hearing man. Another hearing man president. Okay. Who served until 1945. He was he was then succeeded by another hearing president. It's quite around a hearing man. Yeah. Everyone's hearing. A lot of

hearing. A lot of hearing. Yeah. And the 1960s deaf faculty members spoke up about the disrespect from an administration that was still dominated by hearing people. Right. Interesting. Okay. Yeah. So like everything else. Yeah. Just like everything else. Yep. Like everything else. They shouldn't be in charge. I'm fucking out of here on this one. Can't take it anymore. Hearing University president Edward Merrill took office in 1969. He addressed their concerns by forming the president's council on deafness. Good. So he's trying to counsel. Yeah. A group of deaf faculty who could bring their concerns of deaf people directly to Gallaudet's president. Okay. My guess is it'll fall on deaf ears. Merrill also appointed many deaf people to important campus positions. Okay.

So he's sort of here. I mean yeah. Okay. In October 1983 Merrill retired. Gallaudet was the country's only liberal arts college for the deaf but it still had never had a deaf president. Weird. Right. Yeah. It was kicked off in 1857. Sure. So quite a run of the hearing. You'd think at this point. Somebody would. Yeah. Be deaf in charge. Gallaudet. So only a quarter of its trustees were deaf. Okay. That's the correct response. Yeah. I mean I just don't. You would just. Okay. Yeah. No. Wouldn't you think? You would just assume that just that would be how it is. Yeah. Merrill told the board of trustees his replacement should be deaf. Great. He's like it is time for a deaf person to be president of this college. Sure. For deaf people. Merrill there was a quote small

but powerful click within the board composed primarily of members who viewed deafness from a clinical point of view or who had a strong corporate mentality or both. We'll call them the Senate. So by clinical point of view that means deaf people are broke and fix them. Right. Okay. Good. Right. As opposed to the just people. Right. As opposed to nuance with each individual. The group spearheaded the hiring of another hearing president. Good. So great. It's all coming together. Yep. He only lasted three months and then he resigned. Okay. Jane Spillman a bold move would be to just be like I'm going to become deaf. Oh my God. That's how you really then you're the king. I care. Yes. Jane Spillman the hearing chairwoman of the board of trustees said in his statement there were things

that bothered board members and it was a poor match and that's why he resigned. Okay. An interim president was chosen. Hearing. Another hearing man. Okay. I mean even interim would be great. You could just like then you could just be like oh we have like wouldn't that be easy to just do an interim real quick. Yeah you would think. Deaf shift then be like oh back to hearing but we tried it was really great. We'll do it again. Can't even give him that. Nope. Jerry Lee he's a new president after months. His appointment was made permanent. Okay. Students in faculty became resentful because of the lack of a formal search. One alum quote we felt missing. They probably find it like the new Dalai Lama. It's just like a baby in the hills and then you follow the way

which way the smoke billows. That's right. And then they're like here's the new. That's exactly how the faculty president as long as he's not deaf. Right. Yes. Can he hear. Yes. He's hearing. Okay. Great. Then it is for sure. Yeah. If he was deaf then it's the baby next door. Yeah. That's right. Quote we felt Miss Spillman pulled a fast one to get her boy Jerry Lee selected without really going through the same through the process. Okay. A deaf staffer quote Spillman enjoyed doing things for deaf people not with deaf deaf people. You would never dream of inviting your dog to have dinner with you. That was her attitude. She patted deaf people on the head. Oh good God. Horrible. Yeah. There you are deafy. Anyway. Oh wash my hand. I got some deaf on it. It's totally

how she is. Well I guess 24th 1987 1987. Yeah. Are we going to get a black president before they get a deaf one? President Lee announced he would resign at the end of the year. He'd gotten a new job at Bassett furniture. Sure. A natural transition. Yeah. It was a company owned by the Spillman family. Oh okay. Boy this is like mini government. Yeah it really is. A Jane Spillman quote some people might think the chairman of the board is a Judas for having the president come to work for her firm. This man is a businessman and it was very obvious that he was going somewhere. Thank God Bassett was able to attract him. I love when people call out exactly what they did at the beginning. Yeah. You know. Yeah. Like some people would say that this is nepotism. This is not

nepotism. It's like obviously nepotism. And then she describes nepotism. Yeah. Two weeks later on September 7th the president's council on deafness held a meeting. 70 or so people came. It was the first time hiring a deaf president was seriously talked about in a public forum at the school. The idea rapidly gained steam among deaf staff and faculty. Sure. The trustees formed a search committee for the new president. The trustees did. Yeah. Five of the 11 members on the committee were deaf. Oh Dave that is so. Almost. So barely a majority. So knocking on the door of a non-minority. Six of the members were trustees. Only one was faculty. It was chaired by IBM executive Philip Braven a deaf trustee. The committee issued a press release saying candidates

should have quote a broad and deep knowledge of deafness. Sure. Yeah. I mean does that kind of make sense. You could just take it one more step for a little. Go ahead. What would that you could just be like. What. We're after a deaf one. Oh no no no no. We're just looking for a deaf one. No because no the person needs to understand deafness. Right. Who better to empathize with the plight of hearing impairment than one who is hearing impaired. Two on the nose. Yeah. I don't. I don't see how that. Okay. Work. All right. Okay. Exactly. Okay. Okay. Well we tried. We did. 1987. Yes. You know that. Right. That's right. It's been around for a hundred years. Yeah. Right. It's all going well. Yes. Okay. Moving on. The committee press release also said quote sensitivity to the issues

significant to individuals with disabilities may be an accepting alternative. One more time because that's a full of bullshit. So they said a deep and broad knowledge of deafness. Yeah. And sensitivity to the issues significant to individuals with disabilities may be an acceptable alternative. Sure. Okay. An alternative. Great. So they're saying there already sort of doesn't have to be a little bit deaf. Right. Oh and knowing American sign language was preferred. Preferred. Interesting. So communication with these students was preferred. Could you imagine. We'd rather you be able to communicate with the students but it's not a must. It's not a must. It's not a must. Could you imagine not knowing. It's not a must. It's you know the truth is sometimes if you just give a pat on the

head that's as good as just having a regular conversation. A willingness to learn sign language was all that was needed. And that seems that seems crazier. Yeah. You'll learn on the job. That seems crazier. Yeah. Then even not knowing. I think this person just doesn't give a shit. Yeah. Rather than be like he'll slowly figure it out. In September the National Association for the Deaf Director wrote a column arguing for a deaf president. In October in an open letter to Spillman the P.C.D. which is what I said earlier the group that you know presidents counsel on deafness that Meryl had created. Right. Right. I remember that. Yes. From earlier on this one. Yeah. On this podcast. Right. Yeah. Yeah. From today's thing. Yeah. Yeah. We just talked about it. In this

one it was there. Yeah. We were in this one. Yeah. Yeah. We talked about it on this episode. Anyway the P.C.D. Alright. Now I gotta find it. No boy. The P.C.D. asked for a new president of the college to be deaf. So 67 people applied for the job. Okay. Only nine were deaf. Interesting. Not a great start. That's a really bad start. Especially with a board that seems pretty against this. The search committee narrowed it down to 12 people. Okay. And let me guess. Two deaf. They got a petition demanding a deaf president from 200 faculty members. Okay. On January 1st 1988 Jerry Lee resigned. The trustees were placed in with a temporary management team of four administrators. Interesting. Two of whom were deaf. Okay. An English teacher and a graduate

student and four others started getting together to discuss the need for a deaf president. The six men started calling themselves the ducks. Because they hung out so much and we're tied together and all that shit. Okay. There's a lot of. It's not great. Animals that if you're gonna say the ducks it's because you got to put your head into water for a little while and come up or the other pack animals. Yeah. There's other pack animals. But I think they're thinking of like duck legs in a row kind of deal. Okay. I could use a lot of punch ups. Well ducks are also rapists. Well what kind of knowledge is that? What? They're one of the animals. Does that come into play? Well it might. Well what a horrible. I'm supposed to just sit here the whole time wondering. Okay.

I'm just giving you some nature truth. You're not helping this episode. Dolphins too. I'm aware of dolphins. Lady jerked off a dolphin. Ep three. In early February the search was down to six candidates. Okay. Three hearing. Three deaf. Boy this is like a real American Idol situation. At this point not many students were pushing for a deaf president. Not many. Okay. It was mostly the staff and faculty that were like really pushing it. Okay. So the ducks planned a rally to change that on March 1st. They sent out a press release but when media found out it would be peaceful they were not interested. Right. Well the media has been consistent for the last 30 years at least. Some still wrote about it like the Washington Post. Senator Bob Dole and

Vice President George Bush and other politicians wrote in support of a deaf president. Well I mean if Bob Dole and George Bush are writing for this. Right. Yeah. How are you to write of that? How do you fuck that up? Yeah. How are you like no. They're too progressive. And the reason they were doing that is because the federal government pays about 75 percent of Gallaudet's budget. Okay. So the ducks started holding planning meetings with undergrads. Campus groups like the PCD interviewed six semifinalists. So the PCD is interviewing in their own people at the same time. Okay. They learned none of the three hearing candidates that the committee had picked had any experience with deaf people at all. Interesting. So that's a good sign right. No. Why. Because it

means that the three deaf people that they have are just total bullshit. Oh yeah. And the other three are the ones that one of those people is going to get put in. Yeah that's exactly what it means. Yeah. So the PCD only recommended the deaf candidates. I mean imagine the six of those hanging out. Oh my god. Three of them like literally have no way to they'd be like wait you're going to be president and be like sorry what are you doing with your hands. I'm a little confused. Let's have it. Oh right. They're deaf. I did read that in the pamphlet. Right. Anyway. Money's great. It's like sending me in to run Madagascar. Well Dave you know we'd all love for you to go there. What the fuck just happened. What are you doing. You're giving your tea a stir

with a metal spoon and a metal cup. It could have it could have gone better. What about just picking up and like swirling it around. Well what are you what are you a sommelier. That's not how you do this. You can though. The problem is we're podcasting. Yeah. No I know. Look I agree. I was wrong there. That was the most English thing you've ever done. Right now my mother's like why does I have such a headache. Coffee he's doing something somewhere with tea. Right. So so obviously the like I said the PCD are like well if the three hearing candidates don't have any experience with deaf people we recommend the deaf people. Right. To the search. No brander. But the search committee doesn't give a shit. Right. Right.

The faculty Senate then endorsed Elizabeth Zinzer. Let me guess. Hearing. Yes. Yes. How'd you know. I don't know. I can smell bullshit. She was a hearing vice chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro on February 28th the search committee submitted their final three candidates to the board of trustees King Jordan who was the deaf Dean of King Jordan. Yeah. That's just I know it's a weird name but that's a weird name to become president. You're already a king. Yeah he's already a king. He's taking a back step. Yeah. He's taking a back step. Yeah. You have total authority. Yeah. You're also there's checks. Yeah. There's also a king of Jordan so you're really close to you could probably just roll into that

country and be like hey what's up I'm King Jordan and table for two. Yeah. And they're like oh you can run right this way. So King Jordan was deaf. He was the deaf Dean of Gallaudet's College of Arts and Sciences. Okay. Also Harvey Corson was picked. He was a deaf trustee. Okay. And then Zinzer the only hearing finalist. Here we go. On Tuesday, March 1st the Ducks Big Protest happened a thousand protesters gathered at Gallaudet's football stadium. There were students, faculty, staff and members of the local deaf community. Deaf president now buttons were distributed. So that's like the slogan there going on. Okay. Deaf president now. Many speeches were given in support of a deaf president. The group then marched to

the vacant residents of the university's president and they chanted deaf president now in sign language and held up the deaf power sign which is one hand raised and a fist and the other held open with the palm over an ear. So the rally's a huge success. It gets all the other students like oh what's going on. Right. Because you don't call it students. Yes. So now students want to know why there had never been a deaf president. Okay. But now they're like why the fuck has that never happened. Good. And so they start demanding one. The Alumni Association asked all members to urge a deaf president be hired. I think you're really setting us up to not get a deaf president. They're going to get a deaf president. This one ends happily.

Students pitched tents on the lawn of the administration building. They taped posters to the walls including one reading, hey Zinzer go back to where you belong. Gallaudet does not need you. Get lost. It's tough timing for that one but still. The next day there's heavy rain but protesters took over a street near the school until DC police made them leave. The next day they took to the streets again. They didn't block traffic but hung from traffic lights. Yeah. Do what you gotta do. Yep. The trustees interviewed candidates one final time. King Jordan said quote, now that the search committee has said two deaf candidates are qualified you have an obligation to pick one. Yeah. I mean two, it's two versus

one. Yeah. Yeah. I mean if you don't now you're being overtly dickish. Wow. 100 protesters held a candlelight vigil outside. A trustee quote. It was a small number and the board's reaction was so that's all the opposition there is. Some of us laughed a little. Oh, those fuckers. Oh, I just hate it. The protesters, the reason there was such a small group of protesters because they just thought that it's two to one. They have to at this point. They had like literally like well they have to. Yeah. So the board met at the Mayflower Hotel on Sunday. A deaf trustee warned them if the new president was hearing there would be quote vigorous, vocal and possibly even violent opposition. Yeah but they're all like

none of them speak sign language so they're like what did he just say? These croissants are deli, you guys had these little mini things with jam in the middle? This was the first time some of the hearing justies learned how intense the students and faculties feelings were. What the, oh my god. I mean just. The worst. It's just so regular. Yeah. So normal. It's just. Oh wait, what? Why? What is the first I've heard of it? Oh my god, that's not a big deal. On decision day. Faculty staff students, local deaf community members and media gathered at the school gym for the 8 p.m. announcement. Oh boy. At 6 p.m. 10 of the 14 trustees voted to elect Elizabeth Zinzer president. Unbelievable. Why? Just because.

I mean why? Why is that unbelievable? She's a great candidate. Yeah. All three deaf trustees voted for King Jordan. Yeah. I want President King. Yeah. But many hearing trustees thought Zinzer was quote, an academic superstar. Good god. An academic superstar. Despite the protests, they thought they, they would be derelict in their responsibilities if they didn't choose her. Unbelievable. Could that be true? Is that true? What that? Do they, I mean is it, do they really think that? No. Right. No. Okay. All right. That's all I need to hear. Spelman called and offered Zinzer the job and she accepted. Great. Good. God damn. Close it up. It's a good story, right? Great story. Anyway, that's the end of the story.

Awesome. All right. Who do we got? Thank anyone or how do you want to do this? No, we're just happy that it all turned out good. Yeah. Someone called the Gallaudet PR office where there happened to be one of the ducks there and he heard the news. Okay. He ran to the gym and told the crowd, but the board had already taken the awesome step of leaving out flyers that read, quote, first female president. Oh, wow. Nice. Nice. Smooth. Smooth devils. I mean. Well, the guys are out of the protest equation. Ladies, carry the torch. We no longer made. One student said she, quote, found the papers all over the ground. The board decided they wouldn't make the announcement in person, but just left papers. It's like, I don't want

to get this shit for talk. It's not even talking shit on Trump. A lot of people are depressed the day after Trump got elected. This one girl I know on Instagram was like, you guys, the first lady was an immigrant. Everyone was like, get off social media. Get off. We don't want this today. So after the shock wore off, the crowd gathered outside on Florida Avenue and blocked all six lines of traffic. More than a hundred people. A few angry protesters, protest leaders spoke. Someone asked if anyone knew where the trustees were meeting. Good question. First question. It was supposed to be a secret, but somebody knew the Mayflower. So soon there was a mad dash for the Mayflower hotel. Time for Plymouth Rock to land on them.

That's right. Yeah. Which was miles away. Right. And they actually started running in the wrong direction and a Washington Post reporter had to tell them to turn around. Okay. Sure. Just that like spinal tabs. Rock and roll. We gotta have a little bit of comedy. Yeah. Well, and I mean, you are probably so fired up. Oh yeah. That you're just like, let's go. Mayflower. Okay. Now we gotta think. Now we gotta think. It's east. It's east. It's east. It's east. West. West. West. West. West. West. Run in every direction. Let's go. When the crowd arrived at the hotel, the trustees were eating dinner. Oh yes. Enjoying their great work. Dave, my dream. Yeah. The protesters tried to enter, but cops threatened

to arrest them. The trustees eventually invited one of the ducks. One of you may come in. Student party president Hibak and another student inside for a meeting. Okay. Spillman said the decision was non-negotiable. Oh, you're just the worst. Yes, she's the worst. Well, Zinzer has a good attitude. Just give her time. Your feelings will go away in a few days. That is, sorry, that is fucking ludicrous. Oh wait, it's gonna get worse. I can't. I understand that you are emotional, but it will be all right and things will get back to normal. Hey, let's drink wine from her skull. How about that, everybody? Wouldn't that be fun too? That's crazy. When you have had an injustice to you and someone

says, I understand you're emotional, it's literally the worst thing. You're still patting people on the head. Yeah, she's totally 100% patting people on the head. Your emotions were, oh my God, I would just, oh. More media were called to the hotel and this time they were told the protests would not be peaceful. Good. So there's an angry crowd outside. Finally, Billman goes out to talk to them. Reading the room, she prays Zinzer's qualifications. Smart. Good read. Good read. Did she play poker? And implored them to give her a chance. Your emotions will go away. You're just angry for no reason. The protestors asked questions. She answered the less difficult ones, often with self-incriminating non-answers. It did

not help that she said at one point, quote, deaf people are not ready to function in a hearing world. Oh, what? What? She's saying, that's her way of saying, a deaf president wouldn't be ready because it can't communicate with anyone hearing. Yeah, deaf president can't run the school. That's crazy. It's fucking insane. It's like so, it's like so 1800s thinking about, you know, other people that aren't white and like it's fucking crazy. It's, it's, it's 1888. It's the same argument. It's the, you make the argument both ways if you want. I mean, it's like, no, but I mean, that just makes no sense. It's just a person. What the students are saying is that a hearing person can't communicate with

the deaf as well. It's just a person that can't hear. Right. It's fucking crazy. Yes. Right. It is crazy. But so that means that there's like a, there's a eugenics part to this in her. That's what's happening here. So we have officially calling her the hero of the podcast. That's right. During the discussion, she would often turn and discuss things with a hearing trustee who was beside her. On the other side was a deaf trustee and who she totally ignored for the entire time. Cool. Cool. Right? Yeah. Right. Says it all. This person doesn't exist. Right? Yeah.

Is it time to feed dogs caviar in front of hobos? She agreed to meet some students the next day in her office, but the crowd wasn't having it. So she gave in and said it could be in the gym and open to the entire public. After that, the crowd dispersed with no arrests. I wonder how she slept that night. She's fucking lucky she wasn't hit in the head with a rock. Yeah. Honestly. Yeah. The next day before dawn, I'd be so great if she lost her hearing if that happened. The next day before dawn, students parked cars in front of five of the school's entrances and deflated the tires and then padlocked the gates.

Okey-doke. At the sixth entrance, they gathered and blocked all traffic. Classes were canceled. Spelman had the police cut a hole in the fence and she crawled through it. Cool. I mean, that's how you know things are going really well when cops have to cut a hole through a fence for you to crawl through it and you're in charge. Perfect. But they were literally not letting anyone out. Like King Jordan couldn't get on campus. Like they turned him away. They get the fuck out of here. He's like, no, you're not king anymore. Have you ever seen the movie taps? I'm the king. Kiss the ring. No. No, it's just that your name is king. Kiss it. Okay. Huh? No. Dance. One leg. What? Kiss the ring.

No. Kiss the ring. Dude, you're a dean. Eat the ring. At a school. Eat the ring. No. Turn the chariot around. What? Turn the chariot around. You're literally in a Volkswagen Beetle. The chariot will turn around if someone can move the garbage can behind it. Okay. I don't have a reverse camera. It's the deities. Please let him go. Well, we're going to have this Y turns turning into a W. As you were, gentlemen. Off we go. The worst. Sorry. Tire's flat. So media went, got onto the school grounds of the media on. Spillman and some trustees requested a meeting with protest leaders. Okay. So they went to meet with her and they gave her two non-negotiable demands. Oh, great. A deaf person had to be made president. Okay.

Good start. And Spillman had to resign from the board. Great. Great too. Top two. Great too. She's like, how can we get this over? And they come in and you get the fuck out. So deaf person has to be in charge, maybe, and you have to go. No. Okay. So I was talking about how we can get the gates open. Non-negotiable. You're just a student. We soldered your fence piece back in. What? You're trapped. Oh my God. Like a mole. A mole? There's other things that are trapped. Like ducks. Ducks? Yeah. Do you know what a trapped animal is? Yes. Okay. How? Leave, gentlemen. I want to talk to her. Close that door. It's time to trap the ducks and moles. Gentlemen, today we trap the moles and the ducks. He's reading. The

person ASL translator's like, pretty sure. I don't know how this works. Are you saying moles and ducks? So obviously the meeting didn't go well when they issued their demands. It ended with Spillman saying Zinzer's appointment was final and quote, if you have any questions, go ask a lawyer. So then the big gym meeting happened. Oh, she's still doing that? Yeah. She was trying to see if she could nip it in the bud before she had to do the gym meeting. Right, right, right, okay. So Spillman took the stage and right... Thank you, everybody. Go Galadette. Go Galadette. Go Galadette. All right, all right. That's that school spirit. Feels like homecoming. A water bottle hit my stomach. So right as she got up on stage,

a deaf faculty member who was in the meeting earlier stepped in front of her. Nice. And he signed what had happened in the meeting that protest leaders had refused to meet their demands. Oh, to the crowd, you mean? Yeah. Right. And then he signed quote, should we leave and everyone got up and started walking out. Now Spillman didn't understand what had happened because she didn't know sign language. It's a great advantage. Because she didn't know sign language. It's a great advantage. Because she didn't know sign language. It's a great advantage. Because the chairman didn't know sign language. It's a great advantage. Because for years she had been on the board of trustees and never learned sign language.

They should put a deaf person in that place. She didn't know sign language. Right. So... Where y'all going? Well, yeah. I wish I had learned sign language. What an awkward... Weird. Did you turn around and say it with your mouth? Do the sign to say stop? That is fuck you. I know what that one is. That one's clear. That one's very rude. And that man's balls are out and that's not even a sign. That is not. That is a different sign. A different sign. So she watches as hundreds of people just walk out the exits. Interesting. That's an interesting tactic. And no one's talking to her. No one's telling her why. She's just like... So an organizer, quote, that was the turning point of the whole protest. That moment

was like an assassination. Right after that it was at our confusion, pure chaos. A few people stayed and got on the mic. They angrily questioned and lectured Spillman and the trustees. One student asked why a deaf candidate wasn't selected. And Spillman and the trustees... Spillman said the trustees had used their own judgment. And she didn't know why each voted the way they did. Finally, she headed the forum, quote, some board members have planes to catch and their schedules are already upset. This woman needs to... What do we do? What do we get? I guess poor classes. She needs to have a relatability course. She needs to understand how to relate when you're cornered.

There are studies that show that when you become very rich, you essentially become a psychopath. You just lose all touch with human beings. That's not surprising. She's a great example. She's an incredibly rich woman. She is arrogant. Anybody who is not like her is completely beneath her. And she's a fucking monster. It's like being 12 years old and talking to Diane Feinstein about climate change. That's correct. The protesters gathered at the one open gate for a march to the capital. Okay. Police tried to stop them from leaving, saying that they needed a parade permit. One man told the police he would translate what they were saying, but instead signed that all of the students should, quote, make a run for it. That's great.

What a great advantage. I know, right? Yeah. I mean, this literally speaks to the issue that they're kind of talking about, which is that you don't understand us. Yeah, exactly. You're not trying to understand us. Yeah. If everyone did give a shit, everyone learned sign language in school. And why wouldn't you? Sign language seems like something everyone should learn. Probably. So the protesters sprinted through the gates before the cops knew what was even happening and to the capital. And they're going to get a parade permit. All of them. So at the capital, a leader, some people gave speeches and then a leader listed their now for demands. Great. Deaf president now and Spillman's reign, a deaf

majority board of trustees. Right. And forget about reprisals against the protesters. Right. And we get to eat Spillman. Yes, cooked. Cooked, obviously. We're not savages. Give us cooked Spillman. The next day, classes were still canceled because they were still blocking everything. Right. A huge rally was held on campus. Protesters burned effigies of Spillman and Zinzer. So if you're Zinzer, are you like, where did I load my stuff in? What's this? What's the idea? Because I saw there's a little hole in the fence, but outside of that, everything's just pretty shut off. She's not even there yet. How did they take it on the phone? What did the students think? Were they excited? Hello. Hello. Hello. Burning

what? Hello. Well, now she found out because news coverage went national. TV stations around the country interviewed deaf people, which gave the deaf community a previously unheard of visibility and raised national awareness of the issues. Just how Spillman drew it up. Right. Perfect. Before dawn Wednesday, students again blocked the gates with cars and locked them shut. Classes are canceled again. And then Zinzer got a little cocky. Oh dear. She was supposed to start in July. What? Don't show up early. But she called Spillman and asked if she could be appointed immediately. Oh my God. Zinzer, quote, you had a team of four administrators to run the university and committees don't run universities effectively

in a crisis. Yeah. And I'm crisis Sally. Yeah, exactly. Get involved. Perfect. That morning. This will help. This will help. This is what they're asking for. This is what is needed is for her to immediately take over. Right. Exactly. This is going to calm everything down. They don't want you there in July. Come there now. Everything's better. That's right. And by the way, this is showing the instincts of a great leader. Just a great problem assessor. Problem solver. Exactly. Thank you. Yeah. So Spillman agreed. Great. So they're both really good at this. Yeah, they're out of their fucking minds. Right. So now Zinzer arrived in D.C. to hold her afternoon introductory press conference. Okay. The four main student

organizers met with King Jordan, who seemed unsure of what to do. Then they met with Zinzer. She asked them to set aside their demands for a few days after which she would work with them to try to quote, quote, find a common agenda. Yeah, that's exactly what everyone wants. Yeah. A common agenda. We can work together on this, this thing where you don't want me here. We can work on that. I can figure out a way to be deaf. Give me a chance. I need three days. Let me just set up my stuff. But she said the students were, quote, out of control, unwilling, unable to even think about it. Yeah. Well, that's weird. They haven't really heard that they're not thinking about her feelings. Yeah. Her feelings. I mean,

she's looking for a compromise. She's about to make a lot of money. This is pretty rude. The meeting lasted 10 minutes. Okay. One of the students, quote, at first, Zinzer was a very nice woman and sensitive, but she did not listen. I felt she should have talked with us more if she really wanted to hear our position. Spillman started the press conference to introduce Zinzer at 2 p.m. What? Where? Like in a jar in a class facility? Yeah, it's probably at a hotel or something. You know, it's definitely not on campus. Okay, right. A reporter asked why a school should be run by someone who couldn't speak the language of its student body. Yeah. You know, there's a university in France where they're sick

of the Spanish president. It's just so fucking crazy. Spillman then said Zinzer was learning sign language. Okay. Well, put your fucking money where your mouth is. Let's see. And then Spillman said she had never learned sign language because she was, quote, too involved in very boring but vital matters such as making presentations to Congress and raising funds to have much interaction with deaf people. I was too busy to be an empath. So she's literally saying she was busy doing boring stuff. She couldn't learn their stupid little language. That's right. Yeah. So she doesn't have time to interact with the deaf. She's a cushion for Congress. Okay. Do you know how important that job is? And then Zinzer spoke. She talked about the

enormous and exciting challenges she expected at Gallaudet. Well, I've got good news for her. Some very exciting challenges have been thrown her way. And that she had indeed started learning sign language. I already know, fuck you. Give me more money and I'm not listening. A reporter asked if she would resign if after hearing and more from students, she felt she was, quote, the problem. Zinzer said she'd only resigned if the board of trustees asked her to. Well, okay. King Jordan spoke and said as a Gallaudet dean, he had to support the board's decision. Then he added, quote, Gallaudet will never be the same. The deaf world has changed and it has been a very positive change. Spillman said Zinzer was already officially

Gallaudet president retroactively dating it to three days earlier. Okay. Someone sarcastically asked Zinzer if she'd be leaving in a few years to go work for Bassett Furniture. That's pretty good. She was like, I don't understand. I don't know why is there who is maybe if they have a lot of money. I love money. Money's great. Money's better than any of the problems. Jordan was asked if he thought the protest should stop. He said, quote, yes, I do. Interesting. Yeah. The students can just make it so. Well, the students were very upset by King Jordan's remarks. He said he said that and then he walked off the stage and there was a student there who he was close to and she just shook her head and couldn't look him in the eye.

That's a good feeling. That's a good feeling when someone's completely drained of faith from you. I'm kicking ass. Hey, how do you think that went? You don't look good. I crushed the soul of that girl. Did you see that? She fell to her knees. So the four student leaders vowed campus protests would continue until demands were met, even if this meant giving up their spring break that was starting that weekend. Oh, you know, too, the fact that the trustees are counting on that. Oh, fuck. Yeah. Fuck. Yeah. They're like, they'll go drink. They'll come back and get about it. Yeah. University faculty voted 147 to five for a resolution calling for a Zinzer's resignation. Interesting. Who the fucking five? Yeah, five.

And her 136 to 11 for a resolution advocating the other three protest demands. Great. Sounds like a majority. Although some said they felt pressured to not support Zinzer at all. Yeah, I imagine. That night, a student leader, Zinzer and actress Marlee Matlin appeared on Nightline with Ted Koppel. I did Marlee Matlin's kid's birthday party. So I finally have a dog in this fight officially. You're finally in a dollop. I'm finally, yeah, this is kind of meta. Yeah. This is nuts. Am I going to cover this? You are. Does this go all the way to when I do a kid's birthday party? Yeah. That's the end. This is exciting. When Zinzer said she'd stay in office unless the trustees asked her to step down, Ted Koppel called her quote

a puppet. You're a puppet. And said she could resign if she wanted to. Yeah. Which is 100% fucking true. It's a perfect like little ironclad argument because you're like, well, if the trustees asked me to like tell me I have to go, I'll go. The trustees are the majority of them want you in there. Yeah. And they would be like, well, if she wants to leave, she can resign. That's right. Yeah. Matlin accused Zinzer of arrogance for taking over a deaf school without knowing much about deaf people. The show ended with everyone trying to basically yelling at each other all at once. Right. Koppel called it quote something approaching anarchy. Right. And CNN called it something that we will make

our network. But not so because CNN never calls someone what they are. Like Ted Koppel called him a puppet. Fair. Fair. Outside of that. Yeah. Early Thursday morning, cars had been towed to clear two entrances. So students hot wired school buses drove them in front of the gates. That's worse by the way. They're bigger. And deflated the tires. Okay. Worse. Good work, everyone. They also put up tombstones for Zinzer and Spillman. That's good. Nice. Nice touch. Clear. Deaf and even some hearing students around the country were rallying at their own schools in support. And some were like driving down in busloads to help protest. Right. It's becoming a bigger movement for the deaf community. Students starting

to seize the president's campus house and office if Zinzer made her way past students blocking entrances to the school. Okay. The doors to the administration building were changed shut so no administrators were on campus. At one point, there were worried Zinzer would sneak on campus and they started checking trunks of cars going by. Jesus Christ. So if you're a hurry, you're like, I can't go today. That's like a fucking red dawn. Yeah. There was even a rumor she would be flown in by helicopter that would land on the football field. She's parachuting in. I don't know if you guys heard this. She's parachuting in. She's got a jet pack. She's digging her way through. She's tunneling. I mean, she's going

to El Chapo her way in. If she tunneled her way in, this would be the greatest. If she tunnels her way in, I think at some point you've got to go like, all right. All right, you're president. You're president for a little bit. You've won the month. Yeah. At a rally that afternoon, King Jordan surprised everyone by speaking. He signed that while he had said the day before that he recognized the board's legal authority to choose a president, quote, my personal reaction to the board's decision was and is anger at the continuing lack of confidence that they have shown in deaf people. He then said he supported the four demands and quote the efforts to achieve them. He talked to a reporter and after and

said he had made a mistake the day before when he said the protest should stop. He saw it now as a civil rights movement. Okay. He basically thought at that point he would never be president. He was giving up his career. Right. Still. It's good. I mean, yeah. Yeah. That night, Zinzer enjoyed a nice dinner with the trustees and administrators. It's just always like this. Yeah. I mean, you don't even need to say that they're having dinner, but you just know that they're in there more gravy. Yeah. They're always just eating gravy and cake. Yeah. That's how this works. Yeah. The poor starve and they try to not get gout. That's right. So the talk at the table was of the civil rights movement they were dealing

with and this is the first time Zinzer had heard it framed that way. She was already coming around to the idea that this was a totally unworkable situation for it. Good. Quote, that was a turning point in recognizing it as a large social phenomenon. That's crazy. I mean, talk about it. You definitely are not supposed to be there. Yeah. But they have the fact that you're like, oh, this is a civil rights movement. What did you think it was? That's what I mean. That's why it looks like you cannot be there. Right. You don't, you have, you don't have the depth. She literally doesn't understand that it's no different than a white person saying they should run a black college. Right. And then refusing

to leave over here. Yeah. With gravy and cake. With gravy. I mean, we're assuming there's gravy. There's a lot of gravy. There's no, there's not gravy. They're eating gravy off of each other. It's just gravy. They probably sat in a big novelty gravy boat while they dipped like, you know, pies in the gravy that surrounded them. That's right. My understanding is they would pour gravy on Spillman and lick it off of her. Oh, yes. What's the sign for it? Thanks. I don't know. Pork. Pork. So quote, I looked at Jane Spillman very calmly and said, Jane, I resign. Zinzer then told them she wanted to eat a salad by herself. Oh, what a fall. She's

cut from the ivory tower to a booth at Wendy's alone. You want a problem solver? Yeah. It had been 97 hours. Good run. Good run. Since she had been voted in the office. Do you still have your picture on the wall? All the other presidents. You have to. What's the deal? So at this point, did they just let a little smoke billow out of the chimney to let people know they're after a new president? Yay. A deaf Gallaudet faculty member later claimed Zinzer had a secret victory parter two weeks before the vote. And a Gallaudet alum said a hearing trustee congratulated him on Zinzer's appointment in late February. So those could just be rumors, but wouldn't surprise me. Yes. The press was told about her resignation

at 11 p.m. Students gathered at the gym and celebrated into the morning. Great. The next morning, Zinzer and Spillman held a press conference. Zinzer said she was, quote, deeply disappointed, but she now realized the best way to restore order was to resign. She finished by saying she was celebrating the deaf community's, quote, day in the sun and then signed I love you. Solid end. So she had, she had a momentary lack of understanding and she came around. Great. Had a salad. Great. So it wasn't great that she came, but in the end. Yep. Good. Yep. Then Spillman spoke. She called Zinzer's resignation, quote, a tragic loss for Gallaudet and an inevitable step forward for another institution. I'm ready for the next sentence

that will redeem everything she's said so far. Nope. That's it. That's the quote. Interesting. How is it truly that? I would like to say I have learned nothing and fuck you. The deafest person is the one who can hear. 100%. I mean, there's being deaf and then there's not being able to listen. How could you even be at the same event as what was her name? Zinzer. Zinzer. See that revelation and not be affected. She probably had no idea that she signed I love you. Right. She was probably like, get away to give it to him. Screw him. I agree, sister. What did you just say? Kick rocks. So there's also, you know, and then we see this many times in history and certainly now where people know that they're in the wrong and they've

taken a position. But the real problem is, is that the lesser thans are the ones who have shown them that they're in the wrong. Right. So they can't. And they cannot fucking accept that. So they'll go to their death rather than say these people are right. She said the board of trustee, the board would meet Sunday to discuss a new selection process and it was up to the board whether a deaf president would be chosen. Just say you're going to pick a goddamn deaf person. A reporter asked Spillman if she knew sign language. She said although she had been on the board for eight years and a chairman from six, she had never learned the language. Quote, this job is extremely demanding and terribly time-consuming.

In my opinion, my efforts are best directed in other areas toward budgets, figures and programs that are not nearly as pleasurable as learning sign language. Well, she's got to devote a lot of time to wasting finding out who the next president will be. She just had 97 hours she could have used. It so does not take that much time of your day to learn another language, particularly when you're working with those people. You also know that you really don't care if you don't even bother to go like, I'm learning it. Yeah. Like you're like so like, no, I'm not going to. No, now I'm still unchanged, unfazed. The protesters held their own press conference. Leaders said they would keep the campus closed

until their three and a half remaining demands were met. Right. They then led a march of several thousand people to the Capitol this time they had a parade permit. Protest leaders wrote the board and encouraged them to pick one of the two deaf finalists instead of starting over again with a new search. Zinser got on a plane and went back to her position as chancellor at UNC Greensboro. She was greeted at the airport by hundreds of supporters with banners and balloons. Okay. The trustees met Sunday. Afterwards, Spillman resigned of her own record despite continued support from many trustees. She said, quote, a deaf president deserves a deaf chairman. So now she's just being, she got, she got fired. I mean, come on, she

got fucking fired. There's no way after everything she's done that they weren't like, you got to go. Right. Because this was her fucking this up left and right. The board then voted unanimously to make King Jordan president. Finally, the king has his throne. Kiss it. Effective immediately. Kiss it. I am now the king president. I am now the king, king, king, president, president, president, president, Jordan, Jordan, Jordan, Jordan. Spillman and the selection committee chair held a press conference announcing Jordan's appointment and her resignation. They said there'd be no punishment for any protest participants and announced the creation of a task force to figure out how to make the board majority deaf.

The chair said he'd spoken to student leaders who agreed they would let the campus return to normal immediately. So they won. Great. The Victoria's protesters chug beer and chanted deaf president, wow. Grace. Jordan gave a press conference, signing deaf people, quote, have overcome our reluctance to stand up for our rights. The world has watched the deaf community come of age. We will no longer accept limits on what we can achieve. The crowd chanted King, King, King. And then Jordan said he was going home to sleep. Hey, sure. He's tired. Yeah. Long run. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. In 2006, King Jordan announced he would retire as Gallaudet president the next year. The trustees were then majority deaf as per official bylaw.

They voted to replace Jordan with a deeply unpopular deaf Gallaudet provost, Jane Fernandez. Protest broke out. The NAD supported him, a tent city formed. Once again, students shut down the school. On October 13th, police were arrested 133 protesters for blocking entrances to the school. King Jordan approved of the arrests. The four deaf president now student leaders from back in the day released a statement saying the arrest, quote, tainted the spirit of the deaf president now movement and reversed King Jordan's legacy. They decried Fernandez's, quote, arrogant, vindictive, autocratic and retaliatory style of leadership and urged her to follow Zinzer's example, quote, Dr. Zinzer considers her resignation the best thing she

has ever done. We can only hope that someday we will be able to think, we'll be able to thank you for being courageous enough to take the same action. Fernandez released a statement and she refused to step down because, quote, we live in a country that is governed by the rule of law, not anarchy. But that's not anarchy. That's democracy. Yeah. They lose that all the time. They forget that all the time on purpose. Deaf communities throughout the US and Canada form tent cities of their own in solidarity. On October 21st, thousands of deaf people from around the world marched on the US Capitol. On October 29th, the board of trustees terminated Fernandez's contract. Nice.

This is what, hey, everybody, this is what we need to do. Yeah. Jordan wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post, denouncing the protesters and saying, quote, I am convinced that the board made a serious error in ascending to the demands of the protesters by terminating Fernandez's presidency before it began. The students get to have a fucking say who's running their college. And if they don't fucking like it, every, we always hated our fucking chancellors at UC schools. They were fucking shit and they fucked us left and right. We should have a fucking say in who the fuck they are. The board voted to replace Jordan with a deaf Gallaudet graduate, Robert De Villa, on an

interim basis. In 2009, he was succeeded by a former NAD president, Alan Hurwitz. Hurwitz retired in 2015, and the presidency went to deaf attorney Robert Cadano. She is, Roberta Cadano, she is Gallaudet's second female president. The first was Elizabeth Sinser. Well, the deaf president now movement is now known just as DPN, the power demonstrated by the Gallaudet students fueled efforts around deaf rights for years to come and also helped catalyze efforts to pass the American with Disabilities Act. So it, like they, it just didn't, like Spillman started a monster, like it was one of those things, yeah, it just kept going. And you're right, it is such a microcosm. I mean, it's just like, yeah,

that's it. Yeah, that's what we live in now. Yeah. I mean, if you want to solve climate change, that's how we have to do it. Well, and I think even the difference between 88 and 2006 is noticeable too. I think that is a parallel as well, is that like, they don't, they now know that they can ignore us more than they thought. And so they hyper ignore us. So it is going to take massive, yeah, it's going to take like being okay with getting arrested and really, really just being okay with like being like, we're shutting the streets down. Yeah. Yeah. That's right. Hopefully the deaf people will leave. It's always so funny to people who are like, if you block things, then you will just upset people. Right.

So the point of blocking things is to tell people that nothing's going to be the same until we actually get our way because that's justice. And what's the alternative? I mean, there is no alternative. Yeah, there's no alternative. The alternative is to just be like, oh, you're right. No, I'll be happy while we just melt. Just do it that way. Yeah. And if you don't believe that, you should go talk to God named Martin Luther King, who they killed. Yes. Yes. Kill a lot of people. Yeah. So there you go. Hope you're happy. We signed signs. We signed signs. There's the three ladies, by the way. Oh, wow. That's obviously Spelman, the ugly mean nurse ratchet looking demonish. Right, nurse ratchet. Yep.

All right. We signed cups. Thank you. Baseball cups. Sure, whatever.