https://youtu.be/99l53zC3JxM
Honoring Diversity: Jeffrey Bowden COLUMN Jeffrey Bowden, NIC written by Billy Sanders, MPA, NIC “...Because the revolution will not be televised” - Gil Scott Heron
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eteran extraordinaire, Jeffrey Bowden, affectionately known as “Jeff,” is walking Black history. Iconic. Charismatic. Reverent. The teenager who ran up and down the corridors of the historic Gallaudet University, who, by way of his father, learned how to sign, code-switch, and swag all in the same adventure. To unpack Jeff’s experience is a gift that will keep on giving to the experienced and inexperienced interpreter alike. Retelling the life
Picture Credit: Billy Butler, NVested Photography
journey of this NERDA1 is much like a box of chocolates, because doing so reveals the odyssey and evolution of the Black interpreting community. The rural fields of North Carolina is where Jeff grew up and developed his hard work ethic. The valuable ideal of community he learned back then left an indelible print in the fabric of his life. Moving from the country to the hip streets of Washington, DC, forced him to apply survival techniques and nuanced facial expressions (before he understood the meaning and platitudes of code-switching) to effectively evade the unforeseen consequences of inner city life. In order to form organic friendships, Jeff used humor—an integral facet to his charm—to defuse apparent conflict between himself and peers.
“Someone bet I wouldn’t, and I bet I could.”
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