On June 27, the Center for Black Deaf Studies received a piece of art titled 鈥淔reedom,鈥� by retired English professor Barbara Hardaway. This was a gift from the late Marcia Beth Bordman, another retired English professor. Dr. Carolyn D. McCaskill, 鈥�77, G-鈥�79, & PhD 鈥�05, founding director of the Center, accepted 鈥淔reedom鈥�.

Dr. Hardaway is a Black multimedia artist in painted collages, assemblages, and in photography. 鈥淔reedom鈥� depicts the Emancipation postal stamp. Dr. Hardaway wrote of 鈥淔reedom鈥� that 鈥淭he word 鈥榝ree鈥� is obscurely seen鈥�as a metaphor for our unclear [obscure] path to actual freedom and equity. The black lines represent the challenges and barriers evident in our aspirations to be free.鈥�

Dr. Bordman, who died on June 17, was a long-time social activist. She wrote her doctoral dissertation on the legal rhetoric of the infamous 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case, which established the doctrine of 鈥渟eparate but equal.鈥� She also participated in civil rights struggles of the 1960s and collected art on the Emancipation. Writes a retired colleague, 鈥淚t seems fitting that her burial took place on Juneteenth.鈥� Contributions in her memory may be made to the or the .

Earlier this year, the Center for Black Deaf Studies received gifts of several other Barbara Hardaway paintings from Dr. Barbara J. White, 鈥�76, and Dr. Bruce A. White, and from Dr. Judith L. Mounty, G-’03, and Robert B. Weinstock, 鈥�76 & G-鈥�83. The Center has an impressive, growing collection of art by Black Deaf and Black artists.