Ritchie Bryant is with Betty M Henderson. My rationale for Juneteenth Sign. Transcribed by Jolanta Galloway) Thank you! ID: Black Deaf man (Ritchie Bryant) with glasses and facial hair stands in front of a blue background. He is wearing a blue short sleeve shirt. Transcript: Hello all. There has been lots of discussion about the sign for Juneteenth. Many have asked what the appropriate sign is and as a Black Deaf man who was born and raised in Texas, I have always seen the sign for Juneteenth “JUNE+19”. This sign originated from Black Deaf Texans and it seemed appropriate that we honor a sign created in Black American Sign Language (BASL) by Black Deaf Texans. To verify my theory and intuition, I reached out to Betty Henderson (Sign Name “B” on corner of chin). Betty comes from a multi-generational Black Deaf family who attended residential schools for the deaf during segregation. I asked Betty what her family signed for Juneteenth and she used the same sign I had seen and used, “JUNE+19”. She also said that was the sign used in deaf school and in the Black Deaf community. At the Blind Deaf Orphans School Reunion, that happened either yearly or every two years, that was also the sign used among alumni. This sign, in Black ASL, honors the legacy of Black Deaf folks. We must preserve that legacy and that sign. I found people attempting to create a new sign that replaces one already used for decades which I found myself feeling conflicted and uncomfortable. To further emphasize the importance of honoring the sign for Juneteenth, I share this example: Yearly, the 4th of July is celebrated in the United States. We have always signed it “JULY+4”. We have never equated other concepts, like “FIREWORKS+CELEBRATE” to mean July 4th. We use the sign “JULY+4” to invite people to gatherings. Let us honor our Black Deaf community by doing the same with Juneteenth. “JUNE+19”. Honor Black ASL. Honor Black Deaf people. Use the sign “JUNE+19” for Juneteenth. Thank you.