Saved By The Sign

17/12/2023

Woke up in New York City!!

Honoured to have been 1 of 31 disability activists and advocates around the world invited to a roundtable in New York City, titled ‘Nothing Without Us: Building Strength Through Solidarity.’ Supported by the Ford Foundation and organised by the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund, this event marked a pivotal moment for dialogue and reflection on the disability rights movement.

We assessed the transformative journey of the disability rights movement over the last decades. Navigating through achievements, we examined significant transformations, gauged progress or its lack from diverse perspectives, and dissected contributing factors to success and obstacles.

This event extended beyond its immediate purpose, it was an opportunity to envision a future where the disability rights movement is more effective and aligned with broader social justice movements. The dialogue explored strategies for building stronger alliances with womanist, feminist, racial, LGBTQI+, Indigenous, and climate justice initiatives. We collectivelg considered proven strategies in fostering solidarity across diverse movements, laying the groundwork for meaningful collaborative efforts.

Rooted in the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the disability rights movement has achieved remarkable progress over 75 years. Despite victories, challenges persist, hindering the full recognition of the personhood and rights of individuals with disabilities.

In the face of global challenges like authoritarianism, a climate crisis, and evolving governance dynamics, the disability rights movement finds itself at a critical juncture. ‘Nothing Without Us: Building Strength Through Solidarity’ prompted a thorough examination of existing shortcomings to enhance inclusive efforts and dismantle colonial approaches within the sphere of disability rights. I was honored to contribute to this vital dialogue and look forward to the collective brainstorming that unfolded for a more inclusive and just world.

10/12/2023

Nonstop laughter, tears & joy with this group.
3 days wasn’t even close to enough. Thank you to for acknowledging that BIPOC desire to have their own space and time of reflection and awakening. Shout out to all the participants for trusting us with their life stories, vulnerability & process.

Angela Davis once said, “Finding your community is not just about being seen, but truly being understood and embraced.” That’s what moments like this feel like for us all.

09/12/2023

1/11/23
A day of vulnerability and unpacking with 2023 FR+ participants from Chile, Lithuania, Germany, Malta.
Brazil, Venezuela, Norway, Congo, France, Belgium & Spain

08/12/2023

The Center for Black Deaf Studies officially extended an invitation to Black Deaf men to attend an empowering weekend on Saturday, February 17, 2024, designed to provide a space for a discourse on the issues Black Deaf men face that affect their ability to achieve their personal goals in life. The theme is : 'The Souls of Black Deaf Men'. We chose this theme as we hope it will inspire us to dig deep into our souls and think about what it means to be a Black Deaf Man? What is it that we need to do to be better men? What is that we need to do to be able to empower ourselves and break the barriers that force us into bad choices and habits. This will be the very first of its kind and we will have dialogues, workshops and moderated group discussions to cover the areas we feel need our attention as Black Deaf Men the most. Save the date and join us for a weekend of well-needed connection.

Registration Required: gu.live/VHMZp

Questions/concerns: contact [email protected]

Photo credit : .Photography (Instagram)

17/11/2023

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognise, accept, and celebrate those differences,”

- Audre Lorde

The curiosity, vulnerability and passion!
Favourite part of hosting these workshops with FR19

01/10/2023

It's officially October, which means one thing..
Happy !
We will be celebrating, reflecting and building, celebrating the rich tapestry of Black history. As storytellers, we're committed to amplifying voices that inspire, educate, and shape our collective journey. This Black History Month, lets honour the legacies and embrace the future.

04/08/2023

Yo! Your work is what you will be known for after you leave this world.
Your legacy.
Your life.
Your job and career are a part of your life.
But, your life IS your work!
-

We just had to repost because “THAT PART!”🦋

22/07/2023

Empowerment Week Throwback!
Reflecting on an incredible time in Berlin, Germany (21-26 Feb 2023) where we delved deep into the realms of individual & community identities and intercultural competence.

Participants found the discussions eye opening, inspiring and transformative.

As we look back, we're reminded of the power of unity and the strength we find in understanding one another. Let's keep the momentum going! Have you ever asked yourself, 'Do I know my place in racial discourse?' It's time to challenge ourselves and others to embark on this essential journey of self-awareness and empathy. 🌍

Big THANK YOU to for inviting us to host this week! It's always amazing to see more BIPOC/Black deaf focus groups or associations appear in Europe ever since we set up & SBTS, super excited about the work we’ll be doing to support them as time goes by.

13/07/2023

Wedding guests 🥂💍

12/07/2023

(Linked to previous post)

“Leaders inspire accountability through their ability to accept responsibility before they place blame…..”

11/07/2023

Comfortability and ignorance speak volumes.
From YOMs and OMs, we’re all witnessing this firsthand. It's valid for people to feel upset, but when we tried discussing this prior to the congress some remained unfazed when we mentioned the possibility of UAE winning & their laws. So, why the sudden outrage?

The general response in Europe was confidence that Norway would win, everyone doubted people would even vote for Nigeria or UAE, so they remained silent. That’s what happens when you’re comfortable in an "equal" world. The choice to look the other way during oppression reflects your privilege, where you live and the company you keep.

Everyone thinks the “western world” is so progressive as if it’s past & present don’t speak for the future.

27/06/2023

EYE 2023!
When activists show up in political spaces, it's usually because that is where the resources are. In order to create meaningful change and advocate for our causes, we must engage with those who hold power and influence. By demanding justice, equality, and fair distribution of resources, we can challenge the status quo and make a lasting impact.

It's crucial to highlight the vital role of Black and Brown diaspora youth in European political engagement. Our participation brings fresh perspectives, diverse experiences, and unique insights that enrich our collective dialogue and decision-making processes. By amplifying each other’s voices and empowering eachother to actively participate, we pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable society.

17/06/2023

Someone recently called us the “dynamic duo”😂 loved that & grateful for the love and support. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without community support.

Got to attend with blessed they hooked us up with 10 spots for Black deaf people. Super pumped to continue this amazing collaboration with DiasporaVote! Make sure to follow them and check out their amazing Face of Europe campaign. This year our delegation was 70 people strong from all over Europe, repping as advocates and activists in every corner. Reconnected with friends we made at EYE 2021 and got to meet new people too.

Diaspora youth are the vibrant voices of our future, carrying the heritage, resilience, and aspirations of their communities. Their diversity, creativity, and unwavering spirit shine a light on the path to a more inclusive and interconnected world.

10/04/2023

Just a couple more moments that sparked joy while in DC🦋

Pic 1: PARIIIIISSS!! Y’all shoulda seen how shook all 3 of us were bumping into each other😂, that little moment of wait! Hold up! It can’t be! WHAAAT!!

Some of the people we wanted to link up with were out of town while we were out there, so we DID NOT expect to see this gorgeous gorgeous human, glad we did though, it was all love all hugs and didn’t even feel like the first time meeting🫶🏽 One of the best things about DC was hands down all the cool people we got to hang with! (WE’RE COMING BAAACK!)

Pic 2 : African and Caribbean restaurants in America taste so authentic! So uncolonised compared to Europe😩

Lydia’s conclusion is that in America Black folks don’t need to depend on whites people to support their food businesses cos there’s more than enough Black folks around to do it so they don’t have to season less. While in Europe they gotta cater to a general palate to make money…..

Makes sense🫠

Pic 3: we walked into Starbucks and all we saw was Black people chatting away, working away, living their best lives, a whole Starbucks with just Black people… shook (tell me you grew up in Sweden & Ireland without telling me you grew up in Sweden & Ireland😂)…

Melanin glory🤌🏿chefs kiss

02/04/2023

The Yin To My Yang♾️

Just dropping some Black Joy on your timelines this Sunday afternoon, we hope you’re all sliding into April with gratitude 🫶🏽

01/03/2023

CANDID CONVERSATIONS🦋

“The word deaf tends to eliminate race”
-

So I wanted to come on here and talk about something that’s been on our minds heavy, it’s a huge part of our work and that is advocating for ourselves and eachother…

The conversation around the premieres felt like the perfect opportunity to highlight this.

I’m seeing a lot of people posting about the lack of Black (especially Black deaf) people at the premiere and disappointment at the fact more white (especially white deaf) people took up space that could have gone to people in the Black deaf community.

I think sometimes what we often forget is that the responsibility to get people like us into the spaces we’re invited to also falls on us. We don’t always have to be the only one or one of few present, we have the power to change that.

When invited into important spaces we can email asking to bring 2/3/4/5 more of our people… those people are now an expansion on the organiser’s guest list for next time and those 5 can bring 5 more and so on.

We cant simply just highlight our exclusion based on the fact the organisers lack range in their network. Its important for us to also check ourselves and carry eachother forward. You don’t shine any less by sharing opportunities, if you have access to something that some in your community don’t then HOLD THE DOOR OPEN!!

Shoutout to for sharing the truth, just wanted to point out another layer of the truth. We deserve to be present and seen but that won’t happen if WE (Black people) don’t make it happen for ourselves and eachother.

Love & Light🖤

01/03/2023

1st trip of 2023! KU Leuven invited us to Antwerp for a few days to host a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion workshop for interpreters.

The workshop covered many topics, such as Raciolinguistics (relationship between race & language), representation, power dynamics, anti-racism and diversity in interpreter spaces. Dialogues like this are a necessity in sign language spaces. Now is the time to advocate for change especially with a lack of interpreters with diverse cultural competence and an even bigger lack of racial representation for BIPOC sign language users around Europe. These conversations are never comfortable but expanding one’s world view is always worth it.

07/02/2023

“The mind is everything, what you think, you become.”

Entering our 2nd year with an abundance mindset and accepting the challenges that come our way. An intentional mindset will be the defining factor to us achieving our goals. We really want to create a health environment for each other and give each other support & space to grow. Also want to fully embracing our work with the community, which is a huge part of our growth factors.

17/01/2023

02/01/2023

IN 2023

plants
bookstores & libraries
softness
creative growth
laughter
hiking
financial literacy
consistency
self-care
travel
being given grace and giving it
gratitude walks
herbal remedies
sunrises and sunsets
be present
boundaries
bed before midnight
radical honesty
kindness in conflict
healing
pottery
fruit & veg
adventures
journaling
cookbooks with sauce stains
strength, mobility & flexibility
showing up
self reflection

(Shoutout to for the inspo)

18/12/2022

Final workshop of 2022 with
/
We don’t have the words to describe how much of an adventure 2022 has been. Every aspect has pushed us all out of our comfort zone and into our growth zone.

Thank you for trusting us with your hopes & fears. The tears, realisations, acknowledgment and growth in allowing us to challenge you. Thank you to everyone that’s been on this ride with us so far, cheers to finding your tribe and growing as a community 🖤

19/11/2022

SAVE THE DATE!

It's happening y'all and this is an incredible opportunity to be part of the first ever Black Deaf Studies Symposium!

"The theme of this symposium is “Why Black Deaf Studies Matters: A Defining Moment.” discussions in the form of speakers and panels will interrogate the various aspects of this emerging discipline, such as education, language, history and the arts."

will be among these incredible speakers and delivers her perspectives on Why Black Deaf Studies Matters: Global Perspectives.

Don't miss this and see y'all there! 🖤

13/11/2022

Getting closer to the end of the year & feeling grateful. Thank you to everyone whos stepped into our brave space this year & we look forward to those who join us next🦋🖤

Our work is born of a belief to quote a popular adage
that “change moves at the speed of trust”, and a simple question: What needs healing here?

Micky ScottBey Jones created this poem as part of her leadership in a project called “The People's Supper,” which seeks to bring people together across lines of political, ideological, and identity differences to have constructive, relationship-building conversations.

Social change moves at the speed of relationships. Relationships move at the speed of trust. So we build trust and connection among people of different identities and perspectives.

08/10/2022

Throwback to last weekend festival! Had some really great discussions with so many people and attending lots of interesting presentation.

Congrats to the team for organising such a great event! We love being invited to things like this

05/10/2022

NORDISK UNGDOMSSEMINAR!

Påmelding til det nordiske ungdomsseminaret er åpen! Temaet for seminaret er antirasisme med Lydia og Romel fra Saved By The Sign.

Seminaret er i København og varer fra 4. til 6. november. Det er plass til maks 8 deltakere fra Norge, og prisen er 850 kroner for en hel helg inkludert overnatting i dobbeltrom og måltider. Fristen for påmelding er 14. oktober 2022. Aldersgrensen på deltakerne er fra 18 til 31 år.

Prinsippet er ikke etter førstemann til mølla-prinsippet, da det er viktig for NDFU at det kulturelle mangfoldet er representert mest mulig. Så i tilfelle det er flere enn 8 påmeldinger forbeholder NDFUs styre seg retten til å velge ut de deltakerne som skal få anledning til å komme på seminaret.

Link til påmeldingsskjema finner du både her: https://www.ndfu.no/nordisk-ungdomsseminar-2022/

15/08/2022

Last week’s workshop titled “Understanding Intersectionality” with some camp leaders and the organisations committee for a childrens camp taking place in Estonia this week. Love it when people take action to correct mistakes they make.

We’ve been seeing the word Intersectionality used wrongly by the organisations and associations over the last 2 years in the community and it’s been a frustrating process of correcting that. Dope when people decide to listen, take action & do better.

BOOKINGS: [email protected]

07/08/2022

Frontrunners sent their students out on a 4 week internship back in April & Katia decided she wanted to do hers with a Black deaf owned platform. Packed her bags and flew to Sweden to spend 4 weeks with us, that’s 4 weeks of 5AM mornings, morning routines, working out, journaling, meetings, research for projects, disagreements, agreements & deep conversations.

Towards the end of the internship we had a sit down with our lil sis to listen to watch she had to say about her experience, a whole heart to heart too place. New video dropping on our YouTube channel🦋

https://youtu.be/kZ5_TRupzEw

05/08/2022

Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination🌍🦋

02/08/2022

When hearing platforms, businesses, organisations etc ask us to be panelists or attend an event & we can, we confirm and send a list of our preferred interpreters. Only for them to reply with a whole speech about their budget.
Leaving us confused… What’d you want us to do? Our request remains & the lack of accessibility sounds like a you problem
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

"BuT wE hAvE AuToCaPtIoNs"......

No

30/07/2022

This world needs more love, not less of it. Learn to give people their flowers. Don’t hold back on the support & the compliments. Understand that anyone can criticise, complain, and condemn & most do, but that won’t water a garden, just destroy it. Being in the sun celebrating together is always a vibe, so let’s lead with love and lift eachother up instead of tearing eachother down🖤🦋

28/07/2022

Esta semana ¿En Lengua de Signos¿ acude a la octava RIA de la Comisión de Juventud Sorda de la CNSE en la que ha participado Saved by the sign, una plataform...

24/07/2022

Clin D’Oeil Festival VLOG just went up on our YouTube channel!
We captured as much as we could inbetween actually meeting people and having fun, so much happened & so many dope performances. This is our little attempt at taking y’all along with us. Enjoy!🦋
https://youtu.be/uMu5FxO4MEE 🖤

21/07/2022

Midweek thoughts!🦋
It’s ok if people see your process, you shouldn’t mind having an audience when you make mistakes or struggle to achieve something. Shouldn’t mind people watching you grow and evolve and learn and unlearn. The best thing you can ever do for yourself is not set that expectation of perfection.

It’s ok if they see your process, don’t be embarrassed if you fall down, mess up or don’t know something. Just don’t give up or stay down.

Day by day seek ways to authentically find & share your enlightenment & even when you think you found it, find it again & welcome others to do the same.
Be you, always, in all ways, authentically.

That’s were growth stems from🌿

20/07/2022

20/07/2022

🎶The world can be toxic
Especially when you're skin look like chocolate.
Be cautious, all branches ain't olive.
Just look towards the sun for your solace and

Shine, Shine
Shine, Shine
Shine on all of them
Shine on all of them
My umi said to shine your light
So shine on all of them

Climb, Climb
Climb, Climb
You were born to win
You were born to win
Don't let them make you colorblind and not adore your skin 🎶

Song - Shine by
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•
•

.design aimee_cn .production

19/07/2022

Candid Conversations
Reflecting on Clin D’Oeil & other community spaces. Why wait for a seat at the table when you can build your own table with a little consistency & a lot of confidence.

15/07/2022

Push yourself to evolve,
Upgrade your standards, mindset & most importantly your discipline.

If you’ve been following us for a while then you’ve seen me post 777 on my story and Lydia post 365. A challenge to workout, hydrate & meditate for that number of days without falling off & if we do it’s back to the beginning again. Today marks day 3 of 777 for me. LETS GO!🦋

Whats 1 way you hold yourself accountable on the days motivation just isn’t a factor. Find that & hold on tight.

12/07/2022

Weekend of July 8- 10, the VIII RIA was held in Madrid, a yearly Information and Advice Meeting for young deaf people from all over Spain.

We gave a weekend seminar discussing the experiences of Black & Brown people in Europe, race, anti-racism, privilege, power structures & allyship.

Thanks to for hosting us and the amazing Spanish hospitality🦋✨

12/07/2022

On July 8, 9 and 10, the VIII RIA was held in Madrid. We hosted a seminar for Spanish deaf youth association members and discussed the experiences of Black & Brown people in Europe, race, anti-racism, the privileges and power structures & allyship.