The hearing world does not listen
Some may deem the above quote is another opinion by Deaf21 that the oral world’s anything but. However a number of opinions or assertions does in fact come from the inspiration of altruistic hearing people who have tried to understand the Deaf plight and what it means. Fortuitously some hearing people are very critical of audism/oralism. There is no doubt that such hearing people will be referenced where appropriate. In this particular case the pictured quote is that of a famous Black civil rights leader.
The image showing an imaginary billboard in the States with the words ‘The problem is not that the Deaf do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen’ is in fact a quote by the famous US civil rights campaigner the Reverend Jesse Jackson. He in fact raised this quote as a means of support for the Deaf President Now! campaign in 1988. The quote is contained in a letter Jackson wrote to Gallaudet University to give his support to Deaf President Now!
The contents of the letter can read at Gallaudet University’s website.
I have altered Jackson’s quote with just one word. The ‘student’ was replaced with ‘Deaf’ in order to better reflect the situation of audism/oralism. It must be noted others have done the same too. The context of the quote does not change however because the message is the same – its the hearing world that does not listen.
Jesse Jackson is a long time civil rights campaigner, having begin his career as a close associate and protégé of Martin Luther King. King was one of the most brilliant civil rights campaigners and he garnered a huge following of hundreds of thousands to oppose outdated and oppressive US racial laws.
Jesse Jackson (centre) is seen with the Reverend Martin Luther King and other Black leaders in Memphis on the 3rd of April 1968, a day before King’s assassination. Guardian.
The header image itself is AI generated for the purpose of creating a new main header for the blog. As far as is known Jesse Jackson’s words were never displayed on a billboard – although they were certainly used for the campaign and also form a major part of the historical displays the University has about its site.
Post published on UKBlackPride day 10th August 2025.
