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Anyway Valerie Johnson, Good Morning!
Good morning! You see her don't you?
She's signing, she's signing and that's for the Deaf, right? Yes.
Well let's kinda go back in time a little bit, Valerie.
Where'd you grow up?
I grew up in a small city called
River Rouge, Michigan.
River Rouge, the Rouge. Yes. People called it "the Rouge".
My grandson's visiting and he's won--
and he went like this: ma mom mom, does that mean....?
He was probably saying more, more. More? Okay.
But he just can't get enough to eat. No they can't.
So, Val, you grew up in
River Rouge. Yes I did. And then,
what happened after graduation? After graduation I went to college
in Anderson, Indiana.
And then four years after I graduated
I got married a year after that in 1980. Oh, to Arthur, my former student.
to my husband of thirty-three years, Arthur Johnson.
Yes, my former student. Yes! your former student, he's talked a lot about you.
Well, anyway, so tell me
what happened then? Where'd you get a job when you first get out of college?
What was your career? What were you doing? Well, actually I had a degree in business and
AAA of Michigan they offered me a job right away,
but I allowed someone to talk me out of the job. Never do that.
and I ended up kind of settling for just a job at a bank.
And so I kinda struggled a little bit
but along the way around '86, we go married in 1980,
but in 1986 I was teaching Sunday school
at a church in Detroit and I told my Sunday school students I said you know what
Easter got upon us so quick this year, let's just sing a song for Easter. And
the kids were like, "Oh, that's fine."
The day before the Easter program the Lord woke me up
and He says, "Why don't you do the song in sign language?" I didn't know anything. I
don't even know ABC, I literally knew nothing.
And I called up to, at that time it was Grand Bible Book store right up on Woodward Ave.
and I asked the clerk, "Do you have any books on sign language?"
He said, "No, I don't have any books," after looking, he says, "But I know sign language."
And I said, "Well, can you teach me? He said, "Sure."
I drove up there and in-between customers he taught me my first song in sign language,
"Rise Again". And the next day at church, that morning, I taught it to the kids
and then that afternoon
we signed it for the Easter program. That with an '86.
And then along the way I begin to meet deaf people and just meet different ones. Then in the
'95 I went back to college,
got a degree in Sign Language Studies. Wow.
Then in 2003 I went back to school again.
I was working at Ford Motor Company, I had an excellent job,
and I took an educational leave; Monday through Friday,
three to four hours a day, no talking and just immersed in it and that prepared me
to become a State Certified Interpreter.
And at the end of that time in August 2003 my husband and I both knew that
God was saying, "It's time to quit your job at Ford and I started a nonprofit [organization]
which at that time it was called Touching The Nation's Deaf Ministries, Inc.
And I begin to travel, [and] really
educate the church's about the Deaf Community and what's happening
in our churches to the Deaf Community--it's awful.
And they're being pushed aside, in the back, in the corner
instead of in the forefront and so a lot of times, people think that only Deaf people
can just sit
and just watch the interpreter but deaf people can do
anything except hear. In fact right here in Michigan
University of Michigan, the Head of Family Medicine
is a Deaf man. Really? Yes.
Well my grandmother was kinda deaf so sometimes you could see her reading our
lips. Is it true when
one of your senses is kinda down it heightens your
others. Yes and a lot of times, like
someone says, "Can they drive?"
Uh, yes they can. In fact, this one I
cannot remember where I read it,
but I believe they have better [driving] records than him hearing people and maybe
because they're
they have to be more alert. Like sometimes I have been driving
and didn't know, I couldn't hear an ambulance. But with the Deaf person.
Oh, you had that radio up. Yeah [laughter] I'm just kidding...
Yeah, you have that radio up and just groovin'. Then all of a sudden you look in the rear view mirror
and ahhhh! Yes! No, I'm kidding about that, but don't they have
schools for the Deaf
or did they here in Detroit?
Deaf education is probably the
it's absolutely the worst. In fact, a man here in Michigan,
a Deaf man went on a hunger strike because
as a Deaf student wouldn't you want a Deaf teacher
that knows your language and a lot of time that's not with they're given.
What are they giving them?
You or someone else that may not even know sign language then they have an
interpreter come in the room
to interpret you know. And so a lot of times, they [the schools] don't understand that they need a
deaf teacher
that can connect with, sign their own language they don't have to look at
an interpreter look at the hearing person,
you know. So that person knows that culture
and so they're not giving them what they need. So the only Deaf School in Detroit
that I know of, closed down and all those Deaf kids I heard. were immersed [disbursed]
I heard, that's why I brought it up. I heard that. Yeah,
and I worked in that at that school and my heart just went out to those
kids and I ran into one of the kids at a church that I attended
and she just me she's not a smiley person anyway
but she just looked like she definitely was not happy. And I asked [if she was happy]
And so now all of a sudden, even though they are mainstreamed, .
it's still a separation
So when I interpreted at one of the schools at one of the cities here in Michigan
The Deaf kids were mainstreamed but
you're sitting at a table; here's the hearing kids, here's the Deaf kids.
still separate. So what I would try to do is
in between when I got a chance, I'd teach them a little bit of sign language.
Hey, this is how you sign "what's up", so they could try to get connected,
because it's like they were together but still separate.
And so, there are Deaf kids getting killed by
gang members. You see this is a 'C', right?
Well, this is a "C" for "Crips", the gang.
We just moved to Georgia and before I left my pastor said to me
Val, I want you to put on a Deaf Awareness Weekend.
I had all Deaf presenters
and one of our presenters....what I did was get a team of interpreters to come,
so whatever presenter was up signing there was a person [interpreter] with a microphone that
voiced [for the Deaf presenter].
And one of our presenters said to us "When I go to California
I have to be careful when I'm out in public about........
signing"
and it's because of that very reason (gangs) that because there are gangs out there,
I could get killed basically. You know it's a shame that that culture
has triumphed over
what--why did I do that? [Laughter from Val]
It's normal. I'm sorry, I really apologize. That's okay.
What is the first thing that a Deaf person
or a person whose learning to sign learns to do. Is it the alphabet
or what? You know it varies.
For example, if right now you had a baby
and that baby the doctors found out was Deaf
yes baby, and you found out the baby was Deaf.
and what happens is that you might say you may go to one person they say
no don't teach them sign language because that is going to limit them
and they may not grow and they may [become] stupid or whatever.
okay then you have another group that says
teach them oral, teach them to speak b-b-b
teach them to speak and what they don't understand is that first give them language
then you can if you want to try to teach them to speak then you can say
this is a "B".
Okay, it sounds like or something like that. So there's
all these different arguments hearing versus oral; sign language versus [no] sign language
American Sign Language versus Sign English where
where [you're] signing word word word
for example the sentence I am going
to the store today. I did every single word.
Well, in ASL which is the actual language of the Deaf Community,
that same sentence becomes today store
I go. So it's a whole different structure. Right.
and so my focus that the Lord gave me a vision many years ago
that if one gospel artist would connect with the Deaf Community by putting an
interpreter
on their next at that time it was before even DVDs.
It was around 1998 that He gave me that vision.
Put an interpret on your music then that would open it up [the Gospel artists music] for the millions
of Deaf in the world. So what gospel artists have done that?
Zero.
Now recently
last week, Sunday, there's a Deaf man
that has an organization called
D-Pan and he took the music from The Clark Sisters
"You Brought the Sunshine"
and he had deaf people and there were two interpreters in that [video]
and they made a video. I saw the video You saw the video?
Yes. But I've been knocking on the doors of Gospel artists
like I said since around 1998 and they always respond I can talk to them. But sometimes, it's
like well
Deaf person, um, how can they hear?
and so they don't understand. So when you saw that video you saw Deaf people
moving and it was a whole choir. I saw the little boy
touching the record player. Yes and he could
feel the beat. Couldn't he?
He could feel the vibration. I just had a record producer
about two weeks ago ask me that question he said what you know I produce
music so I just got to ask you how can....
you're talking about the Deaf Community. How can they hear? and
they will put their hands on the speakers, turn the volume up
and then watch the interpreter. I've had a Deaf
friend ride in the car with me had the music up
and it was like.. boom boom boom boom so she could feel
that. So she looks at me... I have a sign name and it's the V [v's] over the heart.
My birthday is Valentine's Day.
so a Deaf person gave me that a long time ago. So she's like sign the words
and so I'm driving boom boom boom boom
YOU DON'T KNOW boom boom boom boom put my hands back on the steering wheel
LIKE I KNOW boom boom boom boom and I looked at her face and that was priceless
and there was this big smile because now I can match what I'm hearing
with the words. And so that's why I try to get Gospel artists. I've been to, you name
the artist practically
I've either talked to them or someone in their camp. It would be to their advantage?
Oh, big time. Tthere are approximately 300 to 500 million d/Deaf
and Hard-of-Hearing
in the world. In Michigan there are more than 300,000. Really?
In California there more than a million YES. On my website
I have a page that says Deaf population for the United States
and it gives you for the whole United States..... there are approximately 25 million
Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
in just America, but in the world 300 to 500 million
and only 2%-4% percent know Jesus Christ.
and so that's why reach out to the church's an and try to
encourage churches, educate churches
to connect with the Deaf Community.
Now what are some of the venues
some of the places that you do signing
Right now at my congregation I attend
Bishop Paul S Morton's church in Atlanta, Georgia.
You all moved? Yes You did move. We did move.
yes we did. I didn't realize that.
Really I'm sitting here not realizing that so you in Georgia now?
We're in Georgia and [laughter]
the very....the amazing thing about God His timing is
amazing because the week that Bishop Morton told the Church Administrator,
because they don't know me. they had no clue what I did or have done
he approved for me to go forth with the sign language ministry.
That very week
the church administrator got a phone call saying there were a couple of Deaf people
that want to visit. Isn't that something?
They came that Sunday and they have been coming
ever since. In fact, both of them joined. It was a husband and wife.
and they are loving it. And so that's a part of what I have been. Since I've been
in Georgia, I've [also] taught a class. Now we have a DVD
of you signing I guess.
I don't know I'm hoping that it's on
We're getting ready to put it on and see what happens. What are we going
to see?
The song that you'll see me sign is "In the Midst of It All"
by Yolanda Adams. I've put a video
my first video on YouTube in 2007
and I think one of the first people that saw it was a Deaf person.
And so I get contacts from people all over America
because there's such a need. Right, right well I hope
well can't wait and see what what happens Ok.
Anyway how do I say "I love you?"
This is the sign for "I love you."
Well right hand? Yes, if you're right-handed it would beyour right hand.
but if you're not right-handed and you're comfortable....
I'm right-handed Okay.
This is I love you. It's the "I', the "L", and the "Y".
So, you just don't go up [to someone] like this, right?
Well...... I've come through many hard trials
through
temptations on every hand.
Though satan tried to stop me and place my feet
on sinking sand. Through the pain and
all of my sorrows.
Through the tears
and all of my fears,
The Lord was
there to
keep me
For He
kept me
in the
midst of it all.
Not because I've
been
so faithful, no, no, no, no
not because
I've always
obeyed. No, it's not because
I trusted Him to be with me all the way. But it's
because He loves me so dearly
yes He does
He was there to answer my call. He was there always to protect me. For He's kept me in the midst of it all. No, no, no, no
No, He's never left me and He will never let me fall. Yes He will protect me,
for He's kept me in the midst of it all.
Alllllll.....
Alllllll, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yes,
He's kept me
He kept when times got hard and they show got rough
yeah, yeah, yeah
He's kept me, yeah. Jesus kept me.
Wow
Wow you you know you told me you have to be dramatic like that tell the audience
why.
50% of ASL is expression.
So if I coming up to you and I'm saying
Hello, it is so nice to meet you.
It's really really nice. My expression doesn't say that at all.
So I have to say "Oh, it was nice to meet you!"
okay because 50 percent because they hear with their eyes.
So it is a visual [language] that's why with Gospel music
or even the Gospel. I've sent letters to some of the television ministries
and they always say, well, we've got captioning.
because they don't understand that it that deaf person is reading
the Holy Ghost manifestation will come down on you like fire
what does that mean? I have to be able to they need to be able to see... Absolutely.
that the Holy Spirit comes down He touches you, you know, and they have to
see because it's a visual language. Do that again.
Gollee, you were beating yourself up.
Yes because the Holy Spirit He's coming down,
He's touching me .....and I'm feeling [Him]. I'm inspired.
That's a visual. So on Sunday's
when I'm finished interpreting, especially if Bishop is really
fired up, I just sit for a moment. You have to... Most times, I just sit for a moment
yes and just kind of rest.
It's more than just [my hands] it's my whole body.
Or someone is up singing and she's hitting a high C
and she says "Jesus!" [with high voice]
I can't just go Jesus [no emotion]. I've got to go "JESUS!" with her.
If the choir is up, I'm moving with the choir and that's why it becomes
a whole body movement. Now when a minister
is preaching you listen to what he says
and you're interpreting after....how far behind are you?
We should be about maybe seven seconds
....and sometimes I have to get a whole thought
and I know the Deaf people sometimes will look
like "we're waiting", because you have to get a whole thought.
Especially if he's giving something of a negative nature. Like "I don't ever wanna see..."
I don't know what's coming after "I don't ever want to see"
So I just can't start signing
"I DON'T WANT TO SEE..." I don't know what he's going to say, so I have to...hear the whole
thought
then, ah, put out there. Okay I'm gonna do something.
Four lines from a poem. It's called "Dear God, I'm Sorry"
Okay, "Dear God, I'm sorry.
for not thanking You enough.
You're the reason that I'm here. You're the reason that I'm tough. Whoa!
Alright. I'll be dog.
Now gonna do I love love a love peace. Let me see
Let me do something love, love
love, love, love, love
Because I want to see how that manifests itself,
too. I'll just do this one.
My goodness, don't look at me with them there eyes.
Are they full of truth, or full of lies.
I'm melting, I'm melting dead away. Should I nail myself to the floor to make sure that I
stay?
God, I wish you'd go away.
Okay! Bravo!
You are so good!
You and I could go together and then I would invite the [Deaf Community]. Yeah, I could do the poetry and
you could be jammin on the side of me and we'd just be jammin'.
We could have a congo drums, too.
Yes, yes. Oh, that is wonderful!
I told you about when I had my a non-profit when I would have [fundraisers],
I would have the music up loud [and] when [hearing people] came in the doors I had ear plugs [for them]
that the hearing people could put in their ears because that night was all about the
Deaf Community
even right now I feel bad because this whole....
I've been on TV before and I had an interpreter to interpret for the host
and I interpreted [sim-com] my responses and so I don't had that
so maybe this time you know maybe have the captioning [only]
but really with the music
with the Gospel artists, when I did my fundraisers before, I made sure that
whoever was on stage the interpreter was right [next to speaker, singer, etc.].
and so often we're used to being pushed off to the back
in the corner we had to keep telling the interpreter
like in essence it's okay to stand right next to it [the speaker]
right next to the person who ever was speaking. We had, I can't remove the
congressman's name
Hansom?..... Hansen Clarke?
Yes, Hansen Clarke he came to my fundraiser last year
and so when he was on stage the interpreter was right next to him
and then a one point there were three [interpreters] on stage he had us all gather close to him,
and we all gather thinking we were going to just take a picture, but he told us to
keep signing. So imagine, we're all sticking like glue.
four of us
three interpreters. He says, "keep signing."
and there were deaf people here in there were deaf people over here
and that's the prototype of really how it should be.
When you see the President of the United States or whomever
you usually see the interpreter closer to them. Yeah.
But in the church a lot of times, you see the preacher
you see the interpreter way over. So the Deaf person has to [look] here ad
look over here they gotta go here. I remember getting a call from
somebody that had seen my videos on
YouTube and she called me about learning sign language.
Then I asked her, I see your church on television, but, I don't see the deaf community.
She said, "Oh, they're behind the cameras.
it gives the the Deaf [Community] the impression that [they're not important].
Wow, Okay [received] a call another deaf person from
I won't even say the state but she her church, they wont
give them access but
my hands are tied because I can't just go into another church......and say something.
Well,
the advocacy.
This raises the advocacy for this. Yes.
This has been just totally, totally, fabulous.
I just have been amazed, honestly amazed
and I think it's...... my grandchildren know sign language,
because they're..... no one's Deaf but
the Nanny they had taught it to them.
And it's just nteresting watching them because they're all
practically babies--4, 3 and one [years old], all doing sign language.
They have baby sign language, so that baby may be able to do [sign "milk"] before they can talk.
They can sign to you milk. Maybe something is hurting up here [at forehead] maybe they
can go like [sign "headache"]
but they can't say, "Hey mom I have a headache", you know but they can go like
this
and that means I'm hurting up here. So, yes, there's baby sign language
that teaches the babies. I want to see the world sign.
And it's time is time to stop. When we get to Heave, there's not going to be a Deaf
section or section for the Blind or a section for people in wheelchairs,
we're going to all be one. So we need to start here [o earth] being united.
So when that when that young man did the ASL video of the Clark Sisters,
that was wonderful. It's already got more than 10,000 hits just on YouTube
and I think they just put it up maybe Sunday. Wow.
So for the Gospel artists, I really want to see one Gospel artist, because I know
it will spread out to the others. It will spread.
We got to get somebody! Yes. Okay, I mean this has been
an education in and of itself. Thank you so much, Valerie. Thank you for having me, it's been a pleasure.
Oh my goodness, this has been fabulous. Thank you.
And this is the sign for "thank you". What's the sign? "Thank you."
Can we say we'll be right back in just a moment?
You want me to teach you all that? [laughter]
We'll be right back in just a moment
with our guest, Mr. Darnell Glover.