Niesha Washington-Shepard is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a Creole Black, Deaf, light-skinned, woman who is a devoted member of DC Area Black Deaf Advocate (DCABDA), Clerc Cultural Committee-GUAA, and the Louisiana School for the Deaf Alumni Association (LSDAA). She is also a social justice activist, and a motherly warrior in the Black Deaf community. She holds an Ed.D. degree in Higher Education Leadership of Maryville University and is actively involved in researching social justice and antiracism, alongside providing consultancy services to diverse organizations.

 

Through many years of her collective experiences at Louisiana School for the Deaf and Gallaudet University, these finest places of all over the world have helped shape her into the woman she is today. She has the greatest accomplishments in her life. She was involved in a 2006 protest to address her concerns regarding the hiring process without being scared at Gallaudet University, along with students of color. She was the first person to receive both BA and MA degrees in her family. She was one of the first two people to be hired as a black deaf interpreter in Results! Visiting Interpreting (RVI) program at Gallaudet University. She was participated the first time ever in a group of all black deaf women to perform in a play, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enough” at Gallaudet University. She was most recently featured in Romper’s Doula Diaries Season 2, which was the first time many women of color in the U.S. witness childbirth. Despite the challenges she has faced in a racist, sexist & audist society, she does not allow things in her way.  For her, these highlights of greatest ones as mentioned above, are overwhelming, and now is named her as a hidden DEAF figure in the U.S. America.

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She loves teaching different languages, Deaf history, and culture. Outside the classroom, she contributes to many community causes, such as presenting at conferences, hosting workshops, and providing tutoring services nationally and internationally. She continues to be passionate about her commitment to promoting social justice and inclusivity in people’s works and lives. She is currently residing in D.C. with her husband Dale and her three lovely children, Faith; 18, Isaiah; 8, and Skyla; 6 years old.