by Andrew Solomon

About the author: Andrew Solomon is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine.

The protests at the Lexington Center, which includes New York’s oldest Deaf school, are an important stage in the Deaf struggle for civil rights, and on April 25, 1994, the first day of student demonstrations, I ask an African-American from the 11th grade whether she has also demonstrated for race rights. “I’m too busy being Deaf right now,” she signs. “My two older brothers aren’t Deaf, so they’re taking care of being black. Maybe if I have time I’ll get to that later.”

Deaf and Proud

A Deaf woman standing nearby throws in a question for my benefit: “If you could change being Deaf or being black...