Hoosier Black Deaf Advocates

06/20/2026

Juneteenth color: Red, White, & Blue

06/20/2026

06/04/2026

In the news:

“My reason behind the PhD is to uplift Black students. I want to help non-Black teachers understand how to work with Black students. [Some students] have experienced a lot of negativity, and teachers don’t know how to engage with that. They don’t realize that they can unintentionally cause harm, and I want to make sure we can repair that harm,” he says.

In the relatively short period of time since Dr. Reginald Bess, PhD ’26, joined Gallaudet’s faculty in 2022, he’s quickly become a popular math teacher

06/03/2026

Every year, Hoosier BDA presents the annual Dr. Laurene E. Simms Award to young Deaf, Black, Brown, and other minority graduating seniors at the Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD).

The Dr. Simms Award honors seniors who demonstrate strong personal qualities such as trustworthiness, respect, and caring, as well as leadership traits like honesty, integrity, accountability, and sportsmanship. The award recipients set themselves apart through their dedicated focus and commitment to knowledge, learning, and culture.

The recipient also receives a $250 scholarship.

This year, the award goes to: Jaiden Moses.

Previous award recipients are as follows:

- 2025: Abigail Wooten
- 2024: Leilani Gorman
- 2023: Leah Destin and PO Kyai
- 2022: (not provided)
- 2021: Jaden Abernathy and Naomy Arevalo
- 2020: Tyonna Saines

More information about the Dr. Simms Scholarship Award: https://www.hoosierbda.org/about-us/programs

06/01/2026

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

Celebrate Juneteenth with us. If you have not purchased your ticket yet, grab your it now before they're all gone!

Get your ticket here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/juneteenth-celebrating-freedom).