Koda Spotlight

[Image description: In the center a hand, outlined in black, signs "Spotlight". A yellow shaft of light emanates from the palm, creating a spotlight. Black text to the right reads "Koda Spotlight".]

Kodas and codas have done some very remarkable things. They can be found as stars of stage and screen, as public officials or as professional athletes, as musicians, as religious leaders, as educators, and much, much more.  The Koda Spotlight section is meant to illuminate some of these accomplishments and contributions.

These stories are meant to demonstrate that k/codas have existed in various times and places, in a myriad of career fields. They have come from diverse backgrounds and draw from varied language communities and belief systems. Despite the prominence of many of these figures, their stories are often obscured and hidden. Many kodas grow up not knowing about these important figures, unaware of the diversity of opportunities available to them. Our goal is to shine a light on these figures so that they might serve as role models to our community.

Image Description: A thin white woman in a polka dot dress stands on stage in front of a microphone. Her arms are moving as she signs.
Helen Menken
Image description: a Taiwanese man, smiling, with black rimmed glasses looking to the lower right wearing a leather jacket.
Nate Tao
A black and white photo of a young McChord, wearing a dark suit, black tie, and a smile.
Winfield McChord
Image description: a white-presenting male wearing a black polo shirt smiling broadly.
Stefan LeFors
Image Description: A black and white photograph shows a white woman wearing a black bow tie, white collar and looking towards her left.
Delight Rice
Image description: A white woman in a peach dress stands in front of a glittering background. She looks directly at the camera, hands blurred in movement.
Louise Fletcher
Image description: An African American male stands smiling in front of a yellow goal post and net.He is wearing a red and black Atlanta falcons jersey with the number 98 on it in the color white.
Jamaal Anderson
Image Description: A movie still of Richard Griffiths shows a white man with greying hair and a mustache wearing a suit jacket and bow tie. He is looking to the left with a concerned expression on his face.
Richard Griffiths
A smiling Indian woman wearing a maroon graduation cap and gown with a white stole looking directly at the camera. Her hair is curled and she is wearing red lipstick.
Tamanna Phadke
Image Description: A black and white photo of an older white male with glasses. He is wearing a suit and tie.
John Schuchman
Image Description: A black and white portrait of a clean-shaven white man in a suit and tie.
Frank Read Jr.
Image Description: A black and white newspaper image of a young white woman, wearing early twentieth century, white shirt Her hair, in a braid, is piled atop her head. She looks out from the photograph with a serious expression.
Luella Nyhus
Image Description: a black and white portrait of an African American woman in 1970's attire. She is smiling at the camera.
Azie Morton
image description: A portrait of a Chinese and white woman with shoulder-length dark hair. She is wearing a relaxed blue collared shirt with a red tank top underneath.
Heather Gallagher
Image Description: An African-American woman wearing a white shirt and a black and white headdress stands smiling and producing the ASL sign for “I love you” with her left hand.
Shirley Childress
Image description: A black and white image of an African American man with chin-length dreads, looks into the camera with his arms crossed across his chest. He is wearing dark-rimmed glasses and a three-button shirt.
Frank Gallimore
Image Description: A hawaiian male wearing a tuxedo and long black tie looks at the camera head. The angle is tilted to the right and he has a serious look on his face. Both of his hands are opening up his jacket.
Mark Villaver
Image description: An action photo of two basketball players on the court. In the foreground, in a red jersey, an African American man dribbles the ball.
Yolonzo Moore
Image Description: A black and white photograph of a white man with short, light colored hair and light eyes, smiling. His hands are clasped under his chin.
Alan Champion
Image description: This painted portrait shows Elizabeth Peet seated with her hands clasped in her lap. She is wearing a belted blue dress and a long necklace. Her white hair is pulled back and she looks out from the painting with a calm smile.
Elizabeth Peet
Image Description: A young white boy standing in front of a brick building looking off camera.
Myron Uhlberg
A woman with short hair stands in front of a blue background with a neutral facial expression. Her head is tilted slightly back, and she is wearing lipgloss.
Grace Byers
A black and white image of a white man with a suit and tie, smiling at the camera.
W. Homer Thornberry
Image Description: A white man in a suit and tie, smiles off camera.
Lou Fant Jr.
This black and white portrait of Elizabeth Benson shows a white woman with 1960's-style-horn-rimmed glasses and pearl necklace smiling at the camera. Her dark hair is pulled back atop her head and a broad collar encircles her shoulders.
Elizabeth Benson
Image Description: A black and white image of an aged white man in a suit and bow-tie. His hair is neatly combed back and he looks up at the viewer with a somber expression.
Lon Chaney

This month we’re shining a Koda Spotlight on:

Coda Olympians

Photo courtesy of Olympics.com

CODA Olympians in the Tokyo 2020 games

Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage (Puerto Rico)

Image Description: A female basketball player with curly hair with both of her arms in an overhead flexing position with her hair in a bun smiles facing the camera . A basketball is between her right bicep and her right hand. On her jersey is “Puerto Rico 28” with the Nike symbol on the left side and Puerto Rican flag on the right side.

Sabrina, 24 played center on the Puerto Rico women’s basketball team. The team has placed 12th in the 2020 Olympic games. Her parents, Roddy and Emma, both work at the New Mexico School for the Deaf. Although Sabrina was born in Idaho and resides in New Mexico, she joined the team because her grandparents were born and raised in Puerto Rico. Her father Roddy previously played on the Deaflympics US handball team in 1989 in which he placed 3rd. For more about her Olympic experience jump over to her Instagram highlights!

Olympics profile

Instagram 

Melvin Twellaar (Netherlands)

At only 24 years old Melvin was able to snag the silver medal for the men’s double sculls team. Currently a student at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences studying teaching pedagogy, Melvin hopes to work with high risk youth. He attributes this passion to his upbringing as a coda.

Olympics profile

Instagram

Nauris Miezis (Latvia)

In 3x3 Men’s Basketball, Nauris battled and won gold for Latvia at the 2020 Olympic games! He made sure to include the deaf community, signing a message to the crowd, “Big thank you to who support us, love you all, we are strong Latvia!” Wanting to include both of his deaf parents and deaf sister in the celebration, he chose to sign his message when asked to comment. Check out his instagram highlights for more clips of his olympic journey.

Olympics profile

Instagram

[Image description: In the center a hand, outlined in black, signs "Spotlight". A yellow shaft of light emanates from the palm, creating a spotlight. Black text to the right reads "Koda Spotlight".]Click to return to the Koda Spotlights and learn about other exceptional c/kodas!