Meet Lissa Ramirez-Stapleton | Founder, Educator, and Community Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lissa Ramirez-Stapleton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lissa, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
One of my favorite quotes is by Lilla Watson and an Aboriginal Rights group in Queensland:
“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

This quote is the heartbeat of The Black Deaf Project. It reminds me that true solidarity isn’t about charity or saviorism—it’s about understanding that our struggles for justice and equity are deeply interconnected. As a nonprofit led by both Black Deaf and hearing people, we center lived experience, community wisdom, and collective liberation.

This quote especially challenges those of us with privilege—including myself as a hearing person—to show up in ways that are accountable, reciprocal, and grounded in shared humanity. It reminds me of my responsibility to do the self-work of unlearning and relearning around hearing privilege and to recognize the ways I fall short—and must keep working—to be in authentic relationship with Deaf people.

The Black Deaf Project wasn’t created to “help” Black Deaf communities from the outside. It was founded to work with and alongside Black Deaf communities—…because freedom isn’t something we give. It’s a birthright we honor, hold space for, protect, and fight for together.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
History
The Black Deaf Project began its efforts in 2016 at California State University,
Northridge (CSUN) within the Deaf Studies department. Led by myself and students, we observed an underrepresentation of Black Deaf students and a scarcity of curriculum about Black Deaf individuals in the department. In response, we organized educational panels and workshops to uplift Black Deaf communities.

As Black student enrollment declined, we initiated the Black Signers Meet- Ups in 2018, creating spaces for connection and celebration. By 2019, we partnered with CSUN’s admissions office to improve recruitment for Black Deaf high school students. As our outreach expanded, the limitations of the university became evident, prompting our groups evolution. Fueled by the racial uprisings of 2020 and the demand for inclusive spaces, the project transitioned into The Black Deaf Project, a nonprofit organization in April 2023.

Lessons Learned
It hasn’t been easy. When I started, I knew nothing about the nonprofit world and felt completely overwhelmed. I invested my own money to get our 501(c)(3) status set up and leaned heavily on the support of Dr. Robbie Allen, a mentor through the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), as well as other nonprofit leaders. They guided me through the maze of paperwork, helped me understand budgeting, and connected me with a nonprofit accountant—among many other things. Along the way, I’ve learned so much about community building, nonprofit financing, and grant writing.

Receiving our first grant from Borealis Philanthropy was a turning point. They believed in our mission, and their support has been a game changer—strengthening our ability to support community programs, giving us the confidence to apply for additional funding, and connecting us to valuable resources.

Our greatest lesson aligns with the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”Community building takes time. It requires consistently showing up, building trust, and being accountable. When you make a mistake, you apologize, work to fix it, and—most importantly—commit to doing better.

As a hearing person, I know I’m not perfect and am constantly learning. But what I know for sure is that this organization is nothing without Black Deaf people. Freedom cannot be fought for in isolation. True liberation demands that those most marginalized—Deaf people—are not only centered, but are leading, and that they are in equitable relationships with those who hold power and privilege—hearing people. It is through collective struggle—fighting oppressive systems, lifting as we climb, listening, learning, unlearning, and practicing humility—that we can all move closer to liberation.

What sets us apart?
We are an education-based organization dedicated to working with Black Deaf and hearing communities to combat audism, create culturally inclusive education, and foster Black joy and success. We primarily serve Black Deaf communities through various programs. One of our key initiatives and the one we are most proud of is the Deaf, Brilliant, and College-Bound tour, a free 3-day, culturally authentic, Deaf-friendly college tour for Black Deaf students in grades 8-12. We visit up to three colleges, teach the basics of how to apply and navigate higher education, host Black Deaf college alumni panels, and facilitate mock college class experiences on identity, activism, and college 101.

To support Deaf education, we publish educational materials like books, flashcards, and historical posters highlighting Black Deaf history, success, and culture—content often missing from Deaf education. We sell our products on our website and over 20% of the sells go back into our community programming.

Our programs also build bridges between Black Deaf and hearing communities, such as the Black Success and Empowerment Symposium, which encourages Black individuals to explore Deaf-related fields like interpreting and Deaf education. Through our Black Hands Travel initiative, we connect Black signing communities globally by organizing cultural tours to majority-Black countries like Jamaica. Our travel groups are multigenerational, and we host pre workshops to teach the local sign language, history, and culture to support respectful and meaningful intercultural engagement.

Lastly, we educate non-Black Deaf and hearing communities on Black Deaf culture, needs, and accomplishments through workshops and community events. These include virtual and in-person workshops on antiblackness in Deaf education, Black Deaf History Month, and local outreach. We hire Black Deaf experts, services, and talent for our workshops and support Deaf owned businesses for every initiative we host.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
We are everyday people—teachers, students, interpreters, parents, professors—who saw a need and decided to act. Every day, we take small but intentional steps to create space in this world where Black people can be open, free, and fully themselves. A space that is welcoming to all Black people.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a friend were visiting, we’d definitely stop by the California African American Museum (CAAM) to soak in the art, culture, and history. We’d leave room for spontaneity too—Los Angeles is full of amazing pop-up museums and unexpected gems. To end the night, with a BBQ dinner and we’d catch a performance by Deaf West Theatre, a powerful company rooted in Deaf culture and the expressive beauty of sign language.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My success is deeply rooted in the love, labor, and legacy of others. First, my family and ancestors—those who loved, labored, survived, and imagined a future that made my work possible. They ground me in love, resilience, and responsibility.

I’m also deeply grateful to the National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA), the oldest Black Deaf Advocacy organization in the country, for their leadership, legacy, and for showing me what Black Deaf excellence, advocacy, and community look like in action.

A special part of my journey also began with Teen Institute, a drug prevention program in Columbus, Ohio. As a high school student, it was through this program that I was first introduced to the Deaf community—and that experience changed the trajectory of my life. It sparked a lifelong commitment to building bridges, learning across difference, and standing in solidarity with the Deaf community.

Website: https://www.blackdeafproject.org

Instagram: @blackdeafeducation

Facebook: The Black Deaf Project

Image Credits
N/A. These are my images