Eugene hairston boxer biography of barack obama

As the month of February comes to an end and we begin March, we share another reminder that Black History month is not the only month to celebrate Black History, but rather the study and celebration of Black History should take place month after month, year after year. Given that Deaf History is celebrated between March 13th to April 15th, 2023, which commemorates the achievements of those who are Deaf or deaf, we saw it to be important to honor the intersections of Black History and Deaf History this month. 

To begin, it is important to note the following distinctions between Deaf and deaf: 

•  Deaf with a capital “D”  is used to describe or identify people who have been deaf throughout their lives or before they started to learn to talk, known as pre-lingually Deaf. The Deaf community tends to communicate in sign language as their first language, such as American Sign Language (ASL) or Black ASL. As such, Deaf individuals share a common culture and sense of identity based on a shared language and their linguistic community. 
• deaf with a lowercase “d” is used to describe or identify people who experience mild to severe audiological conditions of hearing. Some individuals with hearing impairments or who are deaf identify as disabled. 

The celebration of National Deaf History Month transpired from two deaf employees at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., who started to teach their colleagues sign language on March 13, 1996. This started a movement to develop a deaf awareness week celebrated by the library. Later on, The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) joined the movement and celebration and suggested that Deaf History be honored as a month-long holiday. Since 1997, March 13 through April 15 is designated time to learn, honor and celebrate National Deaf History Month. Although National Deaf History Month is not a federally recognized holiday, D/deaf organizations have cont

Eugene "Silent" Hairston (born 1929/1930) was the first American professional Black Deaf boxer. He was born in Harlem in 1929 and became deaf at 1 year old due to a case of spinal meningitis. Growing up, he went to P.S. 47 until he was 15, when he had to drop out to help support his family. He started boxing as an amateur in 1945, winning 59 out of his 60 matches. In 1947, Hairston became a professional boxer. During his time as a boxer, his most famous fight was against Jake LaMotta which ended in a draw. He was also the Golden Glove champion in 1947. In 1953, Hairston had to retire due to injuries. After his time as a boxer, Hairston worked for UPS.

Eugene Hairston is a source of pride for the Black Deaf community and it is said that he proudly claimed the nickname "Silent Hairston" as a descriptor of himself. Additionally, it is said that Eugene Hairston needed flashing lights to indicate when matches were over, something that fans fondly remember him for.

Early life

There are contradicting sources on if Hairston was born in 1929 or 1930. However, it is clear that he became deaf during his first year of life and had to drop out of school at 15 years old. Hairston's father hoped he would become an artist, but Hairston was inspired by the success of Joe Louis and wanted to become a boxer. After dropping out of school, Hairston worked odd jobs such as being a pinboy and shining shoes before he shifted to boxing to be his main source of income.

Hairston struggled to have his interest in boxing be taken seriously due to him being Deaf and mute but eventually found success at the Tremont Athletic Club run by Italian brothers Mike and Joe Miele. Mike Miele eventually became Hairston's manager and Joe Miele became his trainer.

Boxing career

Hairston had a short career as a boxer, lasting less than 10 years (from 1945 to 1953). However, during his short stint as a boxer, he boxed many famous individuals and won a variety of tit

Community area in Chicago

Community area in Illinois, United States

Woodlawn is a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, located on and near the shore of Lake Michigan 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of the Loop. It is one of the city's 77 municipally recognized community areas. It is bounded by the lake to the east, 60th Street to the north, King Drive to the west, and 67th Street to the south, save for a small tract that lies south of 67th Street between Cottage Grove Avenue and South Chicago Avenue. Local sources sometimes divide the neighborhood along Cottage Grove into "East" and "West Woodlawn."

Woodlawn contains a large portion of Jackson Park, including the site of the under-construction Barack Obama Presidential Center. The neighborhood is also home to a number of educational institutions: Hyde Park Career Academy, Mount Carmel High School, Chicago Theological Seminary, and the southern portion of the campus of the University of Chicago—including the Law School, the Harris School of Public Policy, the School of Social Service Administration, and the University of Chicago Press.

Demographics

Present-day Woodlawn is a predominantly African-American neighborhood. Per 2020 U.S. census data, the neighborhood's racial makeup is 79.8% Black, 10.1% white, 3.6% Asian, and 3.1% Hispanic, with an additional 3.1% belonging to two or more races. There are demographic differences within Woodlawn, however: West Woodlawn is about 95% African-American, while East Woodlawn is significantly more diverse. The median household income in the neighborhood is $32,189, with 31.17% of residents living below the poverty line.

History

Racial transition

Up until 1948