Image Description:
A bold, red graphic with white text advocating for fair and transparent practices within the National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA). The message reads: “NBDA members deserve fair elections, accessibility, and honest leadership!” The image emphasizes the importance of equity, inclusion, and integrity in organizational governance.

Remove the Current President of NBDA: Enforce Bylaws, Ensure Fairness, and Demand Accountability.

We, members and supporters of the National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA), are calling for the immediate removal of the current President. The President has violated NBDA bylaws, failed to ensure accessibility, oversaw an unfair election process, and withheld transparency, undermining trust and integrity in our organization.

Our concerns include:

Unfair Election Process – The recent election was unfair and lacked transparency. The president was supposed to allow three nominees, but this never happened. A neutral, unbiased committee must handle nominations—no favoritism, no violations of NBDA bylaws."

Bylaw Violations –  The President has repeatedly ignored the bylaws (2023 version) regarding leadership appointments and governance processes.

Failure to provide members with the bylaws 60 days prior to the convention, and 60 days after. 

NBDA’s bylaws limit Presidents to two consecutive terms, yet Sheryl Emery is serving a third term (2025–2027), which violates those rules and undermines our founding principles of fair leadership.

Improper Appointment of Election Committee members – Despite their removal in 2023 for misconduct—including belittling women and disrespecting NBDA officers—the President re-appointed the individual at the last minute, bypassing proper procedures and member input.

Accessibility Failures – NBDA events lacked sufficient interpreter accommodations. Interpreters were required to work beyond the four (4) hour contract limit, and Deaf interpreters’ work was disregarded.

Lack of Transparency – For nearly two years, the President failed to provide updates to members on critical matters, including the NBDA website, membership status, regional chapters, and community engagement.

Authenticity / Ethics - Sheryl Emery is our current president, but she was not a founder — NBDA’s history must remain accurate and truthful.

The NBDA was founded in 1982 by six individuals: Lottie Crook, Ernest Hairston, Willard Shorter, Linwood Smith, Charles V. Williams, and Elizabeth Wilson. While Sheryl Emery is the current president, she was not among the founders. Her claims to the contrary mislead members and the community, and we must protect the authenticity of NBDA’s history.

NBDA Leadership Concerns (2023–2025)- formally raise concerns regarding the performance of the NBDA President during the 2023–2025 term, specifically in relation to the fulfillment of the organization’s mission and objectives.

Failure to Uphold Mission Goals: The President did not fulfill NBDA’s mission in several key areas.

Failure to Develop Fundraising and Grant Compliance:
The President failed to initiate or develop a fundraising plan to strengthen NBDA’s financial foundation. In addition, she did not submit the required final report to the Deaf Organizations Fund (DOF) in order to continue to receive future grant funds intended to support NBDA’s mission. This neglect directly impacted NBDA’s ability to secure resources, build sustainability, and advance opportunities for the Black Deaf community.

Ignored Requests for Mission-Aligned Programs: Proposals for youth-focused programming at the National Conference were not supported.
Advocacy efforts for justice initiatives were neglected.

Lack of Support for Education Initiatives:
No assistance or guidance was provided regarding the Dr. Glenn B. Anderson Scholarship.

Members and students were left without transparency or opportunities connected to NBDA’s commitment to education and leadership development.

Impact:
These gaps have affected member engagement, access to resources, and the advancement of NBDA’s core goals for the Black Deaf community.

What we demand:

1. The removal of the current NBDA President from office.
2. That a special meeting be held no later than October 15, 2025 (14 days from this petition), to address this removal.
3. Full accessibility accommodations at that meeting, including both Deaf interpreters (DI) and hearing interpreters (HI), to ensure equal participation for all members.
4. Board officers cannot serve more than two terms, period. doesn't need to be consecutive as well. 

This conduct is a breach of member rights under NBDA bylaws, a betrayal of trust, and harmful to the mission and credibility of NBDA. We will not stand for leadership that allows unfair elections, disregards accessibility, or withholds transparency.

✍️ Please sign and share this petition widely to demand fairness, accountability, and integrity in NBDA leadership.