Meet the Team

  • Maresia grew up in Leeds with a Caribbean background. Her family originates from St Kitts and Nevis. With 20 years of teaching experience with Deaf children, families, and young Deaf people, she now works as a freelance BSL teacher.

    Maresia is the Founder of Black Deaf UK (BDUK), a Black Deaf-led organization inspired by the rise of the international Black Lives Matter movement in June 2020. She identified a gap in provision for families with Deaf children in Black communities and the lack of Black Deaf role models and other support to tackle these types of issues. BDUK was founded to ensure that the right information is provided to all Black Deaf people, Deaf children, and their families within their communities, and to improve lives by better engagement and access to services. It was also important to provide a safe space for them to share their lives and experiences.

    Maresia enjoys spending her spare time with her family and socializing with friends. She enjoys dance workouts and listening to music while engaging in other creative things.

    She was given a BDA (British Deaf Association) Francis Maginn award for her sheer determination and has achieved for the first time an exceptional achievement award, which can be considered a first time in its field for Black Deaf UK.

  • David’s parents came from Jamaica and he was born in Bristol.

    An award-winning Bristol based creative in shorts, film and TV drama for numerous years, David enjoys working as a Deaf consultant. David’s experiences are across the arts and theatre sector working with organisations such as Watershed, Ad Infinitum, and Flarewave Festival.

    Since the foundation of Black Deaf UK in 2020, David decided to join one of the steering committees to support it, as it is vital to embrace all young and old Black Deaf people to share cultural values, experiences in the walk of life, and dismantle the systems that keep them isolated, prejudiced and disadvantaged.

    One of his favourite Jamaican dishes is ackee and saltfish, fried dumpling and callaloo. David loves cooking!

  • Kevin is profoundly Deaf and born to Jamaican parents in London. He made a debut on BBC’s See Hear – Black Deaf Special (1992) and appeared on numerous TV programmes such as BSL Zone’s award-winning Double Discrimination documentary (2014) and my Close-Up interview from also BSL Zone (2018) about his lived experience.

    Kevin is one of the steering committee members for Black Deaf UK (BDUK), a Black Deaf led organisation which was inspired by Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement representing British Black Deaf people from African and Caribbean family backgrounds. After a long and thorough discussion with some Black Deaf people, the organisation was set up in July 2020 to challenge the societal attitudes towards racism and audism, and to educate, empower, and liberate Black Deaf people living in the UK.

    Kevin was recently voted as one of the 50 nominees for Signature’s Hall of Fame for his long contribution to the British Black Deaf Community.

    He graduated with an MA in Culture, Diaspora, Ethnicity from Birkbeck College, University of London from Oct 2012 to Sep 2014. His dissertation title was ‘Race’, Deafness, and Inequality in Higher Education’ focusing on how Black Deaf students navigate themselves in the world of higher education.

    Kevin is now working as a Graduate Research Fellow (part graduate teaching assistant and part student researcher) for BSL, Deaf Studies and Linguistics under the School of Education, Languages and Psychology in York St. John University.

    His hobbies are: Football, Cricket, Athletics (sprinting), Holidaying locally and abroad, Watching sports programmes such as Olympics, swimming, playing chess and watching movies.

    He also teaches Deaf Cultures and Accelerated BSL (British Sign Language) Level 1, and is currently working on his PhD thesis focusing on Black Deaf people’s experiences about the dual oppression of racism and audism based on intersectionality, using interview and autoethnography methods.

  • Barbara Burke is a Deaf London native with Jamaican roots. Barbara has a passion for fashion which she studied at the renowned London College of fashion, honing her creative skills and developing a keen eye for design.

    Realising her desire to make a difference in the lives of others, Barbara pursued further studies to become a qualified teacher. This led her to co-found the London Ethnic Minorities Deaf Association with other members, where they tirelessly worked to provide essential services and advocacy for Black and ethnic Deaf Londoners. Barbara was deeply involved in coordinating and co-founding the association, and later served on the steering committee, contributing to the fundraising efforts and information sharing for the success of Black Deaf UK.

    As a multi-passionate individual, Barbara is involved in the world of digital entrepreneurship, using her skills and creativity to make a positive impact. Alongside her entrepreneurial pursuits, Barbara continues to inspire and empower others as a part-time educator, sharing her knowledge and experiences with diverse individuals.