Foreword: Preserving Language and Legacy -- The History of Black American Sign Language -- How to Use This Book -- The American Sign Language Alphabet -- Time & Weather -- Family & Friends -- Daily Life -- Body & Health -- Animals -- Food & Drink -- Verbs -- Descriptions & Emotions -- African American Vernacular English (AAVE) -- Black American Sign Language Today

"Learn Black American Sign Language shares details of its history and teaches everyday words alongside proper positions and motions of the language with photos and descriptions"-- Provided by publisher

"Deaf history has been told primarily from a white-centered lens, pushing Black Deaf history into the background. However, today, Black signers are telling the hidden stories of Black Deaf people and celebrating their language, exposing their dialect to millions across the world. Learn Black American Sign Language shares the often overlooked details of its history...Within the phrases and words in this guide, the author includes state and regional variations and Home signs. Home signs consist of signs learned specifically among a family or region that is not a part of the greater BASL dialect. Because much was lost in the years when BASL was not taught in schools, Black Deaf families had to fill in the holes with Home signs. Franklin originates from a region in South Carolina, and that is where the Home signs in the book derive from. Other BASL variations are from states including Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Alabama. In recent years, Black TikTok creators brought attention to BASL when they advocated for more accessibility on the app, where they face additional discrimination due to their skin color. The hashtag #deaftiktok attracted more than 840 million views. Since then, BASL social media influencers and TikTok stars have begun to educate the public about BASL and its importance within the Deaf community and to Black signers. With more and more people becoming interested in learning Black American Sign Language, now is the perfect time to pick it up." --