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Master Interpreter: Christopher Coles
By CaTyra Polland, Program Manager, Monroe County
In honor of National Deaf Awareness Month, please enjoy an excerpt from In This Moment Volume 3, Chapbook 8 featuring Christopher Coles, a Master American Sign Language Interpreter from Rochester, NY. The essayist is our very own, CaTyra Polland.
Only twenty-four percent of certified interpreters in the U.S. are male, and a mere four percent are Black. Christopher Coles, a native Rochesterian, is part of the four percent. He has the highest American Sign Language (ASL) translation certification: a National Interpreter Certification Master (NIC Master).
Coles’ interpretation transforms into a performance because he interjects full-body movement with distinct signing. ASL is a visual language that appeals to the masses; it’s a universal expression that Coles has shared time and time again, broadening the horizons of those who know nothing or very little about American Sign Language.
Being an interpreter has brought him immense privilege, access, and opportunity. He has been granted access to backstages many won’t experience in a lifetime.
IN THIS MOMENT pairs ten teams of Black writers and photographers with ten Black leaders from across the city of Rochester resulting in the publication of 10,000 chapbooks given away for free in the community through Monroe County and Rochester Public Libraries, local schools elementary through university, independent bookstores and organizations serving youth. All chapbook teams are curated by local Black curator, Amanda Chestnut. The ITM Chapbook Series was founded by Amanda Chestnut, Tate Shaw, and Jeanne Strazzabosco in 2020.
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