The Walking Dead: Lauren Ridloff given Honorary Doctorate
By Renee Hansen
Lauren Ridloff is a deaf actress who plays Connie on The Walking Dead series. She is also the first deaf superhero in the MCU with her character Makkari in the Eternals movie. She has made considerable strides in the representation of the deaf community in the world of entertainment and beyond. This weekend she was given an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from Gallaudet University located in Washington, DC.
Gallaudet University prides itself in being an institution that helps show the value of deaf people across the spectrum of identities. Their campus allows people to be themselves and find positive acceptance of who they truly are. “Gallaudet is a place where all things are possible, where our community members can Connect. Discover. Influence.”
Ridlloff took the stage during the 2022 commencement ceremonies at Gallaudet with Apple CEO Tim Cook and fellow deaf actress and dear friend Marlee Matlin. She will now be known as Dr. Lauren Ridloff.
Ridloff shared a mantra she uses to navigate through life. PACE: Perseverance, Adaptability, Commitment, and Empathy. A mantra we could all benefit from.
“When you pace yourself, little by little, you get closer to your destination. When you pace yourself, you can enjoy the journey,” shares Ridloff, passing on her token of wisdom to the graduating #GallaudetU Class of 2022 #Gallaudet22 #GallaudetGrads #BisonGrads pic.twitter.com/AAOg7M8WAy
— Gallaudet University (@GallaudetU) May 13, 2022
Matlin shared her congratulations for her friend, Dr. Lauren, via Twitter.
https://twitter.com/MarleeMatlin/status/1525273255417991168
The Walking Dead’s Lauren Ridloff
Ridloff and Angel Theory both use ASL to communicate. Their presence on The Walking Dead set has encouraged members of the cast and crew, including director and SFX director Greg Nicotero, to learn to communicate using ASL. This is a significant milestone for the deaf community in being able to communicate on set, but it also sheds light on people with hearing impairments as true survivors being depicted in an apocalypse series.
The Walking Dead will return to AMC in the fall of 2022 with the final eight episodes of the series. Ridloff’s Connie and her group have recently uncovered a scheme by the Milton’s, a high-ranking political family, within the Commonwealth. It will be exciting to see what happens next.
Our heartiest congratulations to Dr. Lauren Ridloff for receiving this outstanding recognition.
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