CHILDREN OF DEAF ADULTS
CODA CELEBRATES THE UNIQUE HERITAGE AND
MULTICULTURAL IDENTITIES OF ADULT HEARING
INDIVIDUALS WITH DEAF PARENT(S).
Notekey Presenter 26 June 2026
Celeste S. Owens-Samuels
| Celeste Owens-Samuels has been a community organizer, deaf community advocator, and a certified NADV & NIC professional Sign Language Interpreter,for 35+ years. She was born in Harlem, New York and raised in Brooklyn, Bedford Stuyvesant. She presently is retired, but works 5-10 hours a week with Sorenson Communication, after 20 years of service. As a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), Celeste has been resolute and committed to addressing issues and concerns that affected the Black Deaf and Black Interpreter community for many years. During her early years of involvement. She founded Stuyvesant Association for the Deaf, which provided social, cultural, and recreational activities for members of the Deaf community. She also, founded the National Alliance of Black Interpreters NYC Chapter to address the severe shortage of Black Interpreters locally and nationally during the early mid 1980’s. |
She served as a board member & board Chair for NYC Black Deaf Advocates. Held the positions of Assistant Director and Acting Director for National Black Deaf Advocates which fought for access to better education, job opportunities, interpreting services and health services.
Throughout her career, Celeste received multiple awards in acknowledgement of her dedicated service to the Black Deaf and Black Interpreter communities.
She now and more recently founded NYC CODAS of COLOR (COC). A group initially formed to assist CODAS who were interested in becoming Interpreters.After several months, the group decided to recruit other COC’S locally to help expand the group. Ideas to host panel events, set meetup dates, encourage attendance at CODA International conference, sponsor annual KODA camp programs and attend a retreat became of real interest for all.
Celeste was married to Thomas Samuels for 27 years, before his death in 2022. He was a respected Deaf leader and valued collaborator who worked alongside others also to address the challenges encountered by the Deaf community in New York City.
Celeste has 2 Children & 4 grandchildren.
Outside of interpreting and her volunteer community work. Celeste enjoys sailing, photography and traveling.