RIT/NTID Diversity Spotlight
[ID: RIT National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Black Heritage Month Spotlight. Pictured in a green circle is Corinna Cozart, a biracial woman smiling with long black curly hair and purple blouse. Quoted below her is: "Take on assignments that scare you a little bit—you can do it! You never know how capable you are until you try." Below, it says "Corinna Cozart '13. ASL BS. Freelance Interpreter. Various Organizations (e.g. Sorenson, Higher Education)." Black History Month colors, red, yellow, black and green are found on the photo's bottom border.]
Corinna Cozart ‘13
(She/Her/Hers)
Freelance ASL interpreter
(Various Organizations)
Corinna is a freelance ASL interpreter. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language in 2013.
What is your nationality/how do you identify?
I identify as biracial: Black and white.
What or who has been your biggest cultural influence?
My biggest cultural influence has been my father’s side of the family - who are from and have strong ties to Jamaica and Kentucky.
What does Black History/Heritage Month mean to you?
Black History/Heritage month is a chance to celebrate and reflect on how far our people have come.
What advice would you give to those who are just joining your major as they look to advance their skillsets?
For anyone studying to become a Sign Language Interpreter or anyone who is a new graduate, I would encourage you to continuously (and ethically) stretch yourself. Take on assignments that scare you a little bit - you can do it! You never know how capable you are until you try. Also, networking is SO important. Make sure you have other BIPOC Interpreters you can lean on, bounce ideas off of and debrief with if needed. If it weren’t for the group of BIPOC Interpreters that constantly push me beyond my doubt, I would not have accepted half of the assignments that I have - concerts, plays, high level graduate courses and the like.
What is your favorite cultural dish?
My favorite cultural dish would definitely be a Jamaican breakfast - half Brown Stew Chicken and half Ackee & Saltfish, with boiled dumpling and green banana. OMG. So good. Can’t forget the Blue Mountain coffee and Carnation sweetened condensed milk.
From your lens, how can the larger community better support POC, like yourself?
The larger community can be a better support to POC by educating themselves. Taking workshops led by BIPOC facilitators (and truly being present) that touch on allyship and dismantling racism are a good start.
Share a quote that you live by.
A quote that I live by: “Be Water, my friend. Empty your mind. Be Formless, Shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be Water, my friend.”
Do you have any resources to share for someone like yourself or for someone who would like to learn more about your culture?
One of my favorite Instagram pages to learn more about Black culture (even if you are Black, this page will always surprise you with what you didn’t know!) would be @TheMelaninPlan. Also, The Reality of ASL Interpreting: Black, Indigenous, People of Color (ROI BIPOC) Facebook page.
Share a cool, random fact about yourself.
A random fact about myself: In my spare time, I box. I was cleared and registered with USA Boxing and gearing up to compete in the amateurs. We had trouble finding women in my weight class to spar with/line up fights with, so I decided to start my family instead. Now I just do it for exercise!