century ▁Scottish ▁people ▁Category : Pe ople ▁from ▁St ▁Andrew s ▁Category : 1 8 5 3 ▁birth s ▁Category : 1 8 8 2 ▁death s <0x0A> </s> ▁Sh ir ley ▁Child ress ▁Sa xt on ▁( c . 1 9 4 7 – 2 0 1 7 ) ▁was ▁an ▁African - American ▁sign ▁language ▁instruct or ▁and ▁interpreter . ▁She ▁performed ▁with ▁S weet ▁H oney ▁in ▁the ▁Rock ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 0 – 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Sh ir ley ▁Child ress ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁re ared ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁to ▁de af ▁parents , ▁Herbert ▁and ▁Thomas ina ▁Child ress , ▁making ▁American ▁Sign ▁Language ▁her ▁first ▁language . ▁She ▁had ▁two ▁sister s , ▁Max ine ▁Child ress ▁Brown ▁and ▁Dr . ▁K ha ula ▁M urt ad ha ▁W att s . ▁Sa xt on ▁earned ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁De af ▁Education ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Massachusetts ▁Am her st ▁and ▁did ▁gradu ate ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia . ▁ ▁Career ▁She ▁began ▁her ▁practice ▁of ▁interpre ting ▁for ▁the ▁de af ▁at ▁Sh il oh ▁Bapt ist ▁Church ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C .. ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁cert ified ▁interpreter ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁Reg istry ▁of ▁Inter pre ters ▁for ▁the ▁De af . ▁She ▁taught ▁intro duct ory ▁AS L ▁classes ▁and ▁master ▁work sh ops ▁on