The National Alliance of Black Interpreters, Inc. (NAOBI, www.naobi.org) is an organization for black (African American) interpreters. It began in the late '80s as a workshop at a National Black Deaf Advocates conference.
Today, the NAOBI holds its own conferences. There are eleven regional chapters from Alabama to Southern California. The organization's mission is to promote interpreting as a profession for black (African American) interpreters.
NAOBI Website:
The website has information on schools, classes, workshops, and job listings. In addition, there are profiles of black interpreters and photo galleries of past NAOBI conferences. Plus, these downloadable articles are under Interpreter Info on the sitemap:
- "Perspectives of African American/Black Males on Entering and Succeeding In The Interpreting Profession"
- "Importance of Mentoring for African-American Students Enrolled in Undergraduate Interpreter Education Programs"
NAOBI Membership:
NAOBI's website has a password-protected members area, and a community section with message boards. One message board is public, with the remainder of the boards, with topics such as Black Male Interpreters, being for members only. Members also receive a quarterly newsletter.
A membership application can be downloaded. For prospective members needing more information, there is a listing of board members with pictures and contact information.
NAOBI Marketplace:
The NAOBI website has an advertising section where interpreting agencies with interpreters of color, and freelancers of color, can advertise for a fee.
Finally, a marketplace (merchandise section) has products such as the African American/Black Deaf and Interpreter Resource Handbook, exclusively produced by the NAOBI.
