Sign Language & Chess event aims to unify community

Justice Blackshear, 9, found herself caught in a battle of wits against her brother, Chaneler Blackshear, 10, while playing a game of chess.

The siblings were among others putting their skills to the test at a community event organized by Keith Carswell’s Sign Language & Chess group Saturday at St. Martin de Porres Church, 1119 Bancroft St.

The Blackshears have attended the group for a number of years, with Chaneler saying he likes the competition of a game of chess, while Justice appreciates, “Communicating with the deaf people.”

Scrolling through a few phrases Saturday, Justice used her hands to sign a few letters and then the signs for “thank you,” “sorry,” and “pencil.”

Carswell founded the Sign Language & Chess group four years ago, after studying with the Toledo Hearing and Speech Center, to promote community engagement and keep youths out of trouble.

Turning his van into an advertisement for the group, he placed decals in the vehicle’s windows with the name of the group and his phone number.

“It encouraged other kids to learn when they see my van,” he said.

In 1989, Carswell learned to play chess while he was in jail, and since then he’s seen how much community could be formed around chess.

Dedicated to bringing people together, Carswell was not shy about recruiting people to the events he holds 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays at the church.

When asked what interested him about chess, Jont'e Stevens, 12, said, “Well nothing.”

Carswell, “... actually rolled up, asked me if I wanted to play chess,” young Stevens said.

Two years from when young Stevens was recruited by Carswell, he has grown to love chess even more than sports.

“Because I'm just a, ‘let's do this’ kind of person,” he said. “This [chess] lets me think about my moves before I do them.”

“You need to know your moves,” the youngster said. “If you don't you're going to lose.”

A handful of youths sat dispersed throughout the matches, with Mark Plessner, 74, of South Toledo coming in on the higher end of the age bracket.

“As you get older, those synapses break,” Mr. Plessner said, and emphasized that chess “made me keep using my brain.”

As some attendees played, others enjoyed music and the smell of grilled barbecue that came from JB We Ain’t Playing: Ribs and Chicken, LLC, owned by James Bradford, who cooked in the parking lot.

For some, his chicken and ribs made chess and sign language more approachable, as did the laid back atmosphere from the parking lot to the classroom.

“I said I'll come, play some different guys in chess, and see if I can win,” said David Nash, a custodian for Toledo Public Schools. “I’m just happy to be a part of something that is as for the community as this is.”