ASL Performer Justina Miles Goes Viral For Rihanna Super Bowl Show
American Sign Language performer Justina Miles made historical past ― and completely slayed whereas doing it ― at Sunday’s Super Bowl.
The 20-year-old Philadelphia native carried out twice, offering the first-ever ASL interpretation of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” on the Super Bowl, adopted by an especially enjoyable, energetic rendition of Rihanna’s halftime present.
She was the primary girl to signal a Super Bowl halftime present; final yr, deaf rappers Sean Forbes and Warren “WaWa” Snipe turned the primary signal language performers to be included at halftime. She was additionally the primary deaf Black girl to carry out on the Super Bowl, in keeping with NFL on CBS.
Miles signed alongside “Abbott Elementary” star Sheryl Lee Ralph for “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a historic efficiency in itself of the music sometimes called the Black nationwide anthem. Ralph delivered her rendition on the 123rd anniversary of the primary time the music was carried out in public, by youngsters at a segregated faculty in Florida. It was the third time the music has been delivered on the Super Bowl.
According to the National Association of the Deaf, Miles is a nursing scholar and cheerleader at Bowie State University in Maryland. She was valedictorian of the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C.
Miles was additionally on Team USA on the 2021-2022 Deaflympics, a sports activities competitors for deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes, and gained silver as a part of the 4×100 ladies’s observe relay crew.
She beforehand went viral on TikTok for her interpretations of different widespread songs, together with Lil’ Kim’s “Crush on You.”
Rob Carr by way of Getty Images
Miles joined Troy Kotsur and Colin Denny as interpreters for the pregame performances. Kotsur, who gained an Oscar for his function in “CODA,” signed the nationwide anthem alongside nation music star Chris Stapleton, whereas Denny, from Navajo Nation in Arizona, carried out “America the Beautiful” by means of a mix of ASL and North American Indian Sign Language to accompany R&B legend Babyface.
See a number of the reactions to the performances under, together with from Academy Award-winning actor Marlee Matlin, who stated she bought “chills” watching the pregame interpretations.
“They showed the world the beauty of sign language. I applaud them all. Justina, Colin and Troy. They’re are superstars. Let them shine,” Matlin signed, in keeping with a translation. “Give them your support, their brilliant work, as they showed the world that we can perform in sign.”