[CT-NFB] Let's Talk Philosophy: Self-Sufficiency and BIPOC

Sun Mar 28 19:09:13 UTC 2021

Justin,

Thank you for starting what could be an important and interesting
discussion.  And thankyou for doing it in such a way that brings all of our
members together, those from all backgrounds and world views in a way that
discusses, analyzes, but does not judge.  I'll add, though I know I'm late
in replying about them, that your articles in the Federationist in
Connecticut were well thought out and taught me.

I believe this sort of reasoning should be condemned in the strongest terms.
Though I myself haven't heard it in any number of types of Federation
settings and locations, I know that as a white man and professed Christian
that I may very well have privilege protecting me from having heard it.
Members and leaders from all racial and ethnic backgrounds are needed and an
integral part of our Federation.  We should never express our philosophical
value and call for blind people being self-sufficient to ignore other
characteristics of our members that may very well make that call harder or
impossible to answer.

The work we do for blind people, be it on accessibility, civil rights, and
economics (let's be honest: the Accessible Technology Affordability Act,
especially in that it's a refundable credit, is as close to a direct benefit
to blind people as the multiple COVID stimulus checks are-and rightly means
tested to the point that I as a professional working for the government
would not myself qualify) are a benefit to blind people of all colors and
ethnic backgrounds and, often, immigration status (hmmmmm.do you consider me
a descendant of immigrants?  I remember after September 11 having heard of
an indigenous T-shirt reading "Homeland Security: Fighting Illegal
Immigration Since 1492).  We know blindness and consider carefully what we
as the organized blind ask for, and we expect to be respected for that.
Likewise, as an overall organization we should not, I think, claim to know
racial or ethnic injustice and its solutions, but we should respect those
who do, including our members and many leaders at the intersection of both
blindness and race and ethnicity.  And respect those who do by learning from
them.  We have a special opportunity in the Federation to meet people from
backgrounds we well may not have met had we not been blind and had the good
sense to join the Federation.

Best,

Nathanael

From: CT-NFB [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of hamitcampos---
via CT-NFB
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2021 2:01 PM
To: 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List'
Cc: hamitcampos at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [CT-NFB] Let's Talk Philosophy: Self-Sufficiency and BIPOC

Ah that's interesting. Yeah to the blindness point no one is truly as
independent as a sighted person can be. But also like you said Justin even
if boath people in a marage are blind usually 1 does the cooking VS the
other. I won't comment on the black people thing as this is news to me that
this is a line of thinking even with the blind. I know those are Rush
Limbaugh talking points though. So that's where I leave that. But back to
blindness I do know there are blind people that would prefer not to have to
ask people for help if they could have it that way. I just say meh what's it
hurt? I'd rather get what ever the task at hand is over with then stressing
my self with showing people what blind people can do. I remember 1 dude
didn't even want to grab a soda only cause the machine wasn't accessible.
Bruh I would just want my blasted soda. Be dammed if a sighted person has to
work the machine. Now yes I understand there are times you don't have that
sighted wife neighbor or friend around and you may not want to wait. I've
understood this when I got my Zoom H6 recorder and realized there are things
as a total blind you can't change on the fly or well let me back up. At the
time you couldn't have changed on the fly without sighted help cause the dam
thing unlike Olympus recorders doesn't even beep. Let alone speak the menus.
Now here is where we can take this debate to the fact that everyone's
motivation level is different. Some could say well Neal Ewers remembers the
menus why can't you? To which I would answer yeah I guess you could write
them down or something. But that would take mad long. Then 2 I'm no Neal
Ewers. Then again 3 and this is just me Hamiht personally I'd rather just
get the phantom power turned on or off and get that over with. Rather then
being oh super independent. So that's that with what I have to add to this
for now. Like I said I'll leave the race thing alone for now but I do know
that that whole thing about blacks not being self seficient thing sighted or
blind is a Rush Limbaugh Fox News and other right wing oligarch media
talking points. But that's for off list if anyone wants to go there or a
political list. Though I'll just say political my foot. These people just
say this stuff meaning the right wing media cause they don't want their
bilionair friends to share. But again that's for some place else as we are
now dealing with selfishness not blind issues. Well unless we want to go and
argu the point of there being selfish blind people. Lol.

From: CT-NFB <ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Justin Salisbury via
CT-NFB
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2021 11:27 AM
To: NFB of Connecticut Mailing List <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu>
Subject: [CT-NFB] Let's Talk Philosophy: Self-Sufficiency and BIPOC

Hi everyone,

I have been thinking about bringing up a philosophical discussion point in a
group setting, and I've decided that my home affiliate in Connecticut is the
right group. I'm going to bring up a point of confusion in the Federation
philosophy that I would enjoy discussing with others in our movement. It is
not something I can remember encountering in Connecticut, but this does not
mean that I am asserting any kind of assumption that it does not exist in
the minds and hearts of anyone in Connecticut. (In my opinion, whenever a
group of people declares that some form of prejudice does not exist within
its boundaries, that is dangerous because the group lets its guard down.)
I've been away for a few years, but growing up in a 5,000-person town in
northeastern Connecticut and attending high school on the UConn campus has
surely shaped my worldview. 

To be extra clear, this is not a passive-aggressive attack on anyone. I'm
not hoping that this leads to the crucifixion of any particular person.
There are problems in American society that can corrupt how people
understand Federation philosophy. I believe talking about them can help us
reflect on them. 

I have heard a line of logic that has been repeated many times, in various
forms, which goes something like this:

1.	The NFB says that blind people need to be self-sufficient.
2.	[Black and Indigenous People of Color] are not self-sufficient.* 
3.	Because [Black and Indigenous People of Color] are not
self-sufficient, we need to get them to (and this part is always said the
same way) "find somewhere else to go." 

*I put the BIPOC label in brackets because, as you can imagine, various
words are used for that label.

I know there are some people who still live on farms, grow their own food,
make their own clothes, etc., but how many people do their own dental work?
How many people are really and truly self-sufficient? I think any married
person can tell you that they have needs that their spouse fulfills for
them, like a wife who prefers that her husband cook the clam chowder with
his special recipe. 

If we want to talk about economic self-sufficiency, I think that might be
closer to the ideas in NFB philosophy, but I don't think that our philosophy
does shame or cast out anyone who is not living without some kind of
financial assistance from the government. In some ways, we all benefit from
that, too, because the government pays for the national defense that
protects us all, the roads on which we all travel at some point, and many
other things that benefit us all. 

If we want to talk about independence, I don't think that's the same as
never getting anyone to help you with anything. In my thoughts, independence
is about having the freedom to make choices for yourself, which gives you
greater flexibility and control in your life. If someone doesn't have much
independence, then they very much need the Federation, and we should be
actively trying to help them, not trying to drive them away. 

I think it may be possible to quantify economic self-sufficiency and come
out with a ranking that does in fact show that Black and Indigenous People
of Color are less economically self-sufficient, but I do not think this is
the fault of the BIPOC community. I am mixed, but I group myself in BIPOC.
The oppression that Black and Indigenous People of Color have faced and
still face has made and continues to make it harder for us to achieve the
level of economic self-sufficiency that is enjoyed by White and Asian
American communities. If we want blind Black and Indigenous People of Color
to become more economically self-sufficient, I support that desire, but I
don't think the path to get to it can include casting people aside for the
fact that they're already oppressed. We have to help our blind brothers and
sisters of all colors to get over the hurdles and continue on our march to
freedom for the blind. 

In summary, I think the Federation philosophy, when properly applied,
actually says that blind people are not free until blind Black and
Indigenous People of Color are free. 

What do you all think? Whether or not you agree, can you add anything to
this discussion? 

Aloha,

Justin

Justin Mark Hideaki Salisbury

he/him/his

Phone: 808.797.8606

Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu

LinkedIn:  <https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury>
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury  

ResearchGate:  <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury>
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury 

"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the
person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels
pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore."

Cesar Chavez

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