[nabs-l] Appreciating our roots

Mon May 3 05:06:10 UTC 2010

It is true that fundraising plays a large role in the organization,
but I believe that that is because, especially the way the economy is
now, we need money.  In order to lower the unemployment rate, the
organization needs money to fund programs for blindness skills
trainning.  In order to raise the percentage of blind children
learning Braille, the organization needs money to fund campaigns to
promote Braille literacy and better education efforts for teachers of
blind students.  We are currently in the worst financial situation
since the Great Depression so we may not have as much money as we may
have had previously.  Hence, the apparent increased trend  toward
fundraising.

As far as national convention being a formality, I believe that that
is going a little too far.  I believe that part of the goal of
national convention is to meet with other blind people to discuss what
has worked and what hasn't; both in other states, and for previous
generations.  Also, the president of the National Federation of the
Blind should give the banquet speech as the president represents the
entire NFB and it shows a connection between the leadership of the
organization and the members of the organization.  The banquet speech
is also, in part, a motivational speech thus more people will listen
if it comes from the mouth of someone like the president.  Also, the
president is a very powerful institution, and I believe that we should
utilize that institution whenever possible.

I also do believe that young people in the organization need to be in
some of the leadership roles in the organization, but that members of
previous generations also need to be in a position of leadership
because we do need to be able to look back to the past to see what has
worked and what hasn't.  Also, the previous generation is someone to
look up to so it makes sense that they would be in a leadership role.
Members of previous generations give a sense of tradition to the
organization, and I believe that this is a valulable asset.

These are simply my sentiments.

Respectfully,
Jordan Richardson
2nd Vice President, Minnesota Association of Blind Students

On 02/05/2010, RJ Sandefur <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com> wrote:
> "We're changing what it means to be blind," Are we really? Why is it, we
> still have a 75 percent unemployment rate among the blind, if we're really
> changing what it means to be blind? I brought this up to my sister, and she
> said, "What can you do? grow up you're blind!" She thinks the NFB is just a
> joke! Instead of Dr. Maurer giving the Banquet speach, Why not have a young
> person give the speach, and talk about the challenges they're facing! I'm
> turning 31, and I've yet to see the leadership involve the younger
> generation. Talk to us about Dr. Jernigan! What did he teach? What did he
> believe about blindness and blind people? I've been listening to the MP3's
> of his speach's, and he wanted us to be able to obtain a job, and to live on
> our own! But its become more about fund raising, and the convention has
> become something of a formality! I don't have to be there, to know this. you
> can hear it.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Briley Pollard" <brileyp at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2010 10:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Appreciating our roots
>
>
>>I think it is perhaps a stretch to say we won't exist in just 50 years, but
>>
>>I do think the purpose and philosophy will be very diluted at that point if
>>
>>something isn't done. I did bring it up to say that we have a
>>responsibility to sea out information, but I do think the leadership needs
>>to be more efficient at educating new comers. This is just speculation on
>>my part, but I think part of the reason why the specifics and history of
>>the philosophy stopped being pushed so hard is because the federation
>>didn't want to scare off new members. While I think it is a poor approach
>>to immediately yank away a cane that may be too short, or talk constantly
>>of the "glory days" as soon as someone walks in the door, I think a better
>>effort needs to be made at empowering and educating the membership as a
>>whole.
>>
>> Thanks for your thoughts,
>> Briley
>> On May 2, 2010, at 6:54 PM, Joe Orozco wrote:
>>
>>> Briley,
>>>
>>> I don't know how many people actually read my series of action plan
>>> posts.
>>> I'm wrapping it up anyway just to finish my ramblings, and it's funny
>>> that
>>> you mention roots because it's basically the foreground of what I have to
>>> contribute.  Yet, I am not convinced the blame rests squarely on our
>>> generation.  Actually, it is my theory that the older generation is
>>> almost
>>> completely responsible for our sense of complacency.  I believe the
>>> National
>>> Center has saturated the work of the organization so much with
>>> fundraising
>>> and technological design that everyday philosophy has been forgotten.  It
>>>
>>> is
>>> my personal belief that our philosophy has become more the banner than
>>> the
>>> engine, and at this rate I do not believe the NFB will exist in 50 years,
>>> maybe sooner.  Outrageous?  Of course it is, but considering the source,
>>> are
>>> you surprised?  More later, but I'm glad the subject came up.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>>
>>> Joe
>>>
>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>>> sleeves,
>>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>> [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Briley Pollard
>>> Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2010 7:31 PM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Appreciating our roots
>>>
>>> I do think our generation in many ways has a sense of
>>> entitlement. I think a better understanding of our history and
>>> our purpose as an organization will better define that line
>>> between entitlement and creating a level playing field. To whom
>>> much is given, much is required, and I think people all too
>>> often forget that.
>>>
>>> Briley
>>> On May 2, 2010, at 5:23 PM, David Andrews wrote:
>>>
>>>> As an old-timer, thank you!  It is important to remember that
>>> our ceiling is your floor.  What you can take for granted is
>>> what we had to fight for!
>>>>
>>>> And ... we came from a time that was in some ways simpler,
>>> but where we asked for as little as possible.  We will not ever
>>> be as comfortable as your generation with asking for some
>>> stuff.  We also feel somewhat like there is an entitlement
>>> attitude, and people are not as self sufficient as they need to
>>> be in the real world.
>>>>
>>>> Dave
>>>>
>>>> At 03:35 PM 5/2/2010, you wrote:
>>>>> Good afternoon all,
>>>>>
>>>>> I am writing to open up a topic of conversation which I feel
>>> is to often overlooked in our organization; our history as a
>>> movement. I've grown up in this organization, and admittedly
>>> didn't fully understand our history until about a month ago
>>> when I began digging a little deeper.
>>>>>
>>>>> The federation has always been an important force in my
>>> life, and has shaped my views about my blindness, even during
>>> the periods where I wasn't actively involved. I always heard
>>> about what great leaders we've had, and was exposed to tidbits
>>> of information at state conventions or national events. But
>>> most of the focus has always been on the here and now, which is
>>> understandable to a point. It is vital that we understand the
>>> obstacles that the blind community as a whole faces on a daily
>>> basis, and how the federation is responding to them. However,
>>> life events have spurred me on to discover more about our
>>> roots. I'll keep the story short for brevity's sake, but it has
>>> a point which I think is important, so stay with me.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am dating someone who has never been actively involved
>>> with any of the blindness consumer organizations. He recently
>>> realized his need for further training, and that lead him to
>>> ask me my reasons for being a federationist. He began asking me
>>> questions about how the federation began, how the philosophy
>>> developed, and how the rehabilitation views of the NFB evolved.
>>> I found myself unable to answer a lot of his questions, and was
>>> disappointed in myself. I knew vague details about Dr.
>>> Jernigan's involvement with the Iowa Commission for the Blind,
>>> and something about airplane issues in the 70's and 80's, but
>>> beyond that, my historical knowledge of the NFB was supremely
>>> limited. After discussing this with some of my friends in the
>>> organization, I found that the problem wasn't just with me. I'm
>>> on the board of our local chapter, and it became apparent to me
>>> after out last meeting that this is a widespread problem. We
>>> have lost touch with our past, and that is never good. Roots
>>> are vital to the life of any tree, and without them, we wouldn't exist.
>>>>>
>>>>> I began to dig, which isn't hard to do. Nationals has done
>>> an amazing job of making our history available to us.
>>> www.nfb.org is a gold mine of information, even some of the
>>> parts that are hard to see. Issues of the Braille Monitor are
>>> available online going back 25 years, and important speeches
>>> are available in both text and recorded form going back before
>>> that. I have found myself appalled by the discrimination that
>>> blind people faced even just twenty years ago. The fortitude it
>>> took to get out there every day and command respect from a
>>> sighted public is not just commendable, but amazing to me.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think that sometimes, the youth of this organization
>>> accuse the older generation of the federation of being too
>>> "militant," or "confrontational." While I do not always agree
>>> with how the older generation has approached some issues, when
>>> you really dig and read about what they had to indoor just to
>>> be able to do things we take for granted today, you develop a
>>> greater respect for their views and approach. We still have a
>>> long way to go in some respects, but we have come far, and I
>>> think we've lost respect for our past.
>>>>>
>>>>> I encourage everyone to sea out and understand the
>>> beginnings and progress our movement has made over the past 70
>>> years. You will be amazed, and it will make you really
>>> understand, respect, and love this organization. I have had my
>>> share of frustrations with the organization over the years. But
>>> I must admit that I am so proud to be a part of the NFB, not
>>> just for what it has meant to me, but what it has done even
>>> before I was born to insure that I can live and work in a world
>>> where I am seen as an equal with my sighted peers. No
>>> organization is perfect because no person is perfect. But we
>>> must all remember to appreciate this community we have, built
>>> upon a solid foundation provided by many generations of blind
>>> people before us, tirelessly working to show that blindness
>>> should not limit our life choices.
>>>>>
>>>>> Let's all make a greater effort to know and appreciate our
>>> history. We will all be better for it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> Briley
>>>>
>>>>
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-- 
Jordan Richardson
2nd Vice President, Minnesota Association of Blind Students
lilrichie411 at gmail.com
“It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as
much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the
long term for both yourself and others will come.”
--Dalai Lama