[nabs-l] Appreciating our roots

Melissa Green graduate56 at juno.com
Tue May 4 05:05:37 UTC 2010


You have made some really good points.
However, I would add that not knowing our history can apply to many
cultures.
I am thankful to the generations of leaders that have struggled to provide
me with the freedom that I have today.
I also would make the point that many of the older generation do not want to
support change.  Which is a problem in the federation and in other
organizations and cultures as well.
Just like other groups and cultures, the nfb does have its share of people 
who complain.  As well as those who talk the talk but can't walk the walk.
I would also add that affiliates need to both cultivate and support the 
chapters, and devisions more.  This is the only way that we will continue to 
change what it means to be blind.
Like others have said, I don't agree with everything that the nfb supports. 
I also think that there are some people that are excluded because they have 
another disability other than blindness.  However, I choose to be apart of 
the Nfb.  This is because I can relate to many parts of the phillosiphy and 
the ideas that is the foundation of the federation.

   Melissa Green
No person has the right to rain on your dreams.
----- 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 2:35 PM
Subject: [nabs-l] Appreciating our roots


> 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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