[NABS-L] Seeking Feedback on Draft Resolution about Changing the Name of a School for the Blind

[Justin Salisbury]

Dear NABS members and leaders,

I am preparing to submit a resolution to be considered by the National Federation of the Blind Convention in July. Since this is the NFB's national student division, and since this resolution is about a school for the blind, I am writing to ask for feedback that anyone might have about the content and/or structure of this resolution. I plan to submit this before the June 4 submission deadline, but I would love to hear any thoughts that our students can offer.

I will say even before posting the resolution that I expect that some people may have strong feelings about this. For me, however the national convention votes, I think it will be very instructive for all of us as we come to more fully and completely understand the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind and what we truly mean when we say that we are committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. These conversations are complex, and they can be messy. They are also very important. At this point in time, I truly don't know how I think the full national convention will vote, but I would like to learn. I want to hear what people think about this. 

Here is the current draft of the resolution

Resolution 2024-##, Regarding the Harmful Namesake of the Perkins School for the Blind

WHERAS, The New England Asylum for the Blind was incorporated in 1829 and opened its doors in August 1832 in Boston, Massachusetts; and

WHEREAS, The school changed its name in 1839 to become the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind in appreciation for generous financial support from Thomas Handasyd Perkins; and

WHEREAS, The Perkins School for the Blind, as a collective institution including its library and products, remains a major factor in blind services in New England today; and

WHEREAS, Born in 1764, T. H. Perkins used money from his wealthy family to start an international trading business, where he traded slaves and the goods produced by their labor, including cotton, sugar, and rum, in the Caribbean, until the Haitian Revolution in 1791; and

WHEREAS, T. H. Perkins later expanded his fortune by illegally smuggling opium into China; and

WHEREAS, Pairing valuable products, services, and educational experiences with the name of a known opium smuggler and slave trader teaches students and community members of all backgrounds that these immoral acts are not disqualifiers for being publicly honored; and

WHEREAS, Continuing to honor a known slave trader and opium smuggler perpetuates intergenerational trauma for people of all colors; and

WHEREAS, On its website, the Perkins School for the Blind acknowledges that it has financially benefitted from both the slave trade and opium smuggling, and acknowledges the problems caused by this, particularly to those in Black and Chinese communities; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2024, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization asserts that the enslavement of human beings and illegal smuggling of opium are unequivocally immoral and that participating in these wrongdoings is a disqualifier for being honored in any space sufficiently influenced by the National Federation of the Blind; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this organization commends the Perkins School for the Blind for acknowledging how it has benefited from these historical wrongs; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That this organization urges the Perkins School for the Blind to advance its efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion by changing its name to remove all references to Thomas Handasyd Perkins.


Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Justin

Justin MH Salisbury, MEd, NOMC, NCRTB
English Pronouns: he/him/his
Phone: 808.797.8606
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu