<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><br><div>Dear National Harbor Chapter members and Friends,</div><div><br></div><div>Shared by NFB member Lee Martin about the article posted below: </div><div><br></div><div>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><br></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;text-align:center;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">Reframing the Fight for Civil Rights:
Understanding the Discourse on Equality Versus Equity from a Social Justice
Perspective</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"><span></span></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">By Dr. Evette Simmons-Reed, Dr.
LaShawna Fant, Dr. Carolyn Peters, Mr. Kane Brolin and Mr. Lee Martin, Sr. </span></b><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"><span></span></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><b><i><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></i></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">From
the Editor: There are lots of things to like about editing the <i>Braille Monitor</i>,
but I think my favorite is when I get articles that cause people to sit up and
think about issues they thought otherwise resolved. This article asks us to
look at two words: equality and equity. Though I could’ve easily used both in
sentences, when it came to really analyzing them, I went to my dictionary and
then to some of the contemporary discussion about them.</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">This
article is not envisioned by its authors as being the final statement on the
words we should use but a suggestion that we strongly consider when each word
best addresses what we want to say and those things for which we are willing to
work. Here is what this fine list of authors has to say:</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><i><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></i></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Social justice is a
phrase that seemingly few Americans view with impartiality. To some, it is a
rallying cry for empowerment; to others, a threatening symbol of sanctimonious
wokeness. It seems that social justice has become loaded with so much political
ammunition that it is often hard to imagine that the principle behind it could
be beneficial to everybody. But social justice is really about allyship, and it
can benefit people with all different kinds of lived experience. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Writing in <i>Forbes</i>,
</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background:rgb(252,252,252)">Multi award-winning
Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader </span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/shereeatcheson/"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background:rgb(252,252,252);text-decoration-line:none">Sheree Atcheson</span></b></a></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">
defines an ally as “<span style="background:rgb(252,252,252)">any person that actively
promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional,
positive, and conscious efforts that benefit people as a whole.”<a name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:106%;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">[i]</span></span></span></a>Everyone
has the ability to become an ally. Everyone sometimes needs to have an ally. </span><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">beneath all the loaded connotations ascribed to it,
social justice refers to the practice of allyship and coalition-building work.
Its goal is to promote equality, equity, mutual respect, and the assurance of
rights between and within communities and social groups. Fair wages, the #MeToo
movements, the pointed criticism of policing tactics, and Black Lives Matter
have all focused attention on various social justice issues in our society.
Although this term previously applied mainly to how economic resources were
allocated, more recently it has come to apply holistically to the treatment of
different individuals and people groups, access to services and opportunities,
and access to political representation. </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Difficult dialogues
regarding these social justice issues have been raging in our homes,
workplaces, schools, and more recently, with in our own organization.
Specifically, calls that the blind be recognized as being made up of a complex
kaleidoscope of cultural identities, rather than as a composite mass, have been
at the forefront of many difficult discussions. Issues such as Access, equity,
participation, diversity, and human rights are basic social justice principles and
are aligned with the principles we historically have fought for as the oldest
and largest civil rights organization of blind people. Yet, at national and
state Conventions, in chapter meetings, in blogs, and on social media, it is
evident that, just as in the rest of our country, we in the organized blind
movement have been struggling to arrive at consensus, given the different
perspectives expressed by Federationists who come from all sorts of
backgrounds. Not surprisingly, we have been pondering some challenging
differences of opinion when it comes to the approach we should take to all
this: </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Equality proponents ask
“should we in the federation have differences in our approach as we attract and
provide mentorship to blind people of different ethnicities, religious
backgrounds, family structures, sexual preferences, and gender identities?” Equity
proponents ask “how can we in the Federation recognize, respect, and benefit
from the multiple identities and experiences of blind people from different
races, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, ability levels, sexual orientations,
gender identities, geographic areas, and family structures?” </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p>

<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">“On
     one side, we may ask “What is unique about the intersectionality of one’s
     blindness and one’s identity as, say, a white American, Black American,
     Asian American, or one of the Latinx groups of people? Should we celebrate
     such points of difference overtly in the organized blind movement?” On the
     other side, who benefits if we perpetuate a color-blind attitude and an
     approach that treats the blind community as a monolith? Supreme Court
     Justice Antonin Scalia said, “To get beyond racism we must first take
     account of race. There is no other way.”<a name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:106%;color:black">[ii]</span></span></span></a> Consider Scalia’s
     statement and people who claim to be “color-blind,” does this position
     advance our advocacy towards achieving equal rights as blind American
     citizens? </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></li>
</ul>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">How should we address
the uniqueness of those who live with multiple disabilities such as the
deaf-blind? Given NFB’s continuous fight against oppression as it touches the
blind, what policies and practices need to be implemented to promote fairness,
create a sense of belonging, and facilitate addressing the unique needs of all
members, especially those living with multiple impairments? </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Despite legislation
inspired by the Disability Rights Movement, institutional policies and
practices have long created unfair advantages for sighted people, perpetuating
a substantial wealth gap between sighted and blind people. This can be
described as institutional oppression: the systematic mistreatment and
dehumanization of any person based solely on a social identity group to which
they identify that is supported and enforced by society and its institutions.
Whether consciously or not, people who make and enforce policy base their
practice of institutional oppression on a belief that people in a given social
identity group are inherently inferior. But this practice is sometimes not
obvious on the surface. Typically, Organizations’ Diversity initiatives create
an illusion of inclusion and fall far short of anything beyond compliance with
the letter of the law. Uncorrected institutional oppression results in much of
the same thing as before: The group that already had dominant power continues
to benefit disproportionately at the expense of other groups that continue to
be oppressed in spite of legislative safeguards that should have evened the
playing field. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Keeping this in mind,
there is one other huge question that demands an answer: </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      
</span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Do we want equality or
equity as an outcome of our civil rights struggle? </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">The Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), codified as federal law in 1990, meant to guarantee blind people equal
protections under the law in all aspects of our lives including employment,
education, and housing. Despite much progress, NFB’s advocacy agenda,
articulated by the President at the national convention, is an indication that
there is still much to do. In Reflecting over the mission before us, are we
seeking to transform or are we wanting to conform in our struggle for civil
rights? How does an emphasis on equality verses an emphasis on equity change
our strategies, tactics, or the outcomes in the battle for full inclusion? </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"> </span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">For
eighty-one years the National Federation of the Blind has been empowering blind
people to advocate for our needs in working towards abolishing barriers
impeding our pursuit of the “American Dream.” Taking direction from various
presidents who have led the National Federation of the Blind over these eight
decades, we continuously expand the scope of our vision. Many blind Americans
within and apart from the Federation have tasted the sweet nectar of progress
resulting from the extraordinary fortitude demonstrated by our members. As an
organization we provide a network of support for one another as we seek to
raise our voices, increase our visibility, and share our views all over the
world. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:rgb(247,247,239)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">In
the spirit of advancing our mission, we here discuss the nuances between the
term’s equality and equity. We offer this article as food for thought and as an
open invitation to keep these critical dialogues going. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:rgb(247,247,239)"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"> </span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:rgb(247,247,239)"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">S</span></b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">ome may view equality
and equity as just different rallying cries or buzzwords meaning essentially
the same thing; but we caution that words matter. In his banquet speech at the
2020 NFB National Convention, President Riccobono wisely pointed out: “</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background:white">Language reflects belief, and we
will not sell out our beliefs. We, the blind, follow our words with the action
of living the lives we want.” So, let us</span><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"> s</span></b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">tart by adding
definition to this discussion and then go on to examine how the choice of the
term equality or equity aligns with the policies and practices aimed at
improving outcomes for different blind Americans. </span><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"><span></span></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"> </span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">According
to </span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equality"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;text-decoration-line:none">the Dictionary by Merriam-Webster</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> equality is the
“quality or state of being equal, where equal is defined as having the same
measurement in quality, nature or status.” <span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">Equality</span>
aims to ensure that everyone gets the same things in order to enjoy full,
healthy lives. E<span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">quality<b> </b></span>aims to
promote fairness and justice. But, as we have learned from the outcomes of the
Civil rights Movement, it is achieved only when everyone starts from the same
place or needs <span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">the same things</span>. Equality presumes
sameness and takes for granted that we all have the same experiences and
privileges. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:rgb(247,247,239)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">This
same </span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equity"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;text-decoration-line:none">dictionary</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> defines equity as “something that is
equitable,” where equitable is defined as, “dealing fairly and equally with all
concerned.” <span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">Equity</span>, from a social justice
perspective, involves trying to understand and give people <span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">what they need</span> to enjoy full, healthy lives. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:rgb(247,247,239)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:rgb(247,247,239)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">A deeper dive into what
these terms imply makes it plain that the kind of justice and the types of
success that any society seeks to attain depends on whether the first principle
that society employs has its roots in equality or in equity. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:rgb(247,247,239)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equality basically
means providing everyone with the same amount of resources regardless of
whether everyone needs them. In other words, each person receives an equal
share of money, food, health benefits, employment resources, and social
services despite what they already started with or lacked from the beginning.
Equity, though, is a subtler notion that is harder to attain in practice.
Equity is when resources are shared based on what each person needs in order to
adequately level the playing field for all who contribute to a society and all
who have need of something from that society. Different people—and, by
extension, different subgroupings of people within a larger social framework
like the United States—have different levels of need for support and assistance.
In recognition of this, the equity model creates systems with a mandate to
support individuals and groupings of individuals based on their specific needs.
The goal of equity is to help achieve fairness in treatment, leading to better
outcomes for all even if all don’t get there in exactly the same ways or by
receiving exactly the same things in the same proportion. If done properly,
equality can be an outcome of an effective and just process; but it is the
principle of equity that creates and drives that process. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">So,
can equality and equity live in the same room? Which of these two is more
valid? Which is more important? In our work to advance the opportunity and
security of Blind Americans, are we striving to make things equal or to make
them equitable? Are we arguing that one of these noble-sounding concepts is
superior and the other inferior? Should we keep just one of these concepts and
throw out the other? </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">We
argue that even though they have two entirely different meanings,
equity and equality are not competitive ideas, but on the contrary they
are complementary. They work hand in hand. One cannot be achieved without the
other. Understanding what equity means and how to apply it actually brings us
one step closer to achieving equality as the final outcome. Put another way, in
order for the world to reach a place in which everything is fair, just, and
equal, we need to start with a goal of equity: distributing resources based on
who needs them most and who can draw the most long-term benefit from a specific
type of approach. We propose that if we are to reach equality as an outcome, we
have to tackle the causes of inequity first. Without equity, inequality will
persist, and those who are most vulnerable will remain or become even more
vulnerable, while those who already enjoy inherent advantage will just keep
gaining more advantage. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:2.4pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">There is still another definition of equity: lesser
used in civil rights literature, but a definition that is very important to
those who spend their professional lives in stewardship of economic resources.
In the business world, equity refers to ownership.<b> </b></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">When Investopedia looks
at equity, it refers to "shareholders' equity ... [representing] the
amount of money that would be returned to a company’s shareholders if all of
the assets were liquidated and all of the company's debt [were] paid off ....
It also represents the pro-rata ownership of a company's shares."</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">You
certainly could argue that most of us in the blind community, except for those
in the Business Enterprise Program, have struggled to imagine that we could
ever own anything substantial. In this country, it could be argued that most of
us who are blind have passed through seasons of life when the most consistent
income we received came from Supplemental Security Income or SSDI. A lot of us
are employed only part-time outside the home or are underemployed in workshops.
These outcomes are persistent across the blind community irrespective of the
degree of visual impairment, education, or ability that any particular blind
adult started with. But we are underestimating ourselves when we say we have no
equity. As free citizens of a Constitutional republic, with the right to
express ourselves, vote, and choose whether to buy or not to buy something, we
need to think and act as though we have an ownership stake—an equity stake—in
the community, state, and country we live in. We need to ensure that society
recognizes we have this ownership stake, because we do have it. Advocating for
equity does not just refer to pleading with someone who occupies a seat of
power to even the playing field for us and hoping they do it.  We who are blind must not wait around for
someone else to do this for us. Transforming equity from a dream into a real,
impactful process and workable procedure means voting, but it also means
showing up at school board and town council meetings. It means getting involved
in community organizations that go beyond just the organized blind movement. It
means expressing our voice not only on Election Day, but it includes actively
getting involved as voting districts are redrawn in the wake of the census
every ten years. This is critical for the blind in general; it is especially
critical for blind men and women who are African-American. Of course, it is
important too for blind men and women who are Latinx or who are members of an
East Asian or Pacific Island ethnic community or who are members of a Middle Eastern/North
African or Native American ethnic community or who self-identify as multiple
disabled or LGBTQ+. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">So,
what is an example of how we can apply the principle of equity to the good in
our everyday struggle? As we decide what to ask for and where to set our
boundaries of acceptance as blind Americans, perhaps we should all ponder the
difference between inclusion and access. In a brilliantly written piece
published in the March 2020 edition of The <i>Braille Monitor</i>, Peter Slatin
unpacks this. In part, he says: "Exclusion and inclusion are passive
states assigned to those designated to be either kept out or brought in. The
active agent is not the newly welcomed but instead the welcoming committee,
which sets the terms of inclusion and will assign and enable a bouncer should
one be deemed necessary. Even when those terms are beneficial, the person newly
included will retain that sense of being an outsider who has been invited to a
party and only allowed to join by the grace of the host. Is it nice to finally
be allowed in? Of course—but we have been here all along. ... It is not
inclusion that I want–it’s access. And access is something I can actively seek
to create or acquire. I may need assistance doing so. I may need to change laws
and minds, not necessarily in that order. I may need to fight. In the end
though, I will be part of designing what access looks like and how it
works."<a name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:106%;color:black">[iii]</span></span></span></a>
</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">The
importance of gaining full equity and belonging, as opposed to just accepting
inclusion whenever sighted powerbrokers and gatekeepers permit it, is true for
not just the technology we use but for every aspect of the society we operate
in. According to john a. powell, director of the othering and belonging
institute, at UC Berkley, states that ” belonging is based on the recognition
of our full humanity without having to become something different or pretend
that we’re all the same”. We are constantly renegotiating who we are as human
beings (January 14, 2020)<a name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:106%;color:black">[iv]</span></span></span></a>.   From a social justice perspective, we must
go further than asking to be included and hoping those with the power are nice
enough to accommodate. We must commit to be a part of the ownership, design,
and implementation process. It means not just asking our legislators for help
every February at NFB Washington Seminar. Sooner or later, some of us in the
organized blind movement who live with other intersecting characteristics need
to get elected so we can change unjust laws and oversee the implementation of
what we need from the insider’s position.</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:2.4pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:2.4pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">In what areas do inequity and inequality show up
most?<b> </b></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">There
are evident inequalities globally in race, gender, sexual orientation,
disabilities, education, economic status, and so much more. It is inequity—the
lack of an ownership stake—that lies at the core of so much inequality and
human suffering in this country and around the globe. Understanding the
implications of inequity and tackling it head-on will be important to achieving
overall equality as an outcome. We shouldn’t be aiming to treat people as if
there were no differences between us or aiming to distribute resources equally
to everybody.  It is highly recommended
that our movement recognize that it is only by means of equitable processes
that we will have the means to get to the outcome of equality. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">To this end, we argue
that the Federation should alter the N FB
Pledge so that the word equity is used instead of equality: </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">a.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">     
</span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity
highlights the organization’s aim to be more informed concerning the history,
background, and context of the Federation and, more importantly, its members. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">b.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">     </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity helps us to
understand where we are concerning metrics. A broader assessment, collection,
and analysis of demographics and data allows for benchmarks and metrics to be
established for organizational goals. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">c.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity provides the
space to network and locate talents, skills, and strategies we may have ignored
or possibly did not notice previously. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">d.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">     </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity brings diverse
experiences and backgrounds to the table and opens progressive paths for
cultural contributions. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">e.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity institutes
intentional and extensive onboarding programs that build ongoing support for
new member success. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">f.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity helps to ensure
policies are executed and diverse/typically misrepresented individuals have
representation. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">g.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">     </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity aligns resources
which foster conversations and means to improve the environment, knowledge,
involvement, and trust of members. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">h.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">     </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity aids in
providing a more active, inclusive organization and promotes dialogue in
tackling issues and concerns. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">i.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">       </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity generally
increases satisfaction, decreases member disengagement, and develops stronger,
more consistent interaction. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">j.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">       </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity encourages
unique talent to flourish and display different worldviews and skills to
combine and produce newness and creativity. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">k.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">     </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity promotes global
understanding and enables a wider, more innovative impact. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">l.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">       </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity illuminates the
importance of our brand and reputation. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">m.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">  
</span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Equity
benefits our organization’s business case and, when properly applied, will help
our organization to meet or even exceed financial targets.</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">As pointed out in a
concise article published in the October 2017 edition of The Braille Monitor,<a name="_ednref5" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:106%;color:black">[v]</span></span></span></a> the statement we recite
that is currently known as the NFB Pledge has been in use for nearly five
decades. What’s more, it was composed and distributed at the behest of Dr.
Kenneth Jernigan, the longest-serving leader who has graced the organized blind
movement. While the mission of the Federation must remain intact and the rich
legacy of our past must never be forgotten, changing times in the society at
large calls for a change in the strategies and tactics used to achieve our
mission. In July of 2021, the Monitor’s long-time editor Gary Wonder penned
these words: “</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">When we pledge ourselves
to go build the Federation, it is not organizational momentum or preservation
of some legacy that we are talking about. It is talking about having a
mechanism to bring about effective change, a structure that lets blind people
talk among ourselves, venture to risk new ideas leading to opportunities, and
knowing that we have the support of one another as we attempt the traditional
or untraditional.” We ask that you strongly consider our suggestion, that you
view it through a forward-looking lens, and that you comment on our proposal
with the same spirit of fellowship and positive goodwill that has led us to
present it in these pages. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>

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<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%">



<div id="edn1">

<p class="gmail-MsoEndnoteText"><a name="_edn1" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:106%;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">[i]</span></span></span></a>
Taken from “Allyship - The Key To Unlocking The Power Of Diversity.”
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/shereeatcheson/2018/11/30/allyship-the-key-to-unlocking-the-power-of-diversity/?sh=4b27764249c6">https://www.forbes.com/sites/shereeatcheson/2018/11/30/allyship-the-key-to-unlocking-the-power-of-diversity/?sh=4b27764249c6</a><span></span></p>

</div>

<div id="edn2">

<p class="gmail-MsoEndnoteText"><a name="_edn2" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:106%;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">[ii]</span></span></span></a>
Antonin Scalia, <i>The Disease As Cure.</i> “In order to get beyond racism, we
must first take account of race,” 1979 Washington University Law Quarterly 147
(1979). Reprinted by University of Chicago Law School, Journal Unbound Journal
Articles Faculty Scholarship. <a href="https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/journal_articles/">https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/journal_articles/</a><span></span></p>

</div>

<div id="edn3">

<p class="gmail-MsoEndnoteText"><a name="_edn3" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:106%;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">[iii]</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"> For more on this subtopic, check out the
article</span> <span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">entitled </span><a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm20/bm2003/bm200313.htm"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The Trouble With Inclusion</span></a><span class="gmail-MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">: </span></span><a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm20/bm2003/bm200313.htm"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">https://nfb.org//images/nfb/publications/bm/bm20/bm2003/bm200313.htm</span></a><span></span></p>

</div>

<div id="edn4">

<p class="gmail-MsoEndnoteText"><a name="_edn4" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:106%;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">[iv]</span></span></span></a>
john a. powell; “Bridging or Breaking? The Stories We Tell Will Create the
Future We Inhabit “ (blog) January 14,2020 <a href="http://www.johnapowell.org/blog">http://www.johnapowell.org/blog</a><span></span></p>

</div>

<div id="edn5">

<p class="gmail-MsoEndnoteText"><a name="_edn5" title=""><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="gmail-MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:106%;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">[v]</span></span></span></a>“Origins
Of The NFB Pledge” <a href="https://nfb.org/sites/default/files/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm17/bm1709/bm170914.htm"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">https://nfb.org/sites/default/files/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm17/bm1709/bm170914.htm</span></a><span class="gmail-MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span></span></span></span></p>

<p class="gmail-MsoEndnoteText"><span class="gmail-MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">---------- </span></span><span></span></p>

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