<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> Robert Parsons via NFBMI-Talk <nfbmi-talk@nfbnet.org><br><b>Date:</b> February 16, 2025 at 10:00:10 PM CST<br><b>To:</b> NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List <nfbmi-talk@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> rob.parso3389@gmail.com<br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[NFBMI-Talk] The Informant 2025- 02</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List <nfbmi-talk@nfbnet.org><br><br></div><div dir="ltr"><span>National Federation of the Blind of Michigan (NFBMI</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>The Informant 2025</span><br><span></span><br><span>Vol. 2: Keeping the Pace with the Blind. </span><br><span></span><br><span>February 16, 2025</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Affiliate Zoom Link:</span><br><span><https://zoom.us/j/9612695221?pwd=dHlxZDNwcVVZbUVTYUM5cEU4cDlndz09></span><br><span>https://zoom.us/j/9612695221?pwd=dHlxZDNwcVVZbUVTYUM5cEU4cDlndz09 </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>From the President: Greetings and Happy Black History Month to my Federation</span><br><span>friends, guests, and most of all family. This edition of "The Informant" is</span><br><span>one that is so important, as we are in the midst of exciting times. From the</span><br><span>work accomplished nationally during the 2025 NFB Washington Seminar to the</span><br><span>consistent work that our chapters, committees, and divisions are keeping at</span><br><span>the forefront of their agendas, the Michigan affiliate reminds me of an</span><br><span>appropriate quote from James Baldwin. He articulated, "Those who say it</span><br><span>can't be done usually are interrupted by others doing it."</span><br><span></span><br><span>Over the past few weeks, our nation has been hit with a myriad of messages</span><br><span>regarding the identity of its members. Some of these messages have affected</span><br><span>blind people because we all know that the National Federation of the Blind</span><br><span>is a microcosm of the greater social landscape, meaning that we are a</span><br><span>snapshot of what this world looks like. It is natural to both be affected by</span><br><span>and want to react to the narratives about blindness and its intersecting</span><br><span>identities, especially when it inaccurately paints a picture of the way we</span><br><span>live our fulfilling lives. Through these difficult moments of unclear</span><br><span>communication, know that the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan,</span><br><span>its leaders, and its members know your heart and support you as we continue</span><br><span>to do the things others imagine the blind cannot. Continue to believe in the</span><br><span>Blind People's Movement and build the Federation. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Important National Program Updates</span><br><span></span><br><span>* The 2025 NFB Washington Seminar took place February 3-6 at the</span><br><span>Holiday Inn Washington Capital. The NFB of Michigan thanks our 11 members</span><br><span>and leaders that travelled and advocated alongside hundreds of blind</span><br><span>Americans to continue to further the mission of the Federation and elevate</span><br><span>the issues of the Blind People's Movement.</span><br><span>* The 2025 Jacobus Tembroek Disability Law Symposium will take place</span><br><span>March 20-21, 2025, at the Jernigan Institute, 200 E. Wells St., Baltimore,</span><br><span>MD. 21230. This year's theme, "Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law:</span><br><span>Protecting Our Right to Live in the World," includes live, interactive</span><br><span>sessions surrounding intersectional representation in the disability rights</span><br><span>community and the rule of law's parallels to our right to live in the world.</span><br><span>The deadline for registration is March 7, 2025, and there are options for</span><br><span>students and virtual attendees. To register for this program, please visit</span><br><span>https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/jacobus-tenbroek-disability-</span><br><span>law-symposium. </span><br><span>* The 2025 NFB scholarship program is underway. Each year, 30 awards</span><br><span>are offered to eligible students who apply for this competitive program that</span><br><span>provides opportunities for both leadership and networking. The deadline for</span><br><span>the program is March 31, 2025, and applicants must be blind and willing to</span><br><span>attend the NFB national convention in person. Please visit</span><br><span><http://www.nfb.org/scholarship> www.nfb.org/scholarship for more</span><br><span>information. </span><br><span>* The 2025 NFB national convention will take place at the Marriott</span><br><span>Hotel from July 8-13 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Additional information about</span><br><span>convention registration and hotel reservations is available online. To learn</span><br><span>more about our national convention, please visit</span><br><span><http://www.nfb.org/convention> www.nfb.org/convention.</span><br><span>* The National Federation of the Blind excitedly welcomes the</span><br><span>introduction of the Blind Americans Return to Work Act (H R 1175(,</span><br><span>introduced into the 119th Congress by Representative P. Sessions of Texas.</span><br><span>Our organization is both humbled and motivated by the constructive</span><br><span>collaboration of our elected representatives to empathize with the needs of</span><br><span>the Blind and encourage our members to both research and inform our elected</span><br><span>representatives about this important piece of legislation to ensure its</span><br><span>co-sponsorship and continued success.</span><br><span>* Have you tried out NFBRN yet? At our 2025 Washington Seminar,</span><br><span>President Mark Riccobono shook the room when he unveiled the National</span><br><span>Federation of the Blind Radio Network (NFBRN). This all-new, always-on radio</span><br><span>network offers updates, presidential releases, classic banquet addresses and</span><br><span>so much more Federation content that continue to help blind people raise</span><br><span>their expectations. To get connected and learn more, visit</span><br><span>https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/nfbrn. </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Important State Updates</span><br><span></span><br><span>* Visitors and members of the National Federation of the Blind of</span><br><span>Michigan can now view this issue and past issues of "The Informant" on the</span><br><span>NFBMI Webpage. You can access these issues by visiting</span><br><span><http://www.nfbmi.org/informant> www.nfbmi.org/informant.</span><br><span>* We encourage all chapters, divisions and members that are</span><br><span>considering ways they can support our organization more to join the</span><br><span>Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) plan for as little as $5 per month. To</span><br><span>learn more about the PAC plan and how it benefits members and programs of</span><br><span>the National Federation of the Blind, please visit <http://www.nfb.org/pac></span><br><span>www.nfb.org/pac.</span><br><span>* The National Association of Blind Students (NABS) encourages</span><br><span>interested students to consider registering for the Midwest Regional Student</span><br><span>Seminar, taking place March 7-9, 2025, at the Holiday Inn O'Hare.</span><br><span>Registration has been extended until February 28, 2025. The weekend-long</span><br><span>seminar is an opportunity for students of the various Midwest student</span><br><span>divisions and affiliates to collaborate in different ways on academic</span><br><span>development, philosophy building, professional development, networking,</span><br><span>skills and much more. For more information about this event, please contact</span><br><span>Jerusalem Crawley, MIABS President, or Tiaira Mayes, MIABS Vice President.</span><br><span>* The NFBMI fundraising committee is grateful for the efforts and</span><br><span>suggestions of its members that took part in its first quarter activities</span><br><span>this year. With your assistance and input, the Super Bowl Pool was</span><br><span>successful; profiting $850 toward our affiliate and future programs. This</span><br><span>initial fundraiser opened the door for our quarter two options and started</span><br><span>the pledges for our upcoming second quarter initiatives. We look forward to</span><br><span>meeting soon to discuss these possibilities.</span><br><span>* The Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP's) Community</span><br><span>Involvement Committee (CIC) reconvened for its second term on February 7,</span><br><span>2025. During the meeting, the committee focused on securing its staying</span><br><span>power and maintaining collaboration across different agencies and member</span><br><span>organizations. The National Federation of the Blind of Michigan thanks state</span><br><span>affiliate board member Felecia Bradford and senior division member Michael</span><br><span>Powell for their service as delegates of the CIC for this term of two years,</span><br><span>representing our organization's philosophy and membership in this effort.</span><br><span>* The NFBMI Legislative Committee thanks its members for attending its</span><br><span>February 13 meeting, where we recapped experiences from Washington Seminar,</span><br><span>confidence in performance in meetings on Capitol Hill with elected officials</span><br><span>and their aides and goals moving forward. The committee hopes for all</span><br><span>members of our affiliate to work together to communicate with their</span><br><span>representative for their support of HR 1175, as well as the continued</span><br><span>support of legislation that protects the rights of the blind. If you are</span><br><span>interested in working with us on crafting this template for members who</span><br><span>would like to advocate locally, please contact Sheila Fulmore, committee</span><br><span>chair, at <mailto:spfulmore0402@gmail.com> spfulmore0402@gmail.com. </span><br><span>* The NFBMI Communications committee is excited to welcome Michael</span><br><span>Powell as the affiliate Newsline Coordinator, opening up opportunities for</span><br><span>our membership to access our content in a variety of new ways in the future.</span><br><span>This includes exciting items like "The Informant," content from our</span><br><span>conventions, program agendas and more will soon be available via Newsline.</span><br><span>We thank Mike for his service and if you are interested in becoming a member</span><br><span>of the statewide communications committee to help get the word our about the</span><br><span>work of the Federation, please join us by contacting Ather Jammoa at</span><br><span><mailto:atherjammoa@yahoo.com> atherjammoa@yahoo.com. We are all stronger</span><br><span>together.</span><br><span>* The NFBMI Youth and Family Program Planning committee met on</span><br><span>February 10 to discuss the development of the 2025 REAL program. This year's</span><br><span>Raising Expectations Accessing Life program will take place June 27-29,</span><br><span>2025, in Dearborn and will be hosted by the New Wayne County chapter. It is</span><br><span>a statewide program that aims to educate youth, parents, and community</span><br><span>members alike. We would appreciate all interested members interested in</span><br><span>volunteering to promote positive Federation philosophy in both the NFB</span><br><span>STEM2U and Parent Education tracks. To learn more about these and how to get</span><br><span>involved, please contact Donna Posont at</span><br><span><mailto:donnabutterfly50@gmail.com> donnabutterfly50@gmail.com. </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Chapter/Division Updates</span><br><span></span><br><span>* At Large Chapter: Greetings members and friends. The At Large</span><br><span>chapter will hold its meeting on Tuesday, February 18 at 8pm. We look</span><br><span>forward to connecting with you all to discuss outcomes from the 2025</span><br><span>Washington Seminar, our legislative and philosophical priorities, as well as</span><br><span>potential programs we hope to engage with.</span><br><span>* Detroit Chapter: Greetings, members of the Detroit Chapter</span><br><span>congratulate its newly elected 2025-chapter board. Three members of our</span><br><span>chapter attended the 2025 Washington Seminar. We are planning a blind</span><br><span>bowling event on Saturday March 8th at the Garden Bowl, 4120 Woodward, from</span><br><span>1-5 PM, cost is $12, $16 with bowling shoes, as well as a game event at Eye</span><br><span>Learn on March 22. We are also presenting members with several upcoming</span><br><span>leadership/advocacy training opportunities including the Blind Leaders</span><br><span>Program sponsored by Eye Learn.</span><br><span>* Michigan Association of Blind Students (MIABS): MIABS sent three</span><br><span>members of our division to the 2025 Washington Seminar this month. It was a</span><br><span>great chance for us to network and learn so much from different student</span><br><span>leaders, including ideas on how to grow our division, connections with other</span><br><span>members and ways we can increase membership retention. Our leaders also grew</span><br><span>in confidence as we learned to advocate, some for the first time, with our</span><br><span>national elected representatives. MIABS is also proud to have contributed to</span><br><span>the "Taste of Michigan" basket submission in the 2025 NABS auction at</span><br><span>Washington Seminar, which sold for $150, further elevating the legacy of the</span><br><span>Michigan affiliate nationally. We look forward to all we can share with our</span><br><span>members about our experience. </span><br><span>* Michigan Seniors Advocating for Seniors (BMISAFS): Hello NFB</span><br><span>friends! I hope you all are staying warm and healthy. The BMISAFS Division</span><br><span>is off and running for 2025. Tune in on ZOOM for our February 24th meeting</span><br><span>at 8:00 PM. We'll learn all about the 2025 Washington Seminar firsthand</span><br><span>from 2 of our Senior members that attended. I hope you join us to learn</span><br><span>about the important work that is happening and what we can do to help. </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Important Affiliate Dates </span><br><span></span><br><span>* 02/17/25: NFBMI Capital Region Chapter Meeting - 7pm </span><br><span>* 02/18/25: NFBMI At Large Chapter Meeting- 8pm</span><br><span>* 02/21/25: NFBMI Fundraising Committee Meeting-6pm </span><br><span>* 02/24/25: Michigan Seniors Advocating for Seniors Meeting - 8pm </span><br><span>* 02/28/25:NFBMI Soundboard-8pm</span><br><span>* 03/01/25: NFBMI New Wayne County Chapter Meeting-1pm </span><br><span>* 03/07/25: NFBMI Communications Committee Meeting-8pm</span><br><span>* 03/07/25-03/09/25: Midwest Regional Student Seminar, Hosted by NABS</span><br><span>and the NFB of Illinois</span><br><span></span><br><span>With Love, Hope and Determination, </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Robert Parsons, Jr., M. A., CRC, CVRT, LLPC</span><br><span></span><br><span>President, National Federation of the Blind of Michigan</span><br><span></span><br><span>(269) 216- 8640</span><br><span></span><br><span>www.nfbmi.org <http://www.nfbmi.org> </span><br><span></span><br><span>"Without struggle, there is no progress." - Frederick Douglas</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>NFBMI-Talk mailing list</span><br><span>NFBMI-Talk@nfbnet.org</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org</span><br><span>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBMI-Talk:</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/fredolver%40gmail.com</span><br></div></body></html>