[NFBofSC] Positive Note 1765

[David Houck]

June 10, 2020

Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents &
Others

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1765

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              During our NFB of SC Connects Zoom meeting on June 4, I was
extremely pleased to see we had thirty-eight in attendance.  We discussed
and answered questions regarding the 2020 virtual state convention which
will be held August21-22.  In lieu of having our annual Fun Day Festival
over the Labor Day weekend, we discussed the Rocky Bottom Board of
Directors' decision to conduct an online auction the week of October 31, to
November 7.  Donna Jean Miller, a member of our Columbia chapter, will be
coordinating this project.  We will be also selling $5 raffle tickets with
the winner receiving $500, seller receiving $50, and the chapter selling the
most tickets $300.  The drawing will be October 31.  Also, we had a speaker,
Michael Feir, author of Personal Power; the IOS edition, who gave an
excellent presentation regarding his book and why he decided to write it.
The book is free in RTF, Word, EPUB and PDF formats:  If the link below
doesn't work, try the Dropbox  link below that.

https://bit.ly/2VQbOJn

              Please continue to register for the 2020 NFB national
convention which will be held virtually July 14-18.  The deadline to
register is June 15, 2020.  Registration for this year's national convention
is free. If you do not register, you will not be eligible to get access to
exclusive offers, convention announcements, door prizes, and other exciting
content.  During the live presidential release, this past Thursday evening,
President Riccobono read registration numbers for the top ten states.  I was
very pleased to hear 105 South Carolinians had registered for the convention
placing the NFB of SC at number nine.  However, as of June 9, we have
registered 122 South Carolinians.   Keep up the great work and let's see if
we can register 150 or more South Carolinians by June 15.  To register, go
to nfb.org/registration.  If you need assistance to fill out the online
registration form, feel free to contact Steve Cook at (803) 254-0222 or
David Houck at the Federation Center at (803) 254-3777.  President Riccobono
also reported an online agenda will be available sometime at the end of
June.  

 

Schedule for the 2020 NFB national convention 

Tuesday, July 14, Seminar Day 

Wednesday, July 15, National Board of Directors meeting (opened to all),
Resolutions committee meeting

Thursday, July 16, Division meetings, Opening Ceremonies 

Friday, July 17, general session, Presidential report, state affiliate
caucuses 

Saturday July 18, business session, resolutions, banquet

 

              During the remainder of this month, our rideshare partners at
Lyft are providing us with additional general coupons worth $25 per user.
The code is being made available for use through July 1.  There are a
limited number of coupons.  Coupons are to be used only for essential
purposes.  When requesting a coupon, you must submit the name of the
individual requesting the code, their city and state, and a description of
how the code will be used. If you want further information regarding this
matter, please contact me at (803) 796-8662.  

 

              As part of this week's Positive Note we are enclosing a "open
letter"  written by President Riccobono to the membership entitled "Love
Conquers Hate" which eloquently and emphatically states the National
Federation of the Blind's position regarding the recent events that have
occurred throughout our country during the past few weeks.  I recommend you
read the letter, reflect on it, and listen to what is being expressed by
individuals within and outside our organization.  In our work to transform
dreams into reality, I believe that there is no room for prejudice or hatred
in this organization.  We all need to respect and embrace each other's
strengths and differences by working together for the common good of all
blind people.  

              The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is
not the characteristic that defines you or your future.  Every day, we raise
the expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams.  You can live the life you want:
blindness is not what holds you back.  

 

              Final Thought:  Transforming dreams into reality:  Reality
beats virtual, action beats talk, aiming high beats a lower perspective,
optimism beats pessimism, and determination beats just going with the flow -
any questions?

 

Love Conquers Hate: An Open Letter to the Members of the

National Federation of the Blind,  By Mark A. Riccobono, NFB President

Sunday, May 31, 2020

 

              I write this message to you as the elected President of the
National Federation of the Blind. I also write it to you as an American who
is struggling this week. I call upon members of our organization to
recognize the solidarity we share as blind people and that the value we
place on love within our movement is needed more today than at any other
time in our history.

              I watched the horrific video shot by a brave seventeen
year-old of the killing of George Floyd, a citizen of our great nation.
Before I watched the video, I wondered what I could do and how I could
contribute to healing the pain. I had no answers. After I watched the video,
I realized I still did not have the answers and I was sad, angry, scared,
frustrated, and without hope. Then I realized that we share tools in the
National Federation of the Blind that can help. We cannot look away and we
need to share what we know from our experience in this people's movement.

              Our movement has been sustained for the purpose of serving as
a vehicle for collective action by the blind of the nation to promote the
vocational, cultural, and social advancement of the blind; to achieve the
integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality with the
sighted; and to take any other action which will improve the overall
condition and standard of living of the blind. While racial equality in our
nation is not within our mission, we also recognize that blindness affects
all races and that the society we live within has an impact on our
membership.

              The Federation's Code of Conduct specifically emphasizes our
commitments to diversity. IN short "We respect differences of opinion,
beliefs, identities, and other characteristics that demonstrate that blind
people are a diverse cross section of society...In promoting a diverse and
growing organization, we expect integrity and honesty in our relationships
with each other and openness to learning about and experiencing cultural
diversity. We believe that these qualities are crucial to fostering social
and intellectual maturity. Intellectual maturity also requires individual
struggle with unfamiliar ideas." This week, I have been struggling to
comprehend the fear and anger that black members of my Federation family are
experiencing. I do not, and never can, have the authentic lived experience
that you have, but yet I am also completely outraged by the hate and
injustice that fell upon George Floyd on Monday. I recognize there are many
centuries of painful layers wrapped up in that moment. I recognize that
George is neither the first nor the last in a chain of injustices that need
to be addressed. I want you to know I stand with you in facing the injustice
that persists against you because of the color of your skin. I want you to
know that I love you and I struggle with not being able to fully know your
pain and fear. I want you to know I am prepared to be guided by you as to
how I can make a difference. I cannot say that I have not become
desensitized in times past, but I can tell you I will never turn away again.

              While our organization is dedicated to advancing the rights of
blind people, we should not act as though race does not exist. As our
chapters attempt to do business, as we urge our members to take up our
priorities, we should recognize that thousands of our members are impacted
by the painful realizations of this week. As a people's movement, we cannot
pretend that our people only have one characteristic. Now is the time to let
each member know we love them and we recognize their hurt. Now is also the
time for us to recognize, as individuals, that we carry implicit bias
learned from the society around us, and to seek the training that will
enhance our awareness. Now is the time to give love to our black members so
that we might learn how we can do better in building the understanding that
powers the organized blind movement.

              Now is not the time for us to use our organizational
communication tools to offer position statements about the activities
playing out on the streets of our nation. it is easy to write messages and
posts of solidarity without having a true understanding of the issues. It is
easy to suggest that we share the concerns of our black members. The harder
thing for us to do is to consciously listen and seek understanding while
supporting others in their pain and frustration. The Federation has never
been known for merely doing what is easy. The priority today is to ensure
all of our black members know they are welcomed and loved in this movement.
In fact, we should extend that same truth to any others who feel the real
pain sweeping our nation. Please do not use organizational assets to enter
the dialogue around race. That is not our purpose as an organization and we
may unintentionally make it worse. We need to continue to coordinate
messaging and to be guided by the wisdom of our diversity and inclusion
committee. As leaders of our movement, we should also be conscious that our
public posts may be misunderstood as representing the Federation. Our
personal feelings and misunderstanding around the death of George Floyd, the
protests sweeping our nation, and the underlying systemic discrimination may
hurt and divide members of the organization. We cannot let that happen and
we must be careful as leaders not to add to the pain our members are
experiencing. As it relates to our public messaging, let us stay focused on
the priorities of the organized blind movement. As it comes to our cherished
friends, let our priority be to reach out personally to listen and offer our
hands in support.

              I have had the opportunity to gather virtually with some of
our top black leaders-a group who will continue to guide my actions related
to these issues. I asked them for wisdom and love in finding ways that I
could guide our membership during this trying time in our nation. Their
message was clear. Our movement is built on love and love always conquers
hate. The Federation family needs to shine a light for the rest of the
nation by continuing to demonstrate that the love, and solidarity, that we
share with each other in this movement makes all the difference. They also
noted that our organization has always valued civil disobedience and
persistent pursuit of equality. They urged that we continue to pray for
peace, justice, and equality. I could not agree more with these friends I
have been blessed to learn from in our movement. Furthermore, I am thankful
that we have a movement that provides us a meaningful opportunity to know
people whose lived experience is so different from our own while sharing a
common bond as blind people.

              In the National Federation of the Blind we know that blindness
is not the characteristic that defines us or our future. Blindness is the
thing that brings us together but it is not the thing that makes us want to
stay together. That, in a word, is love. We have love in our movement and we
strengthen it by giving it. We have some wisdom and we strengthen it by
continuing to seek greater understanding. We need more of both love and
wisdom at every opportunity. Let's continue to share love, hope, and
determination with each other so that together we transform our dreams into
reality. One of those dreams still left to be transformed is that of a
nation where we can join together regardless of our unique characteristics.
That is a dream I am struggling to help my own children understand so they
may do better than I in making it come true. I speak for all of our national
board members when I say we sincerely believe that the love and togetherness
demonstrated in our movement can go a long way in contributing to that
dream. It can be hard to remember that in this moment when so many of us are
hurting, angry, frustrated, and scared. Let us continue to support each
other in the Federation family. Let us avoid the harmful language that will
only serve to divide us in this time. Let us go forward together, love one
another, and change the world for the better.

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