[stylist] History, Heroes, and Authors

[John Lee Clark]

David:

Thank you for your response.  I wish more of those blind people would be
more involved.  I can tell you that it's always great when Deaf big shots
are involved with NAD.  For example, our most famous actor, Bernard Bragg,
toured every single state to give his latest one-man show, at his own
expense, and without taking any of the proceedings, instead donating
everything to NAD.  It raised millions of dollars.

But, David, the really great thing is that I know Bernard Bragg.  He
attended a summer camp to teach us acting and to direct the camp's
performance for the last, Parents' Day.  This is a guy who has millions of
dollars, starred in movies, ran his own TV show for many years, and yet he
would do things like that--that tour at his own expense, go to camps to be
with young Deaf people, establish an endowed chair at Gallaudet, found a
grassroots Deaf theater company that became so successful that it hit
Broadway twice.

And Bernard Bragg is not an exception.  He's the rule.  While growing up, my
school had many, many very important, successful, and famous Deaf people
come in.  Marlee Matlin; Robert Davila, a high-ranking White House
administrator in education during the Reagan and Bush the Elder
presidencies; Jack Gannon, the bestselling historian; Clayton Valli, the
world's most beloved ASL poet; I. King Jordan, the president of Gallaudet;
and so on.  

So that's just what I'm used to.  Now, I'm trying to find out if I, and also
you, can have the same access to the blind VIPs.  If we can, that's great.
It will help our organization.  Raise money.  Inspire youth to embrace
blindness.  Etc.  If we can't have this access, and they're not involved
enough, that would be disappointing.

Why not have Stevie Wonder tour at his own expense and donate all the
proceeds to NFB?  Wouldn't that be cool?

John   

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