[Mi-abs] FW: NABS: A Division IN the National Federation of the Blind

[Elizabeth Mohnke]

Hello All,

Below is a message from Justin Salisbury stating his intensions to run for
the position of NABS president. His first announcement caused quite a bit of
debate on the NABS email list, so I am simply posting his second election
statement. However, if anyone would like to see his first election
statement, I would be willing to forward that message as well.

Warm regards,
Elizabeth

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Justin
Salisbury via nabs-l
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 11:44 PM
To: 'nabs-l at nfbnet.org'; 'ctabs at nfbnet.org'; Massachusetts Association of
Blind Students List (massabs at nfbnet.org); List for NABS State Presidents
(nabs-presidents at nfbnet.org); Wisconsin Association of Blind Students List
Subject: [nabs-l] NABS: A Division IN the National Federation of the Blind

Fellow Federationists:
It appears that my last letter missed the mark.  The emotions that I wanted
to produce to begin the Justin Salisbury campaign were not what I achieved.
Since the only direction to move is forward, that is where I will go.  In
one look back, I sincerely apologize for writing in a way that produced such
a variety of emotions.
I want to thank those who have supported me over the years and those who are
supporting me today.  From my very first Federation event, I knew that this
organization would always push and empower me to be the best I can be. I
remember being so unsure of my own ability to succeed in math and science as
a blind person and then being approached by a blind engineer and a blind
environmental scientist at the end of the banquet. I thought I had already
received the best rehab training and had achieved the pinnacle of
mathematical competence as a blind person, which was inherently below that
of a sighted person; boy, was I wrong. They wouldn't let me doubt myself,
and they made it clear that I could always find a mentor in the National
Federation of the Blind. One of the things that makes our movement so strong
is that you don't have to be the chosen one to seek advice from the best
leaders and mentors. I remember thinking that I could not possibly have
anything important enough to discuss with Dr. Maurer, and then, I found
myself telling him about my boyhood dream of serving in the military. I have
grown out of that shyness one step at a time.  I now seize and treasure my
opportunities to take advice from and bond with some key players in our
movement. I do not receive this support because I am uniquely deserving of
it; I receive it because I seek it and seek it with the desire to make the
Federation stronger with it. So far as I know, there is no chosen one for
this position until our membership chooses at our business meeting, and I
hope that the chosen one will be me.
If anyone here has not yet read the June Braille Monitor, I strongly
recommend reading the article by the young Marc Maurer, who was then
President of the National Association of Blind Students. What I find most
appealing is his attention to the purpose and function of a division in the
National Federation of the Blind. While the early NABS would provide
advocacy help to anyone desiring it, the primary duty of the division is to
the National Federation of the Blind. It is not to lead the Federation on
student initiatives but to advise the Federation on student initiatives and
provide a learning forum. The early NABS existed to inform the entire
Federation membership and prepare us all for the effort to help blind
students achieve. Instead of looking at NABS as a division of the
Federation, we should consider NABS a division IN the Federation. If I am
elected President, I understand that I am not going to be the primary leader
of the National Association of Blind Students; the primary leader will be
the President of the National Federation of the Blind, and our movement will
be unified.
To me, the value of this model is evident. We need to have this kind of
NABS. Now, I want to ask questions of our membership and facilitate
discussion in order to learn how the membership wants the NABS President to
best serve. How do we want to fulfill this role in the Federation? What role
do our members want to play in achieving this model?
I eagerly await every reply.

Sincerely yours,

Justin Salisbury
Board Member
National Association of Blind Students
president at alumni.ecu.edu<mailto:president at alumni.ecu.edu>

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/lizmohnke%40hotmail.com