Absolutely true. White, even as a blind man, has its privileges. A
number of Black people attended the Training Center over the years I
worked there. Most of the ones who did go on to work, ended up at the
Seattle Light House for the Blind.
I can't think of a single Black client who came close to holding down
a job that paid as much as mine paid. One man ended up operating a
snack bar in the Public Assistance building. He had been a nurse when
he could see. His wife was director of the Head Start Program in King
County, but her connections didn't help her husband. A very bright
and talented fellow played the electric organ in a high end bar in
Seattle's Greenwood area. He did make a bit of a name for himself,
but not until he left the Northwest and settled in Los Angeles.
Another young man ended up operating a machine at the Light House,
when he would probably have been self employed is a contractor if he
were White, or if he could see. One young woman was standing on the
street corner with a group of friends, when she was shot in the head
by a senseless drive by scumbag. She never worked again. We did a
great amount of training students in how to deal with the
disadvantages of applying for work while blind, but we were not
equipped to deal with the problems that arose for the students who
were both blind and Black.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/25/20, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yes, and being a white protestant man allowed you to know people who were in
positions that allowed them to be of help.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2020 8:23 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Jacob Blake's Father Says His Son Is
Paralyzed Below Waist After Being Shot From Behind by Kenosha Police
Jacob Blake is the same age I was when I became totally blind. I hope he
has the same support network that enabled me to return to college.
And I hope he has a network of friends in administrative positions who can
assist him in securing a decent living.
Having a friend who became director of our Services for the Blind agency
sure gave me a leg up. Oh yes, one other thing. The color of my skin gave
me a decided advantage. And even so, it took me 10 years before I was
earning the same income as I'd earned when I was sighted.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/25/20, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Published on
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
byCommon Dreams
Jacob Blake's Father Says His Son Is Paralyzed Below Waist After Being
Shot From Behind by Kenosha Police Marches and demonstrations have
been held nationwide demanding justice for the 29-year-old father of
six, who is Black.
byJessica Corbett, staff writer
A boy sits on his father's shoulders while holding a sign on August
24,
2020
in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images) A boy sits
on his father's shoulders while holding a sign on August 24,
2020
in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man whom police shot in the back
multiple times in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday, is now paralyzed from
the waist down and doctors do not yet know if the injury is permanent,
his father told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.
"Those police officers that shot my son like a dog in the street are
responsible for everything that has happened in the city of Kenosha."
-Jacob Blake's father
The younger Blake, a father of six, was reportedly trying to break up
a fight before officers followed him to his vehicle and fired several
shots at point-blank range as Blake opened the driver-side door.
Blake's partner, Laquisha Booker, told a local television station that
the couple's three children were in the back seat "screaming" when
police shot him.
A video of the police shooting began circulating on social media
Sunday, sparking protests in the Wisconsin city and other communities
across the country. The incident came nearly three months after
footage of Minneapolis police killing George Floyd led to nationwide
demonstrations.
The Sun-Times reported that Blake's father is driving from Charlotte,
North Carolina to be with his hospitalized son, who now has "eight
holes" in his body. The 29-year-old grew up in Winston-Salem, North
Carolina before moving to Evanston, Illinois during middle school. He
has been living in Kenosha for about three years.
"I want to put my hand on my son's cheek and kiss him on his forehead,
and then I'll be OK," said the elder Jacob Blake. "I'll kiss him with my
mask.
The first thing I want to do is touch my son."
Blake's father also addressed the protests and unrest in Kenosha,
where vehicles and dozens of buildings were set on fire overnight,
according to Newsweek.
"Those police officers that shot my son like a dog in the street are
responsible for everything that has happened in the city of Kenosha,"
his father said. "My son is not responsible for it. My son didn't have
a weapon.
He didn't have a gun."
As ABC News reported:
The man who said he made the cellphone video, 22-year-old Raysean
White, said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them
yell, "Drop the knife! Drop the knife!" before the gunfire erupted. He
said he didn't see a knife in Blake's hands.
The governor said he had seen no information to suggest Blake had a
knife or other weapon, but that the case is still being investigated
by the state Justice Department.
The officers were placed on administrative leave, which is standard
practice in a shooting by police. Authorities released no details
about the officers and did not immediately respond to requests for
their service records.
Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers activated 125 members of the
National Guard for the Monday night demonstrations in Kenosha, where
county officials imposed an 8:00 pm curfew.
Newsweek reported that "hundreds of people remained outside the
Kenosha County Courthouse in the city after the curfew took effect,
prompting police to fire the first of several rounds of tear gas at
around 8:30 pm in a bid to disperse them."
Evers also said after the shooting that although all the details
aren't yet known, "what we know for certain is that he is not the
first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly
killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our
country."
Blake's family is being represented by civil rights and personal
injury attorney Ben Crump, the lawyer confirmed in a statement Monday.
Crump is also representing the families of Floyd and Breonna Taylor,
who was killed by Louisville police in March.
"We all watched the horrific video of Jacob Blake being shot in the
back several times by Kenosha police. Even worse, his three sons
witnessed their father collapse after being riddled with bullets,"
Crump said. "Their irresponsible, reckless, and inhumane actions
nearly cost the life of a man who was simply trying to do the right
thing by intervening in a domestic incident. It's a miracle he's still
alive."
"We will seek justice for Jacob Blake and for his family as we demand
answers from the Kenosha Police Department," the attorney vowed. "How
many more of these tragic 'while Black' tragedies will it take until
the racial profiling and undervaluing of Black lives by the police finally
stops?"
Crump, co-counsels Patrick Salvi and B'Ivory LaMarr, and Blake's
family will hold a news conference Tuesday at 3:00 pm local time at
the Kenosha County Courthouse. According to the attorneys, "The family
will address Jacob's current condition and their plans moving forward
following the latest occurrence of excessive police force against the
young Black man."