Miriam,
I never met Jacobus tenBroek, but it was his speeches in "The Man and
the Movement" that drew me into the NFB. Cathy tells me that in his
pictures he looks White, although many folks who are considered to be
Black look quite Caucasian. Still, listening to his speeches, I dream
up an image of FDR.
But speaking of Black Blind Leaders, back in the 70's John McCaw was
president of the Maryland NFB, and was on the NFB Board of Directors.
John had a voice that was not only loud but very deep. John was
working for the state of Maryland in a social service agency, in an
administrative position.
John was a very likable man, but his blind nephew was a stuck up, self
centered snob. I forget his name, but he married a friend of mine,
and moved to Washington State. Both he and his wife Jackie, had their
PhD's, but I don't think he ever did work. Jackie, also totally
blind, worked for the State Social and Health Services. Her family
disowned her for marrying a Black man. I lost track of him after
Jackie was killed by a hit and run driver. When John died, Kenneth
Jernigan wrote an eulogy which he read to the convention and published
it in the Braille Monitor. In it he attempted to show John's real
humble spirit by telling how John would take Jernigan's shoes out and
polish them. I'd need to find it in order to get the feel of it
again, but I remembered feeling insulted for John.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/26/20, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
That's tragic, especially because, neither are NFB or ACB interested in this
particular issue. Aside from Tenbrook, who started NFB, and I never knew
that he was black until I read it somewhere recently, I don't think that
there have been any black people in leadership positions in the national
organizations. I don't think there are any African American people on the
blindness email lists that I'm on.
Miriam .
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 3:39 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
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."