Miriam,
Seems like Black is the dominant color in the crayon box. I
interviewed a fellow many years ago, who told me he was considered to
be Black. Turned out he could justify about an eighth African
American. I can trace about the same percentage, only my minority is
Native American Indian. That doesn't count. Yet we both were brought
up in the same culture, in the same city and attended the same
university.
My last Secretary(administrative assistant)was on the register as a
Hispanic. When Cathy met her, she was surprised to find herself
looking at a fair haired, light complexioned woman. She turned out to
be a terrific assistant, but she had no connection with the Spanish
community, other than that her grandmother was half Mexican.
Labels, labels, labels. Gotta have our quotas.
When I signed up for several mid management courses, I noticed that
among the forty or so participants, there were only two women in one
group and three in the second group. One Black man in one group and
none in the other. I was the only disabled person in both groups,
although one participant edged up to me and whispered, "I've got a
hidden disability". Turned out he had a fairly severe hearing loss.
The state was busy training up its future managers from a nearly all
white, all male collection. And back in the late 1980's no one raised
so much as an eyebrow.
Even among the blind in the NFB it was important to wear the proper
label. Since Jacobus tenBroek was totally blind, and so was Kenneth
Jernigan, even the high partials faked vision loss. We were all,
"Blind Guys", men and women, partials and totals alike.
Belonging seems to trump honesty...hmm...Trump trumps honesty, too.
But I've strayed, so I'll go have some more coffee.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/26/20, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl,
Maybe Jacobus tenBroek was black, sort of like Obama is, only less so. Who
was it who was the head of the NAACP who looked and sounded white? I guess
that new book called, Caste, is right. Being black is more a question of
caste than race. In this country, you can look and sound white, and you're
still black.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 8:15 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
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."
