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- Path: sparky!uunet!olivea!isc-br!bunker!hcap!hnews!101!460.0!Jamal.Mazrui
- From: Jamal.Mazrui@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Jamal Mazrui)
- Newsgroups: misc.handicap
- Subject: Re: "blind loyalty"
- Message-ID: <23788@handicap.news>
- Date: 12 Aug 92 19:11:30 GMT
- Sender: wtm@bunker.shel.isc-br.com
- Reply-To: Jamal.Mazrui@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org
- Organization: FidoNet node 1:101/460.0 - VI/BUG, Holbrook MA
- Lines: 49
- Approved: wtm@hnews.fidonet.org
- X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference
-
- Index Number: 23788
-
- [This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
-
- Hi Chuck! I agree that the article balanced positive as well as
- negative observations and that some significant questionable practices
- were not covered. One that comes to my mind is the link between the
- American Brotherhood for the Blind and the National Federation of the
- Blind. Jernigan routinely uses money raised through charibable
- solicitations for the "services to the blind" of the Brotherhood toward
- financing political activities of his in the Federation. For example,
- if someone doesn't win a scholarship through the regular NFB
- scholarship process, but the person is being politically cultivated by
- Jernigan for some reason, then he will give them a scholarship through
- the Brotherhood. Brotherhood money is also used sometimes to finance
- the "re-organizing" of state affiliates so the the hotel and air
- expenses don't appear on the NFB's books. In literature of the
- Brotherhood, this is referred to as "helping blind persons
- self-organize" or some similar phrase. In this way, Jernigan can help
- to ensure that only people loyal to him without question get elected
- state presidents in the organization.
-
- Ypu're right that an investigative exposee usually involves more than
- what was revealed in "Blind Loyalty." In comparison to what mainstream
- press is usually willing to report about a disability organization,
- however, I think it was an exposee.
-
- Best regards,
-
- Jamal
-
- P.S. The American Brotherhood for the Blind has recently been renamed
- to the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. If that
- were its sole focus, it is a positive name change--gender- neutral,
-
- etc. Unfortunately, with what I know about its additional hidden
- purposes, I cannot help but wonder if it an attempt to strenghthen the
- perception of its charitable role over a different reality.
-
- PPS: For the information of anyone listening who does not know,
- Kenneth Jernigan is Executive Director of both the Brotherhood and the
- Federation; Marc Maurer is President of the Federation and General
- Counsel to the Brotherhood. Marc Maurer's salary is paid by the
- Brotherhood for "legal services." Jernigan's salary has been paid by
- the Brotherhood, though he says he has been unpaid in recent years.
-
- --
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