In Memory of a Leader
In Memory of a Leader
IN MEMORY OF A LEADER
by Ed Bryant
On October 12, 1998, we lost a friend. That
evening, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, President Emeritus of the National Federation of the Blind,
died, victim of lung and bone cancer. But his death, however tragic, is not the issue. We
shall miss him—but today I want to reflect on the life of this great man.
There are many ways to lead. Dr. Jernigan was a
leader in the truest sense of the word, for he inspired love—from those who knew him,
from those whose lives touched his briefly, and from those he never met.
In this age of moral ambiguity, Kenneth Jernigan
was an unambiguous man. He knew what he stood for (and we did too), and he did not
deviate. Like an expert diplomat, or a master fencer, he reached his goals, inspiring the
respect of all. And his goals were ours, those of the National Federation of the Blind.
What did he accomplish? What kind of difference
can one man make? When that man is such a teacher, a very great deal. In his life, in his
writing, and by his own example, Dr. Jernigan taught blind people to believe in
themselves—and he taught the sighted to believe in the blind as well. He taught all
of us that with appropriate training and opportunity, the blind were just as capable as
the sighted of almost any activity or type of employment. He taught that blindness was not
a "handicap," it was a characteristic. And he served us for almost 50 years,
from 1949 to 1998.
Dr. Jernigan was not a diabetic; but his interest
extended to any and all circumstances which could produce blindness or vision
loss—and diabetes is certainly one of those circumstances. I lost my sight from
diabetes, and I found the National Federation of the Blind in 1979. I attended my first
NFB national convention that year, and was extremely impressed both with the Federation
and with Dr. Jernigan, who was its president at that time. I found him a dynamic speaker,
a man with a vision for our future. I was deeply impressed with his literary skills as
well.
In many organizations, the "top man"
has little or no contact with the rank and file. I did not expect this great man would
have time for me—but he did. And my circumstances were not unusual, as Dr. Jernigan
kept an "open door" policy, and did his best to communicate with anyone who had
questions or concerns.
Dr. Jernigan believed in leading by example. He
set many examples, as a speaker, as a negotiator, as an organizer, as President of the NFB
of Tennessee, as a member of the NFB national board (under Dr. tenBroek), as a teacher of
blind adults in Berkeley, California, as the Director of the Iowa Commission for the
Blind, and as President of the National Federation of the Blind from 1968 to 1986. When he
finished his term as president, and Marc Maurer (who he had been training) was elected to
the post, Dr. Jernigan continued to serve the blind, as President Emeritus of the NFB, as
Financial Chairman... He did not stop. During his time with us, as a result of his
leadership, we won the right to work in the U.S. Diplomatic Service, the right to be free
of discriminatory practices in airline seating, improved acceptance of Braille instruction
in schools, and many other improvements in our rights and status. Please note: This is not
just a "blind folks' issue"—where inequality exists, none are equal.
"We are changing what it means to be blind," he often said, and the world Dr.
Jernigan helped reshape is a better place for all, thanks to his efforts.
Since 1991, Dr. Jernigan edited a unique series
of publications, titled the "Kernel Books" ("...to cut through the
sentimentality and misconceptions, to the very `kernel' of the subject," he said in
one introduction). These books feature accessible formats (large type, Braille, or
audiocassette), simple stories, and personal reminiscences of achievement and awareness by
blind persons. The NFB estimates millions of copies have already been distributed.
In the last few years, mindful of blind folks'
need to stay informed about current events, thus measurably increasing their independence,
Dr. Jernigan championed the development of "Newsline for the Blind," a way to
access major, current newspapers, without resort to sighted assistants, complex computer
gear, or the Internet. The "Newsline" user simply dials a telephone number, then
chooses from a menu of publications, and a table of contents. A synthesized voice then
reads the chosen articles. These are neither synopses, abridgements, nor
months-old—they are complete and current electronic versions, available as
immediately as is the print. In many parts of the country, they can be accessed through a
local call, and their number, both of facilities and participating media, is growing.
The blind have made tremendous progress in the
past half century, in all aspects of life. We have jobs that, decades ago, we would never
have dreamed possible. More and more of us have become able to live independently and
productively, a stark contrast to the institutionalized, poverty-stricken past. One of Dr.
Jernigan's strongest messages was that the fact of blindness does not alter a person's
right, ability, or need to be a productive citizen, fully involved in the mainstream.
In pursuit of these goals, after establishing the
National Center for the Blind in Baltimore, Dr. Jernigan helped establish the
International Braille and Technology Center, where blind experts demonstrate and advise
potential users about every piece of adaptive computer equipment for the blind in
existence. Computers that talk, that have Braille display, or are in other ways adaptive
are there, in the largest collection of such equipment anywhere. But all life eventually
comes to an end. Blind or sighted, leader or follower, there comes a time when each of us
will live on in the memory of those who knew us.
"I think this is not the day to be
sad," said Federationist Jana Moynihan, from Kansas City, Missouri, at one of the
many memorial ceremonies for Dr. Jernigan: "I think this is a day to be
happy—yes, we're sad we lost him, but he was wise enough, like Dr. tenBroek before
him, to train competent leaders... I don't think we should be sad. My personal belief
about people we care about the most, when they die, is that I believe they can come back
to us, and be with us, at any time of crisis or of joy in our lives. I believe that
somewhere in this room today, Dr. Jernigan is standing here... We know the Federation will
go on, will grow, will be strong... and I'm sure he feels we will succeed without
him."
Blindness knows no borders. Our issues are the
same ones blind folks, those losing visions, those who know they are at risk, and those
who work with the blind face in any part of the world. Dr. Jernigan knew this, and the
world knew it. People came from far away to learn from him, to be inspired by him, and to
take his message home. Norbert Mueller, German Secretary General of the European Blind
Union, was affected by the work of Dr. Jernigan:
"This man was thinking in the same direction
I was thinking, but he did not stop at points where I had begun to take things for
granted."
"What really got to me in that speech
["Blindness:
Handicap or Characteristic?"] was when he
told how he at one time had to put the paint on furniture. He said he had thought this was
impossible for a blind person. But then he noticed there were ways how he could do it.
This really struck a chord in me. How often have we sold ourselves short—too short?
I, like so many other blind people, had often said things like "we, as blind people,
need to accept our limitations!"—but I had assumed my limits to be much more
narrow than necessary. I decided at that moment that a better way to find limits is to
keep pushing them..."
Perhaps that is the message we most need to take
with us—to keep pushing the limits. I know I will. He encouraged us to start our
Diabetes Action Network, and VOICE OF THE DIABETIC. He made sure we had the continuing
support that allowed us to grow. And his memory will lead us all forward.
The November 1998 issue of the BRAILLE MONITOR
describes how at Dr. Jernigan's funeral service in Baltimore, his son-in-law Mr. Tony Cobb
reminded the audience of many great addresses and stirring speeches, but he closed with a
reminiscence of his own:
"So it was then, is now, and will be in the
future. Dr. Jernigan now passes to each of us—a future which we accept with its
implicit challenge to love as he loved, to give as he gave, and to persevere as he
persevered, walking alone and marching together."
NOTE: To learn more about the life of Dr.
Jernigan, and
about the National Federation of the Blind, see
the January 1999
issue of the BRAILLE MONITOR, published by the
National
Federation of the Blind. The MONITOR is available
in print,
audiocassette, Braille, and on the World Wide Web
at
To obtain a copy, to start a subscription, or to
learn more about the Federation, contact: National Federation of the Blind, 1800 Johnson
Street, Baltimore, MD 21230; telephone: (410) 659-9314.
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