by Christopher Gray
In 1994, the American Council of the Blind signed a contract, the impact of which will start to be felt at our annual convention in Pittsburgh, Pa. July 5-12, 2003. This contract is not related directly to this convention or any specific convention of our organization for that matter. Rather, it was a contract for the writing of a true history of the organized blind movement of America, the formation of our organization, and an in-depth look at the people and the issues that make up the American Council of the Blind.
The writing of this comprehensive history has taken nine years and spanned three ACB presidencies. I daresay that all these presidents, along with the chair of the history committee, Otis Stephens, a former ACB president himself, wondered at one moment or another if we would ever see the final version of this history. Compiling, chronicling, and annotating the history of our movement was a huge and complex job. It just couldn't be done overnight.
It takes a special talent and a particular personality to undertake such a large and detailed writing task. We are indeed fortunate to have found someone to research and write our history who has impeccable credentials in just such endeavors: Professor James Megivern, a noted historical scholar, perhaps most famous for his writings on the history of the death penalty and the position of the Catholic Church on related issues. The history of the death penalty spans multiple centuries, while our history only spans multiple decades of one century. Be that as it may, over 700 pages, packed with facts and backed up with appropriate notes and citations have come from his labor.
To assist Dr. Megivern, ACB had the good fortune to know a woman of great energy, boundless enthusiasm, excellent cheer, and a friendly, involving disposition. By happy coincidence, she happens also to be Jim's wife, Marjorie. Many ACB members have met and/or talked with Marjorie Megivern as she has criss-crossed the country in person and by phone, collecting oral interviews on all aspects of ACB's history and work. Together, Marjorie and Jim Megivern have worked on this project continuously over the last nine years.
At our 2003 convention in Pittsburgh, you will have the first opportunity to experience the outcome of their labors: "People of Vision: A History of the American Council of the Blind." On Wednesday evening of convention week, we will hold a history gala. It will be a time of celebration both of the publication of our history, and of the accomplishments and activities of our great organization. If you're coming to our convention, then, you'll have the opportunity to attend the gala. If you want, you can even pre-order an advance copy of the history itself. This handsome hard-cover book is almost 750 pages in length, and contains 50 compelling photographs of notable blind men and women of our movement. The authors will be on hand to sign your copies.
The history gala master of ceremonies will be the chair of the history committee and former ACB president, Dr. Otis Stephens. A variety of activities is being prepared to make for a festive, exciting, and historic evening for ACB. From the ceremonial to the comedic, we hope to have something for every attendee to enjoy and remember for years to come. Congratulations to all who had a hand in bringing this important project to fruition.
But wait, there's more! Besides the "big picture" of our ACB history, much more awaits convention attendees this year in Pittsburgh. I'd like in particular to highlight the attendance and speaking of Microsoft's director of accessibility, Madelyn Bryant MacIntire. She has lots of exciting news for techies and non-techies alike. Our annual NLS update is sure to be exciting, and, this year, the talking book narrator -- always a highlight of our convention -- will be Gordon Gould. Being downtown is always fun and brings back memories of other similar conventions such as those in Chicago and Phoenix.
History made and history in the making is what you can prepare to experience with ACB this July! If you can't come to Pittsburgh, perhaps you can hear us on ACB Radio on the Mainstream channel. And you can order convention tapes as well. With anticipation and excitement, I look forward to seeing all of you who can attend very soon.