Blindness and Black History: One Leader’s Perspective”

Former NLS reference librarian Freddie Peaco chronicles Black History Month and the many contributions to American history by African Americans who are blind or visually impaired. In the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) website, Peaco states, “Personally, my blindness and being an African American motivated me to try harder, strengthening my desire to excel and accomplish what others told me I could not do, such as achieve academic success and independence and be productive.” She cites parallels between the experiences of being a blind African American and those of sighted African Americans, noting that myths and stereotypes are “surrounding our contributions and abilities.” For the full article: Blindness and Black History