Kenneth Jernigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenneth Jernigan
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| Born |
Norman Kenneth Jernigan
November 13, 1926 Detroit, Michigan, US
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| Died | October 12, 1998 (aged 71) Baltimore, Maryland, US
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| Education | Tennessee Technological University (B.A.) Peabody College (M.A.) |
| Occupation | President of the National Federation of the Blind |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ellen Jernigan |
Norman Kenneth Jernigan (born November 13, 1926 – died October 12, 1998) was an important leader for blind people in the United States. He led the National Federation of the Blind, which is the biggest and oldest group for blind people in the country.
Kenneth Jernigan's Early Life
Kenneth Jernigan was born blind in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up on a farm in Tennessee. When he was six years old, he started school at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1945, he began studying at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee. He finished his degree in just three years. In 1949, he earned a Master's Degree in English from Peabody College in Nashville.
After college, he taught high school English for four years. He taught at the Tennessee School for the Blind. During this time, he joined the National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee. He became its Vice-President in 1950 and President in 1951. In 1952, he was chosen to be on the group's Board of Directors. In 1953, he moved to Oakland, California. There, he joined the staff of a new center for blind adults.
Leading the Way for Blind People
In 1958, Jernigan moved to Iowa. He became the director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind. This group is now called the Iowa Department for the Blind. While there, Jernigan created a new way to help blind people. This method was called "structured discovery." It helped blind people learn skills to live independently. Soon, many programs around the world started using his method.
Just two weeks after starting in Iowa, Jernigan wrote a letter to Governor Herschel Loveless. He described the bad conditions he found at the agency. He listed many things the agency needed to fix. He ended his letter by saying the director should be given a fair chance. If the director did not show results, he should be fired. He added that he, as the director, would agree with this.
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson honored Jernigan. He received an award for his excellent work. Harold Russell, from the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, gave him the award. Russell said that if a person had to be blind, it was best to be blind in Iowa. He meant Iowa had the best support for blind people.
Also in 1968, Jernigan became President of the National Federation of the Blind. He took over after the founder, Jacobus tenBroek, passed away. Jernigan stepped down briefly in 1977 for health reasons. But he was reelected the next year. He stayed in that role until 1986. Then, Marc Maurer became the new president. After his presidency, Jernigan helped create many books. These books were called "kernel books." They shared true stories about the lives of blind people.
In 1978, Jernigan moved from Iowa to Baltimore, Maryland. He became the Executive Director for the American Brotherhood for the Blind. This group is now called the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. He also directed the National Center for the Blind. Under his leadership, this center became very important. It was a main place for civil rights work for blind people. He continued to be a political leader for the organization for the rest of his life.
Kenneth Jernigan's Legacy
Kenneth Jernigan passed away in October 1998 from lung cancer. His tombstone in Baltimore has a special message. It says, "He taught us it is respectable to be blind!" This shows how much he changed how people viewed blindness.
