Today marks the 143rd birthday of Helen Keller, who remains one of the great icons of inspiration in American history. As we take time to remember Helen’s impact on the world, we want to draw attention to those who walked alongside her during her life. It’s in their stories that Helen’s greatness truly comes to light, and we’re reminded that we’re strongest when we’re not alone.
65th birthday celebration for Helen Keller at the Brooklyn Industrial Home for the Blind, Brooklyn, NY. Left to right are Mellissa Vail, Peter J. Salmon, Helen Keller, and Polly Thomson. Keller is about to cut a decorated two-tiered cake that is on the table infront of them. All three women wear summer dresses with short sleeves and a corsage on the lapel. Salmon also wears a flower on his lapel. Keller and Thomson both wear highly decorated small hats.
Helen said it best in one of her more commonly referenced quotes, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” This quote could not be more true for Helen, who recognized the importance of those around her made in forming her own success.
Most notable among her close friends would be Anne Sullivan Macy, who first came to Helen as a teacher in the spring of Helen’s seventh year. Helen would often say how the day she met Anne — who famously broke through to Helen that day by the well — was her second birthday, when her “soul was born.”
Their relationship was no doubt deeper than that well, which flowed the water over Helen’s hands as Anne signed the letters “W-A-T-E-R” over and over again. Anne’s patience would finally pay off in the form of a flood within Helen’s own mind as the association between words and the world around her all came together at once. It serves as a bittersweet image, knowing that 48 years later, Helen would hold Anne’s own hand as she breathed her final breath.
Anne’s ashes are interred alongside Helen’s ashes at the National Cathedral in Washington. But the two are not alone, with Helen’s other assistant, Polly Thompson, interred there as well. Polly took Anne’s place next to Helen’s side when Anne could no longer assist her lifelong friend. Anne and Polly remind us that those who often seem larger than life are there thanks to others who stood by their side, casting a greater shadow behind them as they walk together.
For over 100 years, the American Foundation for the Blind has been humbled to walk with so many leading figures in the field of blindness and disability rights. Helen Keller is surely one of those individuals who stands at the top, having worked with AFB from 1924 up to her death in 1968. But, the mountain we have built over the past century is also made up of the thousands of people who we have had the opportunity to walk alongside with as we work together to create a world of no limits for people who are blind or have low vision. And as we look forward to the next century AFB has embarked upon, we find strength in Helen’s own words, knowing full and well that it is through working together that we will be able to move forward the mountains of opportunity and independence in a world that has dramatically changed since Helen first came to AFB a century ago.
For those experiencing blindness for the first time, you may feel isolated. But know that you are not alone. AFB will continue to bring together leaders in our field; we will continue to find solutions to the leading issues of the day through thoughtful research and advocacy; and we will continue to build a network of voices, offering a shared experience that let’s us all know we’re not alone on our path to equal inclusion and independence.
AFB’s Blind Leaders Development Program is an excellent reminder to the power that comes when we walk with others. For the 101 graduates of the program, which blends leadership training with the power of mentoring, we have learned firsthand that our shared experiences can be the key for unlocking our full potential. As much as Helen’s own life can inspire us, it is often through those who walk with us that the door that will set us free can be opened. Donate now to support programs like our Blind Leaders Development Program.
AFB is honored to house the Helen Keller Digital Archives, which shares over 165,000 artifacts from Helen’s life. The archives was one of the first fully accessible such archives of its kind, and we encourage everyone to visit it; not just to learn about Helen’s legacy, but to learn about those who also walked alongside her during her life.
