Law Schools

Gen Z Thinks Helen Keller Is A Fraud. Maybe This Harvard Law School Graduate Will Change Their Minds

This is some ableist bullsh*t.

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Media Access Awards 2017 at The Four Seasons

Haben Girma (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Media Access Awards 2017)

I’m not one for generation wars for a bunch of reasons. First of all, I don’t think being born in 1982 makes you a markedly different person that one born in 1983. But also because a lot of the issues people have with generations other than their own just make sense to me. Like, of course growing up during the Great Depression is going to fuck up your grandma in different ways than watching the Twin Towers fall as a child fucked you up. It’s the circle of generational trauma. So, I’ll let Gen Z have their wrong opinions about skinny jeans because I understand it’s that they never dealt with the horror of the aught’s low-rise jeans.

But this is out of hand.

Last year, a Twitter thread about Helen Keller made the rounds, and I mercifully missed it. But virality is cyclical and well, here we go. Did you know that there is a TikTok-based conspiracy that posits Helen Keller is a fraud? If we wondered what growing up under the auspices of fake news/red pill/big lie was doing to the kids, this is proof that (at least some of them) are not alright.

Let’s take a gander at what’s going on.

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Wow. Some one “pumped her up”? My brain hurts with how offensive that is. Let’s put aside that there are firsthand accounts, books, movies, and freaking video of Keller, as folks were quick to point out this just smack as some of the most insidious forms of ableism. This happens all too often as accomplishments are undermined, or in the case of Keller, outright erased due to uneducated opinions about what is possible for people with disabilities.

If for some reason you need more proof that conceiving of Keller’s achievements as “unrealistic” is a harmful stereotype, look at Haben Girma. Above the Law readers are familiar with the blind-deaf lawyer’s impressive resume: Harvard Law alum, Skadden Fellow working with Disability Rights Advocates, White House speaker, lawyer using technology to successfully work with her clients, on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, surfer, and — like Keller — an author.

And, this is a complete aside, but Girma wrote in her book one of the best descriptions of love in talking about building her relationship with her now late guide dog, Maxine:

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“Love takes time. Love forms through the expression of genuine appreciation, the creation of clear boundaries, the practice of forgiveness, and mutual respect. Over time, these experiences weave together, forming a strong bond between two beings. Time and experience have fostered a trust that draws us together, building a shared understanding that continues to grow.”

Anyway, the erasure of Keller is bullshit that cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. The kids don’t have to get off my lawn, but they do have to stop with the ableism.

Earlier: Congratulations to the 2013 Skadden Fellows
Today’s Tech: How A Deaf-Blind Lawyer Uses Technology To Represent Her Disabled Clients
30 Under 30: The Top Young Lawyers And Policymakers (2016)
Deaf-Blind Harvard Law Grad Learning To… Surf?
Haben Girma: A Zealous Advocate For Disability Rights

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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