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

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.

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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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At first I thought they were trolling grandma, which is admittedly fun. But after awhile it was clear they weren't joking.

"How could someone be deaf and blind and learn how to write books?" My nephew admits she probably existed but was probably only one or the other.

— Daniel Kunka (@unikunka) January 5, 2021

This is like a real thing. "Well how do you know she's real if you weren't there to see her?"

"Cause I've seen THE MIRACLE WORKER. Do you think Abraham Lincoln is real even though we didn't see him?"

Then they sent me an eye-rolling emojii.

— Daniel Kunka (@unikunka) January 5, 2021

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They are sticking to their guns. They believe people around her "pumped her up" and wrote the book for her.

The do not believe in Helen Keller. And apparently 15 million others on TikTok feel the same way.

— Daniel Kunka (@unikunka) January 5, 2021

Also — my nieces and nephews are all bright and well-intentioned. This isn't from lack of education or empathy.

This is more about how group think can travel through social media like a virus until it suddenly just becomes the truth I think.

— Daniel Kunka (@unikunka) January 6, 2021

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:

“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).

Topics

Haben Girma, Harvard Law School, Helen Keller, TikTok