Merrick Washington Magazine

THE MERRICK WASHINGTON
MAGAZINE

Image description: Left image is a photograph of Mr. John Carter Washington- 1921-2017 sitting left of Mrs. Lyda Moore Merrick
1890-1987
Right side of image is the cover of an edition of the Merrick Washington Magazine.

The Merrick Washington Magazine is one of DCL,
Inc’s longstanding projects and was originally called the Negro Braille Magazine. Founded in
1952 by Lyda Moore Merrick and John Carter Washington, it was the first publication to cull articles from other publications and reprint them in Braille for the Black community.

The magazine was self-published by Mrs. Merrick and her husband, Ed Merrick, for more than 20 years. DCL, Inc. adopted the project in 1975 and Mrs.
Merrick continued to consult with the magazine’s new editorial staff until 1985. In 2013, DCL, Inc.
expanded the Braille magazine to include a large-print edition for low-vision readers.

When DCL, Inc.’s board learned that most blind readers preferred audio content and that
many of the Braille readers’ addresses were becoming obsolete, DCL, Inc. discontinued the Braille edition and expanded the availability of its large print-edition to better serve low-vision readers.
Today the magazine is distributed to more than 1,000 readers twice a year. (Fall/Winter 2020)
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With integration, the Durham Colored Library became part of the Durham Public Library System. The DCL, Inc. board then turned its attention to another project, the Merrick Washington Magazine for the Blind.

The Merrick Washington Magazine project (MWM) is a publication started in 1952 that brings news articles about and related to African American culture and history to a sight-challenged population who do not readily have access to Braille or large print editions of major publications.

We hope to give our readers the independence to read these materials on their own, rather than rely on others to convey this information to them. The articles featured in each issue cover everything from American politics to health issues and are culled from a range of top-notch new sources, including The new York Times, Essence Magazine, and National Geographic Magazine, to name a few. The bi-annual publication is usually available in both Braille and large print editions, depending on funding.

It is distributed to readers, organizations and schools round the U.S. that support the visually-impaired. Our target demographic includes people who have been sightless since birth and those dealing with diseases and medical conditions that affect eyesight.

We publish MWM this in memory and in honor of the founders- Mrs. Lyda Moore Merrick (deceased – she was Aaron McDuffie Moore’s daughter and chaired the DCL, Inc. Board for several years) and Mr. John Carter Washington- and all of the Durham, N.C. leaders who believed in the mission and love behind this project. In particular, we honor the memory of John H. Wheeler (deceased), who in 1969 called together the members of the Durham Colored Library, Inc. board and led the decision to bring MWM under the guidance of that organization.

We also honor the memory of Josephine Dobbs Clement (deceased), the first editorial board chair under this new arrangement, and the other members of that board: Constance Merrick Watts (daughter of Lyda Moore Merrick), John Carter Washington and W.C. Bennett (deceased). Over the years, many women's civic organizations have also continued to lend support to MWM.

We are grateful for their faith in our project and mission.
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Here Is A Little Background On These Two Visionary People.

Lyda Moore Merrick (1890–1987)
Founder of the Merrick/Washington Magazine for the Blind Durham, NC

“My father passed the torch to me, which I have never let go out. We are blessed to serve.”

“I was destined to do this. It was in my heart and in my lap, and I did the best I could day by day.”

Lyda Merrick by birth and by marriage was a member of one of the most prominent families in Durham, regarded as the black capital of the state. Her father and her father in-law were among the founders of the NC Mutual Life Insurance Company. Lyda Moore were educated at Scotia Seminary and graduated magna cum laude from Fisk University. As a wife, mother, and community leader, she used her considerable resources of mind and heart to help others, especially in her work for the blind.
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Services for the Blind honors Johnny Washington, a Wonderful” Man

The deck was stacked against John Carter “Johnny” Washington. A passerby found Washington on a cold January day in 1921 in an alley in Durham next to his mother, who later died at the hospital. An examination revealed that Washington had no eyes, and with nobody to claim him, he was raised by Lincoln Hospital and an orphanage before entering foster care.

Blind since birth due to Norrie disease, a rare X-linked genetic disorder, Washington also developed progressive hearing loss to the point of becoming completely deaf in his later years. However, he refused to let this stop him.

Determined to make an independent, self-supporting lifestyle for himself, Washington attained certification from the College of Swedish Massage in Chicago and later became known as “one of the best” in the masseur profession.

In 1950, Washington married the late Ruth Brown, and remained married for 52 years. They had three children, eight grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. In 1952, he founded Negro Braille Magazine, the first Braille magazine in the country (now called the Merrick/Washington Magazine for the Blind). A fervent advocate for the blind and deaf-blind, Washington and Sue Etheridge, Division of Services for the Blind (DSB) Deaf-Blind State Coordinator, founded the North Carolina Deaf-Blind Associates (NCDBA) in 1984 to serve the needs of the Deaf-Blind community.

Throughout the years, many DSB Deaf-Blind Specialists have worked with Washington to help him maintain a successful life. As Washington’s hearing diminished, he was connected with Deaf-Blind Specialists to improve communication options through DSB’s Independent Living Counselor, Larry Schlesinger. These options included a Braille writer, teleBraille and a door alert that vibrated when the doorbell rang to let Washington know someone was there.

“I love to just hear his voice, especially the word ‘Wonderful,’” said Kim Harrell, a Deaf-Blind Specialist that has worked with Washington. “It’s almost as if he sings it, ‘Won-der-ful!’”

June 21-27 is Deaf-Blind Awareness Week in North Carolina, coinciding with the birth of Helen Keller.

View the proclamation at:
http://www.governor.state.nc.us/.../deaf-blind-awareness....

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Source: https://59b486d2-f72c-4a8e-af2d-6f005eaa7e5c.filesusr.com...

Source: https://www.susanmullally.com/lyda-merrick.html

Source: https://news.ncdhhs.gov/.../services-for-the-blind-honors...

Source: https://silo.tips/.../mwm-merrick-washington-magazine...