ORGANIZERS
DONATE
BOTTOM

Helen Keller

Left deaf and blind from a childhood illness, Helen Keller learned to communicate with the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan. Helen Keller advanced the rights of the differently-abled, and also fought for labor rights as a suffragist and socialist.

Poetry by Helen Keller

Let Us Have Faith

by Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)

 

Security is mostly a superstition.

It does not exist in nature, 

nor do the children of men 

as a whole experience it. 

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run

than outright exposure. 

Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. 

To keep our faces toward change

and behave like free spirits 

in the presence of fate

is strength undefeatable.


PBS - Helen Keller | Author, Advocate, and Activist Video (Grades 3-7)

Helen Keller | Author, Advocate, and Activist Video from PBS
Credit: PBS

MY HERO Suggested Video

"1930 Rare footage of Helen Keller speaking with the help of Anne Sullivan" (1930) by NewsStunning

 

MY HERO Suggested Video

"HELEN KELLER SPEAKS OUT" (1954) by Helen Keller Channel

 

Stories

Helen Keller: A Hero in the Quiet Darkness

By: Emily Zhen

A story about Helen Keller by high school student Emily Zhen

Helen Keller

By: Sofia K.

For younger readers

Portraits of Helen Keller

Portraits of Helen Keller show her optimism and joy for life.

Anne Sullivan caring for her student Helen Keller
Credit: By Michael T Sanders - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44350187

Helen Keller

By: Robert Shetterly

"When one comes to think of it, there are no such things as divine, immutable, or inalienable rights. Rights are things we get when we are strong enough to make good our claim on them."

Helen Keller

By: Carl Van Vechten
American author, lecturer and suffragist.

Helen Keller Library

The Story of My Life : The Restored Edition

By: Helen Keller

In this autobiography, initially published in 1903, Helen Keller recalls her remarkable life as a blind and deaf woman taught to communicate by Ann Sullivan. Here among other memories, Keller describes her epiphany at the water pump when she connected the physical world with its linguistic counterpart. Keller was eventually educated at Radcliffe University, where she graduated with honors.

To Love This Life : Quotations by Helen Keller

By: Helen Keller

To Love This Life is a beautiful and moving souvenir of one of the world's most admired women. This memorable collection of quotations from Helen Keller brings words of wisdom, courage, and inspiration from a remarkable individual who above all wanted to make a difference in the lives of her fellow men and women. They offer profound statements on the meaning of being human and on life in all its complexity, revealing the wit and wisdom of an unforgettable woman.

Helen and Teacher: The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy

By: Joseph P. Lash

The intimate story of two women whose lives were bound together in a unique relationship marked by genius, dependence, and love. Lash traces Anne Sullivan's early years in a Massachusetts poorhouse, describes her meeting with Helen Keller in Alabama, and goes on to recount the joint events of their lives: Helen's childhood experiences, education at Radcliffe, and work in vaudeville, politics, and for the blind. This definitive biography concludes with Helen's final years without Anne Sullivan Macy.


Helen Keller: From Tragedy to Triumph (Childhood of Famous Americans Series)

By: Katherine E. Wilkie

A biography focusing on the childhood years, of the blind and deaf woman who overcame her handicaps with the help of her teacher, Annie Sullivan.

Helen Keller, Rebellious Spirit: The Life and Times of Helen Keller

By: Laurie Lawlor

Lawlor's finely crafted and lively biography makes fine use of primary-source material that brings Keller's interior thoughts to life and hints at her highly developed sense of humor. The author does not shy away from pointing out her subject's faults while lauding her many accomplishments. This well-researched account contains a fair amount of social history, placing Keller's life in the context of her time and providing readers with a greater basis to understand the development of her "radical" political beliefs and her "rebellious spirit." 

Helen Keller (American Women of Achievement Series)

By: Dennis Wepman, Matina S. Horner (Introduction)

How a woman left blind and deaf from a childhood illness overcame her handicaps to become a noted writer and humanitarian.


Helen''s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller

By: Doreen Rappaport

This picturebook biography is an excellent and accessible introduction for young readers to learn about one of the world''s most influential luminaries. With her signature style of prose laced with stirring quotes, Doreen Rappaport brings to life Helen Keller''s poignant narrative. 


Call to Action

Petition from the American Foundation for the Blind

Protect Life-Changing Programs in the US for People with Vision Loss

https://secure.everyaction.com/mqbQCKe8W0qKvuwJGKL_VA2?ms=takeaction

Related Pages

Annie Mansfield Sullivan Macy

By: Sarah from Montvale
Annie Mansfield Sullivan Macy developed new methods for teaching blind and deaf students.

Louis Braille

By: Brett from San Diego
Louis Braille invented a system of writing and reading used by blind people all over the world.

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month | March

By: Becky Miller
Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas that onset before adulthood. Learn more about heroes who happen to have developmental disabilities below.

External Links

Our Curators

 

Artwork curated by MY HERO Arts Education and Gallery director Giselle Villatoro. 

 

Short films curated by MY HERO International Film Festival director Wendy Milette

 

Hero Stories curated by MY HERO General Editor and Story Director Shannon Luders-Manuel. 

 

Audio curated by MY HERO Audio director Stu Pearlman. 


Organizer created on 6/21/2018 9:32:19 PM by

Last edited 6/29/2020 1:39:32 AM by Shannon Luders-Manuel

TOP