It’s been a long, tough winter in fact and spirit, then suddenly yellow and purple crocuses, daffodils, tulips poke through the earth. A fountain of bright yellow forsythia shoots toward the sky, then laughing, cascades down to earth. The fat, lush, sensuous blossoms on the dogwood trees swell and tease, pale pink and brown, just about to open, and it is clear spring  has surprised us and come yet again, not a moment too soon. Still, it is impossible not to think about Baghdad, about Kandahar. The wars being waged there, the lives being lost, the killing of innocents on every side – if there are ever really sides – in these conflicts. Does my counterpart, my sister in Afghanistan (where corrupt Thief President Karzai, who the United states has paid billions, last week threatened, after Obama’s midnight drive by to demand accountability, to join the Taliban) or Iraq, have a moment to admire the flowers, be thankful for spring, luxuriate in and be amazed by natures indomitable ability to come back again and again and again? Will there ever be a spring without blood on someone’s hands?

Just finished reading the satirist and essayist Ishmael Reed’s brilliant new book, Barack Obama and the Jim Crow Media: The Return of the Nigger Breakers, and in response have yet again modified my media diet. For the past weeks I have consumed information about the President’s plans only directly from the President, cutting out the pundits, spin doctors, screaming right wingers, smug lefty comedians, and everyone else in between. It’s just me, Barack, C-SPAN and whitehouse.gov. (I bypass the spin at that site and go straight to the videotape.) Lovely and liberating to actually be able to consume and digest information and formulate an opinion without someone telling me what I heard, saw and think. I highly reccommed it. And Ishmael’s book.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST:

If you are in the New York City area, RUN to the Lincoln Plaza Cinema, 62nd St. and Broadway, and see “Teza” the new film from Haile Gerima, who made the brilliant film “Sankofa,” the finest film I have ever seen about slavery. The story of an Ethiopian ex-patriate who returns home to his country and village after years abroad, “Teza” is beautiful, powerful, lyrical, and a masterpiece of story telling. It is one of the clearest portraits of post-colonial Africa I can think of, told in a simple, universal, story that wraps itself around you in an embrace that is familiar, unsettling, seductive, critical, surprising, exhilarating, and much, much more. Gerima makes films without the usual Hollywood gimmicks and conceits, devoid of stereotype and contempt, movies that pre-suppose and challenge the viewers intelligence. Need I say without Hollywood money too? It took him 14 years to raise the money to make “Teza” and 45 days to shoot it. A masterwork.  Go see it. Pass the word. Support honest, provocative, enjoyable films by us for us.

Jill Nelson 4/6/10 – The blog with the musical notes!

Looking toward the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on Monday, January 18, the world demands our attention and reflection. The earthquake in Haiti, the war in Iraq and the escalation of the war in Afghanistan, the greed and arrogance of the financial institutions that have brought this country to its knees, millions of Americans without health care, millions more losing their homes, hungry, profoundly disillusioned and skeptical. What better moment to read, think, talk about Dr. King’s life. What he lived for. What he died for. The challenges to justice, fairness and peace he levied on himself and us. If we are still interested in becoming the nation we once thought we could.

Monday, take time to read King’s words. Listen to one of his speeches linked to here. Watch a news report on his life. Consider the world both as it is and how it could be. Then figure out what your part is in moving forward.

Do not forget Haiti! Text HAITI 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross. Text Yele 501501 to give $5 to Wyclef Jean’s charity. Check this list for other ways to show your support. Listen to President Obama on American response to the earthquake in Haiti and the idiot who preceeded him on Hurricane Katrina.

Jill Nelson 1/15/10 – The blog with the musical notes!

When a nation uses violence as a policy instrument – recent examples include the invasions of Iraq, Afghanistan, the abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, police brutality, the continued use of the death penalty – it seems more than a little disingenuous to feign surprise when that violence comes home, as it did to Fort Hood, Texas last week. Tragic, frightening, shocking, but not surprising.

Enough of the articles reporting that accused Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Malik Hasan “dreaded” being sent to Afghanistan or Iraq. Who in their right mind wouldn’t loathe been sent to fight in wars that never should have begun, have no clear objective, cannot be won but no one apparently has the courage to end? I’d be more worried by a soldier who was eager to go overseas and risk her or his life for….what?

It’s not too late to write President Obama and tell him not to send anymore troops to Afghanistan. Shouldn’t the billions in tax dollars being spent in Afghanistan and Iraq be spent here at home? We’ve bailed out the banks, funded unchecked corruption and theft abroad, isn’t it time to help regular people struggling here at home?

Great that a health care bill passed in the House, not good that women’s legal right to abortion seems to be the price. Slavery’s over. No more claiming control of women’s bodies. Make your voice heard and demand that the right to abortion be included in health care reform. I want my body back!

That includes from Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx and Tyler Perry. Enough of black men dressing up as black women and pretending they’re us! What’s that about? Why do we support these body snatchers? Why is the only black woman on the big screen Precious, a 16-year-old, 350 pound victim of every pathology you can imagine? Why are all the victimizers in the movie dark skinned and greasy and all the saviors light skinned and clean? Why are we not talking about the distorted representations of and erasure of the rest of us? On the cultural landscape, if we’re not entertainers we’re invisible unless we’re black men in drag, Precious, Oprah, or Michelle Obama. Now the news that Screen Gems has acquired “Sheneneh and Wanda,” starring Jamie and Martin as… us! Is this entertainment?

Jill Nelson 11/11/09 – The blog with the musical notes!

I’m not sure when or why it happened, but in many communities Halloween has been appropriated by the grown-ups, at least after the kiddie’s bedtime. Once the children have finished trick or treating and returned from parties, its time for the adults turn to put on costumes and become someone else. Or maybe reveal who they truly are underneath their 364 day facade. Whatever, adult participation in Halloween is fascinating, intriguing, often hilarious and sometimes psychologically revealing, at least to this spectator.

Still, the horror we contrive on October 31 disappears in comparison to the real horrors of the world we live in. This week President Obama flew in the wee hours of the morning to Dover Air Force base in Delaware to honor the return of the bodies of 18 soldiers killed in Afghanistan and spend time with their heartbroken families. An act of responsibility and compassion, I’m hoping that the President’s visit was also a step toward positioning himself to announce his decision not to send more troops to that country and to immediately begin withdrawing those who are there. Fighting and dying for what? In this crucial time, it is important that we let the president know how we feel. (After the oblivious, arrogant, moron we had for 8 years, shouldn’t we take advantage of a president who actually wants to hear from citizens?) To express our opinions is not whining, or demanding too much of Obama after less than a year in office, or expecting others to do what we won’t do ourselves. Nope, it’s democracy.

Jill nelson 10/30/09 – The blog with the musical notes!

Creepily, just days after the announcement that Barack Obama is the recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize comes the news that along with the 21,000 troops announced in March, another 13,000 have already been sent to Afghanistan. These numbers do not include the 40,000 General Stanley McCrystal has insisted are needed, a request the President is considering.

Why? Why? What is there to be gained in committing tens of thousands of more lives and billions of additional dollars to the debacle in Afghanistan? Absolutely nothing. If you have any doubt that it’s a debacle, check out Frontline’s “Obama’s War.” Talk about a corrupt, un-winnable, unnecessary quagmire! Afghanistan will end up making the travesty in Iraq look like a win, and that’s truly saying something.

I’m with Congressman Charlie Rangel: Let’s bring back the draft and call on Americans across the board to serve in these unnecessary wars. There’s no doubt a draft would make doves out of many hawks and force the citizenry to turn off Dancing with the Stars and Access Hollywood and tune into the real show, Democracy: It’s On You.

UPDATE: My Nappy ROOTS filmmaker Regina Kimbell’s request for an injunction against Chris Rock and his new documentary, Good Hair, was dismissed by a Los Angeles judge on the grounds that the only similarity between the two films is the subject matter. The controversy has made me want to see both documentaries. Would appreciate some feedback and critique from anyone who’s seen one or both.

Jill Nelson, 10/14/09 – The blog with the musical notes!

Such a historic event one week ago today most of us can hardly believe it. I have been collecting some of the most profound reactions and compiling them, maybe one day to build an archival of one of the most important moments in history. Here is one that moved me most, unfortunately as with many of them the author is unknown.

Why I Cried…

I cried on Jan.3, 2008 when Obama won the Iowa caucus. I cried on Nov. 4th during the buildup and I cried on Nov. 5th as it settled into my reality and its implications. Americans are happy to see Barack Obama as president-elect because he is a sign of the American dream: single mother, requiring government assistance raises a son to be president of the United States. Also because a sign that some of the racial angst of the past are washing away, although still prevalent. We also have the optimism that his eloquence, intellect, thoughtfulness and vision will lead the country in a better place. Obama has demonstrated that taking the moral high ground can work and that the good guy can win. He allows us to believe that our international prestige will improve which can help with our ills (war, economy, global warming, etc).

But for African Americans he is much more. His ascension to the highest position in the land is more than someone who looks like me is president. It reaches into dark places in my psyche and the tenderest tissue in my heart and exposes them so they can be acknowledged. It means that America has embraced my people as a race for meaningful reasons such as ability, excellence and passion in politics and mental acumen, and not just physical or artistic talent. While as individuals we may feel strong, the reality is as a race, African Americans have not felt complete due to the state of African Americans and how other races view us. Statistics are not our friend (education level, employment levels, income levels, imprisonment rates)but at the end of the day on Nov. 4th, there is hope and a lift in spirits that is hard to explain. I cried hoping the slights at service in stores, by police, in restaurants and cabbies will diminish because the president is like me. I cried because I can walk into a room in corporate America and not feel like I am the only one or don’t belong there because all in the room know there is someone like me above them in this country. I cried because I can look my daughter in the eye, and without exception, be able to say you can be anything you want to be.

I cried because I believe that this beacon of light will help diminish the ills that plague some black communities such as HS dropout rates, social program dependency and drug/alcohol abuse. I cried because I can see a US where African Americans are integral components in shaping this country because they vote and are part of campaign process. I cried because for the first time, maybe since ‘84 Olympics, I felt proud to be American. Not privileged or happy, but proud. I cried because he was judged not by the color of his skin but the content of his character. I cried because to so many questions I was scared to ask or answer, my daughter can answer, “Yes, we can.” I cried because he did it the right way and still won.

I cried because so many will walk taller with their heads up high even though nothing else has changed in their lives in the past 24 hours. I cried because I can hope to be respected and not just feared. I cried tears of joy and hope for all those who knew only despair but still hoped. I cried because my daughter’s generation can believe that anything is possible and she was old enough to see it and understand it. I cried because I actually believe tomorrow will be better than yesterday. I cried because we needed a black family to aspire to because the Huxtables were a long time ago. I don¹t expect that he will cure all crime, poverty, sickness or societal evils, or even that our economic future will quickly turn around. I do view him in messianic terms however. He is an example of perseverance and how to do it the right way. He has lifted spirits of different peoples around the globe. People have prayed to him and others have watched his every move in awe, like a god. Winning the US election in 2008 when in 2003 it was ridiculous to consider anywhere in the world is at least on the level of walking on water. I would take a bullet for this man. I can say that about no one besides my daughter. I’m surprised to write the above line because I didn’t realize how deeply I wanted and needed this man to be president. I am not ashamed to cry and I am not finished crying.

I will cry again on Jan. 20 2009.

“It’s the end of the world as we know it”….driving into work this morning I found myself almost unconsciously humming REM’s famous 90’s hit with no idea about what was really happening in the world around me. Jammed at the Lincoln tunnel with thousands of other commuters trying to be first into mid-town Manhattan, I inched my way into the dark tube along side a well suited man, in a light blue Bentley, who was clearly in a hurry to get to his office. He pounded on the steering wheel after being cut off by a NJ Transit Bus and cursed being forced to get in back of the dirty steel transport. It wasn’t going to make him more lately; I think it was just the idea that he had to get behind a “bus” that enraged him so much. I laughed and thought about the saying “It’s easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle, than it is to get a rich man into heaven”…Camel…Bentley…Potato… Potato…

I hadn’t picked up my coffee before I saw the headlines…Lehman Bros. and Merrill Lynch have fallen and AIG, the world’s largest insurance company, has been forced into restructuring. The turmoil continues for our financial markets and that’s bad news for us all. The mighty dollar is less mighty as the days go on it would seem….Is today our “Black Monday”! No wonder Mr. Bentley was in such a rush.

So the markets are in chaos, Ike pounded the Texas coast with 100mph winds, leaving millions without power, putting most of Galveston underwater and causing an estimated $18 Billion in damages. We are engaged in a war overseas that rages on and our satisfaction with our personal lives is increasingly diminishing. Have we reached the symbolic end of days?

I was prepared to write about something else today, it was already to go but then the headlines, Mr. Bentley and REM made me change course. It seemed all these elements came together for a reason and now it’s the foremost question in my mind? Maybe I’m crazy and the uncertainty in my own life has caused me to land in a more existential place, but it seriously feels like something more transformative and dare I say at times….punitive…is happening in our world. However, I allow I could be reaching because when times get tough we all search for meaning. Maybe I’m just grasping?

Is this just the natural cycle of life that every generation goes through and this is our time? Or is something more “spiritual” happening? Should we be Praying or Panicking?

If you’re not familiar with the case of Pfc. LaVena Johnson, here’s her tragic story. At 19 she decided to serve her country by joining the Army. Only she never got chance. 8wks after she arrived in Iraq she was raped and murdered, presumably by one of her fellow officers.

The Army insists it was a “suicide”. They claim she was inventive enough to break her own nose, pour corrosive chemicals on her genitals (she’d want to hide the DNA evidence of her attacker of course) and shoot herself, in a place that according to the autopsy would be “inconsistent” with a self-inflicted wound. Although many petitions continue to be filed, a new one launched just last week, Congress has yet to find her death “warranting” an investigation.

I’ll sign the petition and hopefully you will as well, but I honestly don’t believe the Army will ever pull back the curtain to find out who killed Pfc. Johnson. Like with Pat Tillman, it would require looking at things they’d really rather not see. Things that stand in direct contradiction to who they think they are and aspire to be. Why would our “boys” be any less gallant or honorable from days past? They are hero’s…liberators not cold, violent, killers.

Never mind these boys, before getting to Iraq, survived Columbine, gang violence, life on the street, shattered homes and abuses that primed their rage for war. Never mind many of them were POW’s in their own neighborhoods, some weapons experts, before they ever stepped foot in Baghdad.

When I read LaVena’s story I was reminded of a movie I saw last year, called In the Valley of Elah, where Tommy Lee Jones plays a military vet and a father, who works overtime to find out who gruesomely murdered his son the moment his son returns from Iraq. When the civilian investigator suggests that they look at men in his son’s unit as potential suspects he says,

“Impossible. You can’t serve next to man and then do something like that to him.” I wonder if Pfc. Johnson thought that too?

Maybe it was true in the military generation of long ago. The same one I think Senator McCain wistfully refers to. However, it would seem we now live in Generation Kill. Where art seems to truly imitate life.

This HBO mini-series about the “new” face of war, show troops, possibly as they really are today, closer to restless frat boys than officers who are gentleman. For them fear, frustration and rage are interchangeable emotions. They wait for Penthouse not letters from home, meet sexual innuendo towards a 6yr old with seedy laughter and treat war like an afternoon playing Halo 2.

Pat Tillman’s mother encouraged us to ask ourselves how many more…Unless the military starts to confront Generation Kill we may never really know!

Sunday morning along with thousands of Journalists of Color, I had an opportunity to hear “live” from Presumptive Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

This appearance was broadcast live on “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer” and was the first public appearance following Senator Obama’s overseas trip to the Middle East and Europe. The event was featured at UNITY: Journalists of Color conference held in Chicago. The forum was moderated by CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux and TIME magazine deputy editor Romesar Ratnesar.

The presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain was also invited to appear however was unable to be present due to schedule conflicts. Highlighted excerpts courtesy of CNN’s “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer” are listed below:

Highlighted Excerpts:

On criticism of Sen. Obama’s world trip

MALVEAUX:  Senator, I want to use a word that you love to use, “audacity.”  A lot of people looked at the trip and they saw the palaces, the world leaders, the 200,000 that were gathered in Berlin, and they said, “The audacity of this trip, it looks like he is running for president of the world.”  And a lot of people looked and they want to know, what out of this trip did you take away that you feel makes you a stronger candidate to be a leader here? 

OBAMA:  Well, let me make a couple points.  First of all, I basically met with the same folks that John McCain met with after he won the nomination.  He met with all these leaders.  He also added a trip to Mexico, a trip to Canada, a trip to Colombia, and nobody suggested that that was “audacious.”  I think people assumed that what he was doing was… (APPLAUSE) … talk to world leaders who we may have deal with should we become president.  That’s part of the job that I’m applying for.  And so — so I was puzzled by this notion that somehow what we were doing was in any way different from what Senator McCain or a lot of presidential candidates have done in the past.  Now, I admit we did it really well. 

But that shouldn’t be a strike against me.  You know, if I was bumbling and fumbling through this thing, I would have been criticized for that.  And so — so that’s point number one.   I don’t know the political effect of this when I come back.  You know, I think people are worried about gas prices; they’re worried about job security; they’re worried about their retirement fund, as the stock market goes down. 

So probably a week of me focusing on international issues doesn’t necessarily translate into higher poll numbers here in the United States, because people are understandably concerned about the immediate effects of the economy.  And that’s what we will be talking about for the duration.  I do think that, in terms of me governing, being an effective president, that that trip was helpful, because I think I’ve established relationships and a certain bond of trust with key leaders around the world who have taken measure of my positions and how I operate and I think can come away with some confidence that this is somebody I can deal with. 

On immigration

DIANNE SOLIS, DALLAS MORNING NEWS/NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC JOURNALISTS:  Hi, I’m Dianne Solis.  I’m from the Dallas Morning News and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.   And my question is about immigration.  Percentage-wise, the U.S. has nearly as many immigrants as it did at its last historic high about a century ago.  So should we have more immigration or less immigration?  And where should people come from, particularly given that the biggest backlogs are out of Latin America and Asia for legal entry?

OBAMA:  Well, you know, I think that we are a nation of immigrants and we are a nation of laws.  And the problem that I see is not the number of immigrants that are coming in — because we actually are advantaged in the United States by the number of immigrants coming in.   The Europeans, they’ve got the opposite problem.  Because they don’t have a history of assimilating immigrants, they’re actually losing population rapidly.  And that could present a huge problem for them, in terms of their economy over the long term.  Same thing is true with Japan.   So the fact that we’re getting people who still want to come to this country and live out the American dream, that’s all good. 

The problem is when we’ve got a legal immigration system running parallel with an illegal immigration system.  And I have said that I’m strongly in favor of a comprehensive immigration approach.

On denouncing false rumors that Sen. Obama is a Muslim

LEONARD PITTS, MIAMI HERALD/NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS:  Good morning, Senator.  Leonard Pitts, Jr., columnist with the Miami Herald and member of the National Association of Black Journalists.  You have repeatedly denounced false rumors that you are a Muslim. 

My question and what I’m wondering is whether or not you feel that you have gone too far, whether or not, in answering these questions without challenging the implicit assumption that there’s something wrong with being a Muslim, you have actually done harm to the cause of Muslims. 
You have visited churches and synagogues.  When will you — or is it in the plans for you to visit a mosque? 

OBAMA:  Well, Leonard, I have to say, this is a classic example of a no-win situation, right?  So I try to correct something that is false and then people say, “Well, why are you correcting this thing in a way that isn’t sufficiently” — well, let me put it this way. 
First of all, I have repeatedly on various occasions said I am not a Muslim, but this whole strategy of suggesting that I am is indicative of anti-Muslim sentiment that we have to — that we have to fight against.  So maybe you haven’t seen those quotes, but they’re out there.  And I’ve said them on more than one occasion.  And I’ve said them on television; I’ve said them in print. 

I just don’t like the idea of somebody falsely identifying my religion.  I suspect that you wouldn’t appreciate that, either.  If you were a Muslim and somebody consistently said you were a Christian, I suspect that you would want to have that corrected, because that’s offensive to — to your faith. 

Affirmative Action

JOHN YANG, NBC NEWS/ASIAN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION:  Thank you, Senator.  I’m John Yang, NBC News White House correspondent and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association. 
   
I’d like to ask you about affirmative action.  Just this morning, Senator McCain endorsed an Arizona ballot initiative that would end preferences based on race and gender in that state.  The author of that initiative, Ward Connerly, says your very success undercuts the argument for affirmative action. 
   
If the United States were to have a president of color, would there still be a need for affirmative action? 
   
OBAMA:  Well, look, I am a strong supporter of affirmative action when properly structured so that it is not just a quota, but it is acknowledging and taking into account some of the hardships and difficulties that communities of color may have experienced, continue to experience, and it also speaks to the value of diversity in all walks of American life.  We are becoming a more diverse culture, and it’s something that has to be acknowledged. 

I’ve also said that affirmative action is not going to be the long-term solution to the problems of race in America, because, frankly, if you’ve got 50 percent of African-American or Latino kids dropping out of high school, it doesn’t really matter what you do in terms of affirmative action.  Those kids are not getting into college. 
   
And, you know, there have been times where I think affirmative action has been viewed as a shortcut to solving some of these broader, long-term structural problems. 
   
I also think that we have to think about affirmative action and craft it in such a way where some of our children who are advantaged aren’t getting more favorable treatment than a poor white kid who’s struggled more.  That has to be taken into account. 
   
So I think that, whether it’s in terms — particularly, when it comes to college admissions, what I’m interested in is programs that take a wide range of issues into account. 
   
They — I think a university or a college should be able to take into account race, but they should also be able to take into account class, and hardship, and difficulty in making assessments about whether or not a young person is deserving of — of opportunity. 
   
I am disappointed, though, that John McCain flipped and changed his position.  I think in the past he had been opposed to these kinds of Ward Connerly referenda or initiatives as divisive.  And I think he’s right.  You know, the truth of the matter is, these are not designed to solve a big problem, but they’re all too often designed to drive a wedge between people. 
   
And one thing that I’m absolutely convinced about, after having traveled all across the world over the last — last week, is that one of our greatest strengths is the fact that we come from so many different places, and yet we are all Americans. 
   
The Iraqis and the Afghans, when we talked — when they talked to me about our military, not only were they impressed with how effective our military was, but they were also impressed with the fact that we had people from all walks of life who looked different all joining together as Americans. 
   
They were impressed with the fact that our main commanding officer now in Iraq is an African-American.  That, I think, is what makes America special.  And we shouldn’t lose that — we shouldn’t either lose that or see that as a source of division.  It should be a source of pride.  And when properly structured, affirmative action, I think, can be a part of that. 

What are your views on Senator Obama’s ability to handle the requirements of foreign policy?

Have they changed based on his recent overseas trip to the Middle East and Europe?

Do you support Senator Obama’s view of affirmative action if properly structured?

How do you feel about Ward Connerly’s (author of Arizona affirmative action ballot initiative endorsed by Senator McCain) view that Senator Obama’s success undercuts the need for affirmative action?

Post your comments!