"The Talking Band"'s concert at the Puffin featured on "State of the Arts," an Emmy Award winning arts program that airs on the local NJ PBS affiliates.



Read more about State of the Arts here:http://www.njtvonline.org/state-of-the-arts/

When Benjamin Todd Jealous stepped on stage last week to receive one of the ideological left's most prestigious awards, he was greeted with thunderous applause from the assembled audience, a collection of this nation's most unrepentant liberals.

NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous
(Photo: Diane Bondareff, AP) via USA Today

Jealous came to the Nation Institute's annual gala to be honored with a $100,000 prize "for his unwavering dedication to civil and human rights." When Jealous arrived, he found himself in the midst of a fawning crowd of liberal icons that included former TV talk show host Phil Donahue, Nation magazine publisher Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Perry and Gladys Rosenstein, whose Puffin Foundation has championed more liberal causes than Al Sharpton.

But these people and the others who filled the small ballroom in New York City's Flatiron district this night were there as much to celebrate the resurrection of liberalism as to toast Jealous. The youngest person ever to lead the NAACP, this nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization, Jealous was touted for his support of same-sex marriage, opposition to the death penalty and work to defeat voter suppression legislation.

As the recipient of the 2012 Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship, he was -- for this group, at least -- the most obvious manifestation of a liberal resurgence. While recent polls show that conservatives significantly outnumber liberals, liberal ideals and causes have not had a better year since Lyndon Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act into law.

Proof of this can be found in the approval last month of same-sex marriage laws in Maryland, Maine and Washington, the first states to legalize gay unions by popular vote. And it was evident in the success Democrats had at the polls this year. Liberals revel in the re-election victory President Obama, a moderate Democrat, achieved over Mitt Romney, the GOP candidate whose campaign was a genuflection to the demands of this nation's most misguided conservatives.

Evidence of the banner year for liberals also can be seen in the gains Democrats made in the U.S. Senate, which pushed their majority to 55 seats (including two Independents who are expected to join their caucus). These victories came in a year in which political pundits widely believed Republicans would seize control of the Senate. Among the right-wing Republican Senate candidates who went down to defeat were Tea Party favorites Todd Akin of Missouri and Richard Mourdock of Indiana. Both suffered fatal self-inflicted political wounds.

Akin, the House Republican who tried to unseat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, offered up this troglodyte reason why a woman who is raped should not be allowed to have an abortion: "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," he said. Mourdock, the state treasurer, did the same and turned what appeared to be a sure victory into defeat when he said in defense of his opposition to abortion that pregnancies resulting from rape are something "God intended to happen."

While both McCaskill and Joe Donnelly, the House Democrat who won the Indiana Senate seat, are moderates, their victories staved off right-wing candidates and gave liberals good cause for jubilation.

Liberals also chalked up victories in Washington and Colorado when voters in three states that considered measures to legalize the recreational use of marijuana gave their approval. Only in Oregon was this proposition defeated.

Long a member of the coalition that makes up the Democratic Party that for years was in retreat, liberals are now part of a political alliance that increasingly finds itself in the winner's circle when voters go to the polls -- a resurgence that understandably makes them want to celebrate.

DeWayne Wickham writes on Tuesdays for USA TODAY

The Peace Train Youth Summit – Sharon Katz and the Peace Train
Friday, November 30, 7:00 p.m.

Sharon Katz, founder of The Peace Train in South Africa in 1992, mounted a countrywide tour around South Africa by train, shortly after the release of Nelson Mandela from South African prisons, and before his election as President of South Africa in 1994. She tours the world teaching Peace & Reconciliation and the anti-bullying messages contained in this historic and triumphant story. 

Teaneck’s Puffin Foundation, Ltd. has invited Sharon Katz and her singing partner Wendy Quick, to present workshops on South African music, dance, history and culture at Grieco Elementary School in Englewood NJ, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin Middle Schools in Teaneck NJ on November 29th and 30th. 2012 Their educational workshops will culminate in a presentation at the Puffin Cultural Forum on 7pm on Friday, November 30th. 

The Peace Train Youth Summit performance will feature students from the three schools who have participated in the workshops. Students will present songs and dances of South Africa with Sharon Katz & The Peace Train and they will also have an opportunity to express their ideas and hopes for a peaceful world.
www.SharonKatz.com<

Sharon Katz performs with students at the Puffin Cultural Forum

Benjamin Todd Jealous Announced as Winner of the 2012 Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship

Prize Recognizes NAACP’s Leadership In Civil and Human Rights Movement; Efforts to “Rebrand” Civil Rights for a New Era

November 15, 2012 (New York, NY): The Nation Institute and The Puffin Foundation announced today that Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will receive the annual $100,000 Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship. This prestigious award will be presented to Jealous on Monday, December 3, 2012 at The Nation Institute’s Annual Dinner Gala in New York City.

The Puffin Foundation and The Nation Institute co-sponsor this annual award, given to an individual who has challenged the status quo through distinctive, courageous, imaginative, and socially responsible work of significance. Recipients are drawn from a broad range of occupations and pursuits, including academia, journalism, public health, literature, art, the environmental sciences, labor, and the humanities. The prize is intended to encourage the recipients to continue their work, and to inspire others to challenge the prevailing orthodoxies they face in their careers.

Jealous is receiving the award for his unwavering dedication to civil and human rights. As the youngest person to lead the NAACP, Jealous has invigorated civil rights by building new alliances across progressive communities. Under his leadership, the NAACP has taken on an array of the most pressing issues of our time: inequity in opportunity and education, climate change, supporting marriage equality, fighting to save the life of Troy Davis, and ending the death penalty. The NAACP has worked tirelessly to expand and protect the franchise, registering thousands upon thousands of voters while fighting voter suppression efforts at every turn.

Perry Rosenstein, President of The Puffin Foundation Ltd., the co-sponsor of the Creative Citizenship award, said “Benjamin Todd Jealous, President of the NAACP, is bringing creativity and estimable energy to this oldest and largest civil rights organization. From the ballot box to the classroom, death row to the Supreme Court, Jealous is a front-line fighter of justice and equality, and a visionary who sees the interconnected nature of all kinds of human rights struggles. Benjamin Todd Jealous has not simply answered the call to lead, he is inspiring us. We are proud to honor him with the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship.”

During his tenure, the NAACP's online activists have swelled from 175,000 to more than 600,000; its donors have increased from 16,000 individuals per year to more than 120,000; and its membership has increased three years in a row for the first time in more than 20 years.

“I’m humbled to be recognized with The Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship and honored to join a distinguished list of past honorees, all of whom have inspired me with their enduring commitment to justice and human rights,” said Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP. "Our work carries on the legacy of the tremendous visionaries who founded the NAACP — with the support of The Nation — more than a century ago. I am proud to stand on their shoulders, along with thousands of NAACPers and our allies, in the fight for racial equality, human rights, and a brighter tomorrow for all Americans.”
Over past two decades, Jealous has helped organize successful campaigns to abolish the death penalty for minors, stop Mississippi's governor from turning a historically Black university into a prison, and pass federal legislation against prison rape. Before joining the NAACP, his investigative journalism at the Jackson Advocate was credited with helping save the life of a white inmate who was being threatened for helping convict corrupt prison guards, free a Black small farmer who was being framed for arson, and spur official investigations into law enforcement corruption.

As President of the NAACP, Jealous has opened national programs on education, health, and environmental justice. He has also greatly increased the organization's capacity to work on issues related to the economy and register and mobilize voters.
“I am proud to see President Jealous' innovative leadership honored by The Nation Institute and The Puffin Foundation," said NAACP National Board Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. “One hundred and three years ago the NAACP set out with a goal to fundamentally change American society —and we succeeded. We look forward to another century of game-changing advocacy, and Ben will help get us there."

Jealous plans to use the prize money for a college fund for his own children, as well as De'Jaun Davis-Correia, the nephew of Troy Davis.

Andy Breslau, President of The Nation Institute and co-sponsor of The Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship, said that “moral clarity, sophisticated strategic thinking and being an effective tactician don't often come in one package, but Benjamin Todd Jealous shows that sometimes they can. During his tenure as President of the NAACP, Ben's work against voter suppression efforts, for justice in the Troy Davis case, and many others, as well his standing tall in the fight for marriage equality have sent a signal that the NAACP is a contemporary force to be reckoned with. For representing leadership in the never ending battle for justice and exemplifying the best of a new generation of fighters for equality, we are thrilled to bestow The Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship to Benjamin Todd Jealous."

Jealous is the 13th winner of the award. Previous winners are playwright Tony Kushner; Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards; environmental activists and authors Van Jones and Bill McKibben; former Texas State agriculture commissioner Jim Hightower; human rights lawyer Michael Ratner; Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman; educator and author Jonathan Kozol; journalist and author Barbara Ehrenreich; professor and anti-death penalty advocate David Protess; labor activist Dolores Huerta; and civil rights pioneer Robert Parris Moses.

About The Puffin Foundation
Since its founding in 1983, The Puffin Foundation has sought to open the doors of artistic expression by providing grants to artists and art organizations who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their race, gender, or social philosophy. The puffin, a species whose nesting sites were endangered by encroaching civilization, were encouraged to return to their native habitats through the constructive efforts of a concerned citizenry. The Foundation adopted the name Puffin as a metaphor for how it sees its mission, which is to ensure that the arts continue to grow and enrich our lives.

About The Nation Institute
A nonprofit media center, The Nation Institute was established to extend the reach of progressive ideas and strengthen the independent press. Its dynamic range of programs include a bestselling book publishing imprint, Nation Books; an award-winning Investigative Fund , which supports groundbreaking investigative journalism; the widely read and syndicated website TomDispatch; an internship program at The Nation magazine; and Journalism Fellowships that fund up to 20 high-profile reporters every year. Work produced by The Nation Institute has sparked Congressional hearings, new legislation, FBI investigations, and the resignation of government officials, has changed the debate, and has a regular impact on the most urgent social and political issues of our day.