Monthly Archives: September, 2011

Oakland's Museum Of Children's Art's Epic, Shameful Fail

Photo credits: mecaforpeace.org

We here at Justice Through Music Project, a national non-profit that focuses on the impact of art and music on young people around the world, strongly condemn the September 8th decision by the Oakland, California Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) to cancel a planned exhibit of art created by children of Gaza during the last war in Gaza. More than 250 children were killed and more than 1000 were injured during that three week war. 

"In dictatorships, art is censored because authorities do not want the population to see the truth," said JTM Director Brett Kimberlin. "And now, here in the land of the free, thugs masquerading as activists, have forced MOCHA to buckle to keep art, as seen from the eyes of children, from being shared with the public. These children, who have no political or religious agenda, innocently expressed themselves in very poignant ways yet they have been censored by those with an agenda because they don't like what the children portrayed. While it is antithetical to a free society to censor such works, it is shameful that a museum that professes to exhibit children's art would cower under pressure from a handful of belligerents who gleefully cheered when the exhibit was cancelled. We urge MOCHA to fire all those board members who voted to cancel the exhibit and to establish strong written standards prohibiting censorship of and outside influence on future exhibits."

JTM works with artists around the world to express themselves through their art, and to challenge injustice and abuse of power wherever it arises.

Read our press release here, check out the Middle East Childrens Alliance website for more information on this, and watch a video of the art made by the Children of Gaza, Art of War below:

Josh Fox accepting Emmy Award for Gasland

Back in January of 2011, JTMP helped get the word out on the dangers of the issue of "fracking", where hundreds of toxic chemicals are shot into rock to fracture them and extract more natural gas, but polluting the drinking water table. Hundreds of people have gotten sick, their wells destroyed, and even their kitchen faucets catch on fire. 

Our JTMP HD Video we released, along with the song, "Freakin Frackin" by Op-Critical, has scenes from the documentary "Gasland" by Josh Fox. On Saturday, September 17, Josh won an Emmy Award for  Outstanding Direction for Non-Fiction Programming, and had this to say to the President, "President Obama, I hope you are paying attention. We cannot allow America to turn into a gas field."

Watch "Freakin Frackin" by Op-Critical below.

They ask..."Who polices the police?"

Billionaires.org has been doing some great stuff, and we though we'd turn everyone on to their latest, "Don't Vote!". That's what the billionaires want. If you disagree, register to vote, and vote in 2012!

Musician JD Malone seeks to lift people up, and make them feel better about their situation, and to urge people do "Do What You Can Do" to change your life and others. On the website it says:

“Do What You Can Do is a project headed by musician JD Malone that carries a potent message that enables the average person to change their lives by doing what they can do to make a difference in other people’s lives and in so doing, change their own.

How do we address the fallen spirit of people who just don’t feel connected – who don’t think their voice can even be heard?

Resolving this problem is what’s at the core of the Do What You Can Do Project.

Getting people to feel better about themselves in today’s economy where people are losing their homes, their jobs, and wondering why America has become a little less than it used to be is a daunting task. The way to change America is to change the mindset of the people – one person at a time. People need to know that they can make a difference by becoming a part of a unified community consciousness that enables them to reconstitute a better America.”

Watch the video below, and check out http://dowhatyoucando.com/

Also, check out JTMP and Op-Critical's video "Change the World"