Embedded Files
Wally and Juanita Nelson standing in front of the simple house they built with the help of friends. Deerfield, MA
Help your students learn about nonviolence, simple living, activism, and living your values through resources highlighting the lives of Wally and Juanita Nelson
Contents
Contents
- Eyes on Freedom: Evolving Gifts of Simple, Nonviolent Living, an audio documentary
- Supplements to Eyes on Freedom, print material on specific topics
- Note about Terminology
- Questions & Answers
- Additional Resources for Teaching: Audio | Video | Print | Online
Eyes on Freedom: Evolving Gifts of Simple, Nonviolent Living
Eyes on Freedom: Evolving Gifts of Simple, Nonviolent Living
Audio Documentary by Talking Across the Lines
[audio link — 58:25 minutes]Wally and Juanita Nelson lived their values in everything they did, as civil rights activists, peace activists, war tax refusers, subsistence farmers, and advocates of simple living. Eyes on Freedom: Evolving Gifts of Simple, Nonviolent Living is an hour-long audio documentary/podcast that weaves together stories of the Nelsons’ lives through the voices of people who knew them and vintage audio recordings of the Nelsons. The themes of the Nelsons’ lives shine through: nonviolence, war tax refusal, economic violence, race, joy, dance, community land trusts, the action around IRS seizure of the Kehler-Corner home in Colrain, the local food movement, and simple living.
Eyes on Freedom, its sections, and stand-alone segments can be used in a wide range of educational settings from high school through higher education and adult education. For example, you can share the full hour-long audio documentary and then have a class discussion. Or you can have your students listen one of the sections and read the corresponding print supplement and then have a class discussion. Choose from nine options to fit your focus and available time:
The full Eyes on Freedom audio documentary
Eyes on Freedom is divided into four consecutive sections
Four stand-alone topic-focused audio segments based on material from Eyes on Freedom.
The consecutive sections are parts of the whole documentary without introductory or concluding material. The stand-alone segments generally cover the same topics with an introduction and summarizing comments:
Full Eyes on Freedom audio documentary [full audio — 58:25 minutes] Covers themes of nonviolence, war tax refusal, economic violence, race, joy, dance, community land trusts, the action around IRS seizure of the Kehler-Corner home in Colrain, the local food movement, and simple living.
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First Section of Eyes on Freedom: “Who are the Nelsons? Living Simply”
[audio excerpt — 14:24 minutes] Describes the Nelsons’ early lives and the experiences that led to their decision to live simply and close to the earth.Second Section of Eyes on Freedom: “Violence and Nonviolence in Economics, Race, Gender, Class” [audio excerpt — 14:52 minutes] Draws connections between the everyday violence embedded in the U.S. economy and race, class, and gender.
Third Section of Eyes on Freedom: “War Tax Resistance” [audio excerpt — 12:58 minutes] Describes the Nelsons’ and others’ refusal to pay for war, both the values behind that refusal as well as the practical daily realities of how they refused.
Fourth Section of Eyes on Freedom: “Subsistence Farming, Locally Grown Food” [audio excerpt — 14:07 minutes] Discusses the Nelsons’ focus on subsistence farming and commitment to supporting local farmers as a very basic way to live their values.
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Stand-Alone Segment: Meeting the Nelsons: Simple Nonviolent Living [audio — 15:34 minutes] Describes the Nelsons’ early lives and the experiences that led to their decision to live simply and close to the earth.
Stand-Alone Segment: Violence and Nonviolence of Economics, Race, Gender, and Class [audio — 16:57 minutes] Draws connections between the everyday violence embedded in the U.S. economy and race, class, and gender.
Stand-Alone Segment: War Tax Resistance [audio — 16:09 minutes] Describes the Nelsons’ and others’ refusal to pay for war, both the values behind that refusal as well as the practical daily realities of how they refused.
Stand-Alone Segment: Food and Farming [audio — 15:09 minutes] Discusses the Nelsons’ focus on subsistence farming and commitment to supporting local farmers as a very basic way to live their values.
Talking Across the Lines is the organizational vehicle for diverse documentary services, programs, and performances offered by Michael Kline and Carrie Nobel Kline, often with the assistance of community or college interns. Visit folktalk.org.
Supplements to Eyes on Freedom
Supplements to Eyes on Freedom
Brief documents with additional information and resources:
Note about Terminology
Note about Terminology
In Eyes on Freedom and in other places on this website, you will encounter the terms war tax refusal and war tax resistance, both referring to the act of refusing to pay federal taxes that support war. Many people use the two terms interchangeably. The Nelsons used both terms. War tax resistance is often the general-purpose, umbrella term for this concept.
However, some people make a distinction between the two terms: some use the phrase wartax refusal to mean an absolute refusal to pay any taxes to the federal government, whereas war tax resistance can encompass various levels of noncooperation, ranging from refusing topay a token amount, to refusing to pay the military portion of one's tax liability (about half), to refusing to pay the entire amount. Juanita often used the phrase tax refusal (without the word "war") because, for her, war was just the tip of the iceberg. She opposed the violence inherent in our entire economic system and in our way of life.
Questions & Answers
https://www.nelsonhomestead.org/home/questionsQuestions & Answers
Additional Resources for Teaching
Additional Resources for Teaching
About Wally and Juanita Nelson's legacy of civil rights and peace activism, war tax refusal, subsistence farming, and simple living.
Audio
Audio
"You Don't Have to Ride Jim Crow"
Radio production (2021) by Robin Washington
Here is a good link to information about the public television VIDEO documentary...available for purchase: "You Don't Have to Ride Jim Crow"
"Let My People Go — An Activist's Story"
Kim & Reggie Harris & Juanita Nelson (2005). Framed with songs and music by Kim & Reggie Harris, Juanita talks about her experience with nonviolent direct action in college and in Cincinnati.
Student Interview: Sarah Horowitz with Juanita Nelson
Oral History interview conducted by Amherst High School student Sarah Horowitz with information about Juanita’s family and early life, education, meeting Wally Nelson, activism in Cincinnati with CORE and SNCC, and at Koinonia Farm.
First Person Oral History: Juanita Nelson
By the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, includes stories from her early life, about meeting Wally Nelson, involvement with the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE), and self-sufficiency as social activism. Also includes a timeline of Juanita Nelson’s life and a list of background resources.
Video
Video
“Short video about the Nelson Homestead 2022”
This video introduces the homestead the Nelsons created at Woolman Hill in Deerfield, MA and explains the simple life they led there, including using a wood cookstove for heat and cooking, water supplied by a well using a hand-held bucket, and an outhouse.
"You Don't Have to Ride Jim Crow"
A PBS documentary film (1995) by Robin Washington Film about the interracial 1947 Journey of Reconciliation Freedom Ride, including the reunion of seven of the original riders in 1993. Wally Nelson was one of the Freedom Riders and is featured in the film.
Interview of Juanita Nelson, an excerpt from Death & Taxes: War Tax Resistance (2011)
By NWTRCC (National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Council). Juanita talks about refusing to pay war taxes. The 30-minute full video includes general information about War Tax Resistance and brief interviews with many war tax resisters.
[SOURCE: "Death and Taxes" https://vimeo.com/19796823]“Tribute to Juanita Nelson” by Wendy Goodman on Democracy Now (2015)
A television segment honoring Juanita Nelson after her passing on March 9, 2015. Goodman speaks about Juanita’s life and includes a segment of her 2005 interview with Juanita and Juanita reading her poem “Outhouse Blues.”
“Occupation: Training for Nonviolence” by Charles Light
(Wally Nelson begins speaking at 2:48) A film about training for nonviolent actions. Wally speaks about using role playing in nonviolence training.
“Input – Alternatives Part 1: Exploring Oppression and Class” (1970)
This video from 1970 directed by Jerry Chamberlain features Wally Nelson(Peacemakers Non-Violence Program) in conversation with Margaret Turner Black(Panther Party), Reggie Schell (Captain, Black Panther Party), Ruth Glick (Health Policy Advisory Center, N.Y.C.), Ron Dorfman (Editor, Chicago Journalism Review), Robert BLogan (Strawberry Mansion Cooperative Association). 'Input' was a Philadelphia panel discussion program from the late 1960's and early 1970's, airing Sunday mornings on WCAU-TV10, produced by the Wellsprings Ecumenical Center.
“Input – Alternatives Part 2: Philly Black Panthers Debate Revolution” (1970)
This video from 1970, directed by Jerry Chamberlain, features Wally Nelson (Peacemakers Non-Violence Program) in conversation with Margaret Turner Black(Panther Party), Reggie Schell (Captain, Black Panther Party), Ruth Glick (Health Policy Advisory Center, N.Y.C.), Ron Dorfman (Editor, Chicago Journalism Review), Robert B. Logan (Strawberry Mansion Cooperative Association). 'Input' was a Philadelphia panel discussion program from the late 1960's and early 1970's, airing Sunday mornings onWCAU-TV10, produced by the Wellsprings Ecumenical Center.
Print
Print
“Everyday Nonviolence at the Nelson Homestead on Woolman Hill” — This brochure gives a brief introduction to the Nelsons, their values, and their life atWoolman Hill.
“Juanita’s Words of Wisdom/program from Juanita’s 100th celebration”
Prepared for a celebration of what would have been Juanita Nelson’s 100th birthday in August 2023, this 20-page document features a selection of Juanita’s writings, including poetry and essays on nonviolence and subsistence farming.Manifesto "Living Peace in an Age of War" by Juanita Nelson
Simple Living/Outhouse Blues, a poem by Juanita Nelson, 1972
Cancel My Order for Everything Connected with the Violent U.S. Economy by Juanita Nelson published in “Downwardly Mobile: For Conscience Sake” edited by Dorothy Andersen, 1995.
Three Works by Juanita Morrow Nelson, including “I Invade Cincinnati,” “Jails and Justice,” and “Simple Life/Outhouse Blues” with Introduction by Louis Herbert Battalen, from The Massachusetts Review, Vol. 64, No. 3, Fall 2023.
Online
Online
“A Peace of History Blog, Juanita and Wally Nelson, Pt. 1” Voluntown Peace Trust, February 6, 2020
“A Peace of History Blog, Juanita and Wally Nelson, Pt. 2” Voluntown Peace Trust, February 13, 2020
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