Dr. Robert Nelson

08/01/2026

This evening, I invite our community to join us for a meaningful conversation that explores the powerful relationship between Jazz, Blues & The Church—three traditions that have shaped our culture, strengthened our communities, and given voice to hope, resilience, and faith.

As part of Robert Nelson’s Jazz in the Sanctuary, we will gather before the concert for a thoughtful discussion featuring leaders whose work has enriched music, media, education, and community life.

Host
Edie B. Anderson – Veteran Broadcaster, CRSTL.FM • National Black Radio Hall of Fame Inductee • Author & Playwright

Moderator
Linda Pritchard – Founder, Fundamentals by Linda Pritchard • Writer, Speaker & Moderator

Distinguished Panelists
• Prince A. Wells III – Associate Professor Emeritus, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville • Jazz Trumpeter, Music Scholar & Educator

• Tracey J. Shanklin – Weekend Host, WSIE 88.7 The Sound • Voice Artist & Cultural Storyteller, Voices by Tracey, LLC

• Sheila Reed – Veteran Broadcaster • Voice Artist & NPR Jazz Host

This conversation is designed to inspire dialogue, preserve our cultural legacy, and celebrate the enduring influence of sacred spaces on the evolution of jazz and blues.

We hope you will join us for an evening of thoughtful dialogue, meaningful fellowship, and extraordinary music.

Together, we will celebrate the rich legacy of jazz, blues, and the sacred spaces that have nurtured these enduring art forms.

If your church, university, arts organization, corporation, or community group is interested in hosting Jazz in the Sanctuary or a customized community conversation, we welcome the opportunity to bring this experience to your audience.

For booking inquiries, contact:
Dr. Robert Nelson
[email protected]

07/31/2026

Join me for a special conversation with Marilyn Green on Girl Who Don’t You Know? Presents: Snap Shot as we discuss the vision behind Robert Nelson’s Jazz in the Sanctuary “Where Blues & Jazz Meets Stained Glass”—a unique celebration where jazz, community, culture, and inspiration come together in a sacred space.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to share the story behind this exciting new production and what I hope it will mean for our community.

🎷✨ Where Blues & Jazz Meet Stained Glass! ✨🎷Join me and my specia...

07/29/2026

I recently had the pleasure of joining Robin Boyce on On Another Note on WSIE 88.7 The Sound for a conversation about the arts, cultural leadership, and the vision behind Robert Nelson’s Jazz in the Sanctuary.
I am grateful to Robin Boyce and the entire WSIE team for the opportunity to share this work and my belief that the arts have the power to strengthen communities, preserve culture, and inspire meaningful change.

If you missed the broadcast, you can now stream the interview using the link below.

🎧 Listen here: [https://www.siue.edu/wsie/audio/2026-07-26-OnAnotherNote-JazzInTheSanctuary.mp3]

After you’ve listened, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What ideas resonated with you? Please join the conversation in the comments, and if you find value in the discussion, I invite you to share it with others who believe in the power of music, culture, and community.

07/23/2026

Real conversations don’t happen by accident. They happen when people with different experiences come together with a shared commitment to truth, growth, and community.

I’m honored to join Carl McRoy—author, speaker, and Host of Your Liberation Library —and Dr. Philip M. Wesley II, pastor and respected faith leader, for Your Liberation Library.
Together, we’ll explore conversations that challenge us to think deeper, live with greater purpose, and build stronger communities through faith, culture, leadership, and lifelong learning.
Carl McRoy has written on Christian living and personal growth, while Dr. Wesley has devoted his ministry to shepherding congregations and fostering spiritual development.

I look forward to sharing this journey with both of these remarkable leaders. I hope you’ll join us as we pursue real conversations, relevant truths, and real impact.

07/11/2026

THE DR. ROBERT NELSON REFLECTIONS
Reflection No. 1

The first in an ongoing series of reflections on leadership, culture, community, and legacy.

Our lives are not ultimately defined by titles, accomplishments, or recognition. They are measured by what we preserve, what we build, and what we leave behind for those who follow.

I hope these reflections encourage thoughtful conversation, meaningful action, and a deeper commitment to building something larger than ourselves.

Welcome to THE DR. ROBERT NELSON REFLECTIONS.

07/04/2026

As America commemorates 250 years, we must remember that some of the nation’s greatest acts of resistance were never recorded in official history. They were carried through culture, protected by faith, preserved within families, and passed from one generation to the next.

The Topsy-Turvy doll reminds us that even when enslaved Africans were denied their humanity, they never surrendered their ingenuity. While historians continue to debate its original purpose, many view it as a symbol of resilience, coded resistance, and the quiet ways Black families preserved dignity under impossible conditions. When open resistance could cost a life, resilience often spoke in whispers.

The American story is incomplete until it fully acknowledges those who resisted not only through protest, but through creativity, craftsmanship, music, storytelling, worship, and love. These were not simply traditions. They were acts of preservation. They were declarations of humanity.

“When a people preserve their culture, they preserve their freedom long before history recognizes it.”
— Dr. Robert E. Nelson

07/03/2026

Because of them, we can.

Harriet Tubman reminds us that freedom is never simply inherited—it is protected, pursued, and passed from one generation to the next.

As we reflect on 250 Black America, we honor those whose courage transformed possibility into progress. Their legacy calls us not only to remember history, but to live with purpose, lead with conviction, and leave a path wide enough for others to follow.

“The greatest tribute to those who opened the door is to keep it open.”

— Dr. Robert Nelson

06/27/2026

Communities are strengthened when leadership, culture, and opportunity come together with purpose.

It was a privilege to join St. Louis in honoring Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the The National Urban League, to St. Louis—hosted by Michael P. McMillan, President and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St Louis. Together, they continue a legacy of advancing opportunity, economic empowerment, education, and justice while strengthening communities through purposeful leadership. (ULSTL⁠)

Adding to the evening’s spirit was the extraordinary, award-winning jazz vocalist Denise Thimes, whose artistry reminded us that culture is more than entertainment—it is memory, identity, and the heartbeat of community.

The Urban League’s work demonstrates that lasting change is built through partnerships, investment in people, and an unwavering belief that every neighborhood deserves the opportunity to thrive.

— Dr. Robert Nelson

06/23/2026

Through the Lens of Dignity

Few artists have documented the American experience with the depth, humanity, and purpose of Gordon Parks. More than a photographer, he was a visual storyteller who revealed the beauty, resilience, and complexity of everyday life. Whether capturing the rhythm of Harlem, documenting families and neighborhoods, or photographing civil rights leaders, presidents, artists, and ordinary people, Parks reminded us that every life is worthy of being seen with dignity.

His camera challenged injustice without surrendering hope. It preserved history while inviting us to imagine a more compassionate future. His work continues to teach us that culture is not only written in books—it is carried in faces, moments, and stories.

As we reflect on his extraordinary legacy, may we also remember the responsibility to see one another with the same humanity that Gordon Parks brought to every frame.

— Dr. Robert Nelson

06/21/2026

Fatherhood

Fatherhood has never been about perfection. It’s about presence, grace, and the quiet decisions that shape generations.

Some of us were blessed with fathers who showed us the way. Others learned from their absence. Either way, we each have the opportunity to build a legacy rooted in love, courage, and compassion.

Today, I celebrate the fathers who showed up, honor the fathers we miss, and encourage the fathers still becoming. Every conversation, every embrace, every lesson matters.

“Legacy is not measured by the life we perfect, but by the love we leave, the courage we model, and the hope we awaken in those who follow us.”
— Dr. Robert E. Nelson

Happy Father’s Day to every imperfect father whose love continues to shape generations.