PRESS RELEASE: ClaraBelle Blue & The Sez Who Crew - The Animated Series

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Star of Emmy Winning Documentary Joins Forces With

Tyler Perry Studios Alum To Create Inclusive Animated Series

Star of Emmy-winning documentary “The Full Nelson,” Adiba Nelson, has joined forces with Jenée V. Giles, a former writer/story editor for Tyler Perry Studios, to develop and write the pilot for an animated series that spotlights children with disabilities as the protagonists.  “ClaraBelle Blue & The Sez Who Crew” is based on the lead character from Adiba Nelson’s children’s book, “Meet ClaraBelle Blue”, who is one sassy, loveable  little girl with Afro-puffs and a hot pink wheelchair. This TV pilot is currently in round two of the script writing competition The MACRO Episodic Lab powered by The Black List, which will be judged by Emmy winner Lena Waithe, actress/producer Eva Longoria, film producer and CEO, Charles King, and Franklin Leonard.

The Sez Who Crew is a rag-tag group of friends, with varying ethnicities and abilities, which they view as gifts that help make their world a better place. For instance, ClaraBelle, who is Afro-Latin, has a wheelchair that is fashioned with rocket-blasters, allowing her to fly. Johnny, an African-American boy, is deaf but uses a cochlear implant and American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. His cochlear implant gives him the ability to hear things up to 5 miles away. JoJo has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and Dyslexia. His ADHD keeps him moving around, able to know the ins and outs of everyone on the playground, while his dyslexia basically makes him a walking talking dictionary (he struggles with the small words). Luann, a sweet, shy girl, with red pigtails and glasses, lives with childhood anxiety and is on the Autism spectrum. The nervousness she often feels with her anxiety often gives her the ability to “foresee” danger up ahead, but she is also learning to “trust her gut” and reel her friends in when their shenanigans get a little extreme. And then there’s ClaraBelle’s best friend, Tess, who does not have a disability, but is an empath, filled with kindness, and ready to lend a helping hug and hand for anybody that needs one.

Nelson and Giles are aiming to change the landscape of children’s television programming through the development of their animated series. “When I was shopping my children’s book to agents and publishers (2012), quite a few of them told me the content was too niche, and it just wouldn’t do well”, says Nelson. “But I didn’t understand what was so niche about a black girl, in a wheelchair, who is also silly, funny, and likes to do all the things other kids do. It didn’t make sense.” Nelson decided right then that her child, and the millions of other children in the world who identify as disabled, needed to be seen. She decided to publish the book herself and has now expanded her vision to include children’s television programming.  “Children with disabilities need to see themselves represented in the general landscape of mainstream media, and it is our responsibility as the adults in the room, to break down the stigma of disability being scary for children with typical abilities. And how do we break down a stigma? By normalizing it.”

For Giles, whose middle son has dyslexia, this project was not just a chance for her to get back in the writer’s seat, but also an opportunity to represent her son in television. “I grew up a die-hard fan of “The Cosby Show”, and I always loved the episode where Theo was diagnosed with dyslexia. I had no idea that 20 years later, I’d be Claire Huxtable and my own child would be Theo, only much younger”, she says. “Our characters may be the first time a child encounters someone with a physical/cognitive disability or learning difference. For that reason, it is imperative that they not only know that differently-abled children exist in the world, but also that they’re just like them – kids – wanting to have fun and be loved and accepted for who they are.“

Final results from the competition will be announced early next year.

For more information please contact Adiba Nelson at adiba@clarabelleblue.com or 520.373.7563

Signed, Sealed, Delivered.....

Well, here we are once again. A week out from the day cupid decides our fate. He loves me. She loves me not. Husbands are frantically trying to make dinner reservations (hubbies, if you're not, that was your cue), wives are looking for something cute to wear - or if you're a mom, something CLEAN to wear. And the teachers - well the teachers are trying to figure out just where in their day they can squeeze the almighty valentine exchange that takes place among the kids, and inevitably leads to someone in tears. 

Yes. It's true. You remember being in third grade and having a crush on the cutest girl or boy in class, only to have your heart pulverized when all they did was sign their name to the back of their Care Bears valnetine.  We had thoughts like "That's it?? Just a name?? No heart? No smiley face?? No L-O-V-E???" And then we usually did this:

Via Giphy.com

Oh - so what...you never did that? Just me? Ok - that's cool. I'll take the hit on this one. It's cool.

But in all seriousness, as a kid, for some reason we placed an exorbitant amount of importance on Valentine's Day. As I listen to my daughter's friends as they chat about crushes, I realize not much has changed, so I'm going to make a small request (if you have time this year). When your kiddo is filling out this year's confections of affection, maybe instead of just signing their name, you can have them write ONE THING they like about each student in their class. And THEN sign their name.

I realize this seems hokey, but here's the thing - many, many, MANY schools across the country are still not inclusive in nature - so children with special needs are separated, or only with their classmates for short bursts of time - usually during electives. Because they don't get much time with their actual peers, they miss out on the friendships, bonds, and relationships that are formed by being together. Friendships aren't as strong as they could be, nuances are not learned or understood - kids lose out on the opportunity to be kids together. But maybe ...just maaaayyyybeeeee this small act of writing one thing they like about their classmates will encourage them to get to know the kid in class who fidgets a lot, or the kiddo who struggles with reading...the boy with the blue glasses, or the girl with the hot pink wheelchair. 

I mean, it's el dia de amor....we should at least be inclusive with our amor.