Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Omaha author and performer Jewel Rodgers as Nebraska’s new state poet.Rodgers, 27, is the youngest and first African American person to hold that position.And no one could be prouder than her famous father, Husker Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers. “It’s undescribable,” Johnny Rodgers said.”Humble won’t put no gas in your tank, no pep in your step, no wide in your stride. Humble going to be robbing you. All it do is take, take, take your head held high, take your complement to a thank you. Girl, humble don’t got no gifts for you,” said Jewel Rodgers, reading from her poem “Humble.” It was a sample of her work and why Pillen selected her from five finalists.”Think it’s easy for everybody to see that this appointment is a grand slam,” Pillen said.Pillen said Rodgers “popped off the charts” seeing her perform before he knew who her famous father was.Johnny Rodgers was proudly sitting in the front row, taking a video of the announcement. “To be really honest. I said, ‘Holy cow, Jewel’s mother must be spectacular,'” Pillen said jokingly.”Not a shock, not a surprise. All of us are extremely proud of all the things Johnny has done in his career and and do every day for kids,” Pillen said. Rodgers said she’s extremely honored and has been writing poetry since sixth grade.”Thank you so much for choosing to honor my gift in this way. I am beyond privileged and honored,” Rodgers said. She thanked several people, including her famous father.”My father, Johnny Rodgers, is directly responsible for my work ethic,” Rodgers said. “I try really, really hard, and I know no other way because of him,” Rodgers said.She also credited her mother.”Who’s always encouraged the arts in me, she saw the value in my voice and my pen and my hands when nobody else did,” Rodgers said.Rodgers has already received local and national recognition for her spoken word poetry.She has performed in schools, festivals, community settings, conferences, public events and other venues. She has written and performed for the city of Omaha, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Nebraska Omaha and upon request for public officials like Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, Congressman Don Bacon and Pillen.Rodgers has been a three-time Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards nominee for best performance and a three-time TEDx speaker. She has received numerous accolades, including being a 2022 Union for Contemporary Art fellow, a 2023 Andy Warhol Populus Fund grantee and a 2024 finalist in the Blackberry Peach Poetry Slam. She is also a teaching artist with the Nebraska Writers Collective and cohorts the Nebraska Poetry Society’s monthly Vocal Fry Open Mic. In her role as state poet, which lasts for five years and can be renewed, she will travel the state to promote poetry, reading and youth engagement.”To show folks what’s possible. To instill a vision in them that they may not have had for themselves. Some of them say, ‘I would have never thought to open a poetry book, but I didn’t know that poetry could sound like this. And so now I’m more interested in opening the book,'” Rodgers said.She said recently, while reading her poem “Consent” to students at Omaha South High School, she could feel that connection.”I was reading it, a student in the back says, ‘I get it now.’ And that was just monumental for me,” Rodgers said. And just as Johnny Rodgers was the first Husker to win the Heisman Trophy, his daughter is blazing firsts of her own.”She’s been thinking about this for a long time and proved it that you can do whatever you want to do if you just want to do it bad enough,” Johnny Rodgers said.”It’s almost incredibly impossible that my daughter would be the first African American to win such an award for the state of Nebraska,” said Rodgers.Rodgers said another goal for her is to shine a light on other talented Nebraska authors and artists.”With this platform as both a privilege and an opportunity, I intend to uplift as many Nebraska voices as possible,” Rodgers said.”Jewel is just a walking messenger board of making sure that we can help kids read. We help kids read. They can become poets, and they don’t know it,” Pillen said.
Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Omaha author and performer Jewel Rodgers as Nebraska’s new state poet.
Rodgers, 27, is the youngest and first African American person to hold that position.
And no one could be prouder than her famous father, Husker Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers.
“It’s undescribable,” Johnny Rodgers said.
“Humble won’t put no gas in your tank, no pep in your step, no wide in your stride. Humble going to be robbing you. All it do is take, take, take your head held high, take your complement to a thank you. Girl, humble don’t got no gifts for you,” said Jewel Rodgers, reading from her poem “Humble.”
It was a sample of her work and why Pillen selected her from five finalists.
“Think it’s easy for everybody to see that this appointment is a grand slam,” Pillen said.
Pillen said Rodgers “popped off the charts” seeing her perform before he knew who her famous father was.
Johnny Rodgers was proudly sitting in the front row, taking a video of the announcement.
“To be really honest. I said, ‘Holy cow, Jewel’s mother must be spectacular,'” Pillen said jokingly.
“Not a shock, not a surprise. All of us are extremely proud of all the things Johnny has done in his career and and do every day for kids,” Pillen said.
Rodgers said she’s extremely honored and has been writing poetry since sixth grade.
“Thank you so much for choosing to honor my gift in this way. I am beyond privileged and honored,” Rodgers said. She thanked several people, including her famous father.
“My father, Johnny Rodgers, is directly responsible for my work ethic,” Rodgers said.
“I try really, really hard, and I know no other way because of him,” Rodgers said.
She also credited her mother.
“Who’s always encouraged the arts in me, she saw the value in my voice and my pen and my hands when nobody else did,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers has already received local and national recognition for her spoken word poetry.
She has performed in schools, festivals, community settings, conferences, public events and other venues. She has written and performed for the city of Omaha, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Nebraska Omaha and upon request for public officials like Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, Congressman Don Bacon and Pillen.
Rodgers has been a three-time Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards nominee for best performance and a three-time TEDx speaker. She has received numerous accolades, including being a 2022 Union for Contemporary Art fellow, a 2023 Andy Warhol Populus Fund grantee and a 2024 finalist in the Blackberry Peach Poetry Slam. She is also a teaching artist with the Nebraska Writers Collective and cohorts the Nebraska Poetry Society’s monthly Vocal Fry Open Mic.
In her role as state poet, which lasts for five years and can be renewed, she will travel the state to promote poetry, reading and youth engagement.
“To show folks what’s possible. To instill a vision in them that they may not have had for themselves. Some of them say, ‘I would have never thought to open a poetry book, but I didn’t know that poetry could sound like this. And so now I’m more interested in opening the book,'” Rodgers said.
She said recently, while reading her poem “Consent” to students at Omaha South High School, she could feel that connection.
“I was reading it, a student in the back says, ‘I get it now.’ And that was just monumental for me,” Rodgers said.
And just as Johnny Rodgers was the first Husker to win the Heisman Trophy, his daughter is blazing firsts of her own.
“She’s been thinking about this for a long time and proved it that you can do whatever you want to do if you just want to do it bad enough,” Johnny Rodgers said.
“It’s almost incredibly impossible that my daughter would be the first African American to win such an award for the state of Nebraska,” said Rodgers.
Rodgers said another goal for her is to shine a light on other talented Nebraska authors and artists.
“With this platform as both a privilege and an opportunity, I intend to uplift as many Nebraska voices as possible,” Rodgers said.
“Jewel is just a walking messenger board of making sure that we can help kids read. We help kids read. They can become poets, and they don’t know it,” Pillen said.
