In this Porch Light series episode, L. Joy invites us to continue to imagine what it means to not fight back, but to fight forward and to remake an economy that actually serves the people who make it run. The economy is not the weather, it is not a natural phenomenon we must simply survive. It was built by people making choices and writing rules that concentrated wealth, extracted from Black communities, and normalized disinvestment. L. Joy reminds us that the legacy of redlining, predatory capitalism, and the marketing of convenience has left many of our neighborhoods with dollar stores, check cashing counters, rent-to-own shops, and big box stores where local economic eco-systems once thrived. But just like laws can be rewritten, the economy can be redesigned. To dive deeper into the economy, L. Joy brings Donald Hinkle-Brown to the front of the class.

L. Joy is back under the glow of the porch light as she continues reimagining democracy in this series. This time she is focusing our attention on the economy. She cites Rev. James Lawson’s description of the economic system as “plantation capitalism,” giving us a lesson that takes us from the seizure of Indigenous land to chattel slavery, to Jim Crow, and the present-day economic order that continues to treat human beings as units of labor for profit instead of people with dignity. She then brings Saqib Bhatti to the front of the class to dive even further into our economic condition.

L. Joy is back on the porch and she invites us to imagine and build a freer, bolder democracy now, not decades from now. She walks us through the timeline from the Reconstruction era’s first Black-led institutions to today’s fights over gerrymandering, voter suppression, and district maps designed to mute Black electoral strength. Focusing on the South, where where more than half of Black Americans live and where political power is both concentrated and contested, L. Joy brings Brandon Upson to the front of the class to discuss the South as the frontline of American democracy.

The Porch Light Series continues. L. Joy discusses this time as a season of reflection, study, and recommitment to civic work. She shares one of her rituals of renewal: spending a few quiet days in the Library of Congress putting hands on primary sources left behind by activists who built power through hostile times. L. Joy explains that learning from the past is not optional, it’s part of how every generation builds power when government becomes an obstacle or an enemy. From Reconstruction to Jim Crow to the modern-day dismantling of public education and voting rights, the pattern repeats: each advance toward freedom triggers backlash. To walk us through the country’s recurring pattern of progress and reversal, L. Joy bring Civil Rights Icon Judy Richardson to the front of the class.

For The Porch Light series, L. Joy invites listeners to “leave the light on for democracy, for justice, and for each other.” She opens this episode by asking a personal and political question - ”what grounds you?” She frames “grounding” as both a spiritual practice and a civic discipline: faith that lives in public, leadership rooted in integrity - not optics, and community spaces that heal, belong, and organize. She is joined at the front of the class by Dr. Cassandra Gould to discuss faith in the public square.

In this episode our civics teacher and neighborhood political strategist L. Joy debuts a brand-new series: The Porch Light. Drawing inspiration from the simple yet powerful tradition of leaving a light on for loved ones, L. Joy frames democracy itself as a light—something that offers guidance, protection, and hope in uncertain times. This episode lays out the foundation for the Porch Light series, a syllabus that will run through the end of the year. She takes listeners on a journey through history, memory, and symbolism, reminding us how light has always signaled safety and freedom, from lanterns in the windows of the Underground Railroad to the North Star guiding the enslaved toward liberation.

This episode of Sunday Civics, L. Joy gives a preamble on the history of immigration. Then she sits down again with immigration attorney Alan Orr to cut through the myths, scapegoating, and fear-mongering driving today’s immigration debates. Together, they unpack how U.S. deportation policies recycle an old playbook: create a villain, distract the public, and funnel public dollars to private profit.

From Reconstruction to today’s asylum crises, the tactic hasn’t changed—just the faces. L. Joy and Attorney Orr explain the racial double standards in refugee policy, the economic drain caused by detention contracts, and why Black communities in particular must pay close attention.

Every week brings a new headline from the administration — this time, about tariffs. The International Trade Court just struck down the president’s latest round, ruling he overstepped his authority. The Constitution is clear: Congress, not the president, has the power to impose tariffs under Article I, Section 8. To dig deeper into what tariffs are and what they do, L. Joy brings professor Ryan Monarch to the front of the class. 

L. Joy and Ryan Monarch discuss how tariffs are taxes on imported goods. They raise costs for importers, which are passed on to consumers through higher prices. While once the federal government’s main source of revenue, tariffs today make up just 3–4% of total federal income.

L. Joy opens class with reflections on Brooklyn’s Dance Africa festival and the importance of taking a break, before turning to the central theme: the role—and limits—of the courts in advancing justice. She notes how people increasingly view the judiciary as the ultimate arbiter of the nation’s values, citing recent Supreme Court decisions and public reactions. However, L. Joy cautions that courts have historically upheld the status quo, especially for Black and marginalized communities, referencing landmark cases from Dred Scott v. Sandford, Brown v. Board of Education and Mendez v. Westminster. She brings Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) to the front of the class to break down the four major pillars that span their work: political participation, criminal justice, economic justice, and educational equity.

In this episode of #SundayCivics, our civics teacher and neighborhood political strategist L. Joy is solo at the front of the class to reflect on one of the most essential tools in our civic toolbox: community. Inspired by her husband’s heartfelt question- “How do I build community?”—she invites us to grapple with the same challenge.

Through personal stories, historical examples, and practical guidance, L. Joy shows that community isn’t about hashtags, perfection, or titles. It’s about showing up, listening, sharing the work, and staying consistent—even when only a handful of people are in the room. She grounds her lessons in Black history, lifting up the citizenship schools of Septima Clark and Dorothy Cotton, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and the traditions of barbershops, beauty salons, and kitchen tables that have long been sites of organizing and power-building.