L. Joy gives us important actions to take today, and throughout the year on Voting Rights. She reviews our lesson “No Constitutional Right To Vote” with guest Barbara Arnwine at the front of the class, giving us the historical context, and recent history, as to why we continue to fight to secure voting rights. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated in 1957, "So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind — it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact — I can only submit to the edict of others," and until voting rights are secured, we must continue to take action.

Elected prosecutors are part of the community. They hold the power to determine who gets prosecuted and their sentences. What tools do prosecutors have that can ensure fairness and equity, as well as criminal justice reform? To continue the conversation L. Joy began with Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez on conviction and sentencing review units; she has brought State’s Attorney for Baltimore, Maryland, Marilyn Mosby, to the front of the class to break down the barriers to, advantages of, and need for these important units in prosecutors’ offices.

“Create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all” is part of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) mission statement and is the goal for most people. The premise seems simple enough but we still have yet to get there. L. Joy brings Eugene Jones to the front of the class to give us the primer we need on one of the most important things in society, housing humans.

Iimani David said “art is what separates us from the animals.” With arts and culture being such a big part of our lives from the economy, to mental health, to community, why aren’t more of our tax dollars used to support them? To explain how the government funds the arts and what COVID recovery looks like for that sector, L. Joy brings Taneshia Nash Laird, Liz Janneman and Rachel S. Moore, to the front of the class to give us the lesson we need to #GetCivicallyEngaged, #StandForTheArts, and be an #ArtsHero.

L. Joy wanted to talk about creating a democracy agenda, advocacy in the C-Suite and Silicon Valley, coalition building, and how to #WinWithBlackWomen. She brings Jotaka Eaddy comes to the front of the class for this conversation that gives great strategic points to help you #GetCivicallyEngaged.

Do you need special training or education to get #CivicallyEngaged? Absolutely not. Democracy works best when all of the people can participate fully. L. Joy brings Leslie Danks Burke to the front of the class to discuss how we connect the dots, getting the civic conversation out of the back rooms and onto the front porch.

The New Year is right around the corner and L. Joy is committed to doubling down on organizing her community in 2022! Now, how do we join her and take our civic engagement to the next level too? L. Joy is breaking down strategies and explaining how we can think through what we will do in 2022 of course, and Lurie & June make it to class!

The bipartisan infrastructure bill, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, has been signed into law by President Biden. That takes care of roads, bridges, and broadband, but how do we invest in people? The Build Back Better bill, that just passed the House and is on its way to the Senate, is a framework to do just that. If BBB is passed, how do we ensure that everyone gets their fair share? How do we follow the money from the legislation? To answer those questions and explain how we really do build back better, L. Joy brings Taifa Smith Butler to the front of the class to give us the action items we need to make sure our communities get the most out of it.

When discussions turn to the people of Rural America, oftentimes descriptors of Mid-Western, white, and conservative are used. Guess what? That is totally wrong! L. Joy brings Cynthia Wallace and Paolo Cremidis to the front of the class to give us what we need to know, and clear up misconceptions about the people living in Rural America.

Every year the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) releases a report on crime statistics it gathers through the Unified Crime Reporting Program (UCR.) But what do those statistics mean to communities doing the work around criminal justice reform? How important is the language when discussing criminal justice reform?  L. Joy welcomes DeAnna Hoskins to lead this important lesson.