It is L. Joy’s birthday! What other way to celebrate than to discuss #Civics, specifically THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS! As L. Joy has taught us, campaign season basically never ends so,  she is bringing Clay Cane to the front of the class because he “ain’t never really gone,” to break down upcoming elections, how President Biden needs to “bussit wide open” for the people, and what you need to know about and get us prepared for midterms. And, her thoroughest girls, Lurie Daniel Favors and June Moses are here!

In a previous lesson, L. Joy told us What To Do After Your Lose. Now, L. Joy is bringing Julián Castro to the front of the class to share with us how he is staying #CivicallyEngaged and what he has been up to after being a presidential candidate-and it is, as you can guess, a LOT!

Sunday October 10, 2021 is #WorldHomelessDay2021. The first World Homeless Day in October 2010, came about as a result of online discussions from people doing work on the issue around the world. In the United States, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in January 2020 there were 580,466 people experiencing homelessness. To give us some perspective on living without a home, L. Joy brings Chase Archer Evans to the front of the class, and then she brings Jacquelyn Simone to the front of the class to break down the cold facts on homelessness.

This episode is Part II in our series Public Safety Requires Community. L. Joy continues this discussion, thinking through public safety and how we grapple with gun violence. What responsibility does the office of District Attorney have regarding public safety and curbing gun violence before crime happens? L. Joy brings back Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez to the front of the class to have this conversation.

How do we grapple with gun violence? Who is responsible for public safety? L. Joy is answering those questions and more with this series, Public Safety Requires Community. This episode is based around a new report by Annie E. Casey Foundation. It details interventions implemented in two cities, Atlanta and Milwaukee, that have shown promising results in preventing gun homicides. Markasa Tucker-Harris, Alfred Garner, II, and Ade Oguntoye, who are doing work on the ground in those cities, come to the front of the class to share their work, tips and strategies to get us #CivicallyEngaged.

#SundayCivics is continuing our #WhoWeElect series. L. Joy brings Roshan Patel to the front of the class to break down the office of Lieutenant Governor. He explains which states have them and which states do not, how people run for those offices, and the importance of the position.

L. Joy continues to bring many esteemed guests to the front of the class to sound the alarm and get us #CivicallyEngaged around the importance of reproductive justice. Now Texas just enacted, and the US Supreme Court upheld, the most restrictive abortion law in the country SB8. On this episode, we revisit our episode with Lizz Winstead, who outlined the myriad of legislative efforts to restrict access to a safe, legal abortion. Then L. Joy brings Amanda R. Matos to the front of the class to break down what we need to know and do right now around reproductive justice.

L. Joy is constantly teaching us that all elections are important. On this episode, she shares a discussion she co-moderated for Higher Heights Glynda Carr. This “She’s Got Next, Ohio Edition” spotlights their conversations with candidates running in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District’s special election, Nina Turner and Shontel Brown.

On this episode of #SundayCivics, L. Joy welcomes Ibrahim Salhi Abdul-Matin

back to the front of the class and they are expanding on their last

conversation “Governing Our Persistent Human Problems.” Abdul-Matin

explains how the Environmental Justice movement has transcended into a new

world of effectiveness with the language of the EJ framework being used by

government from the local to federal level. There is still work to be done

so they give us ways more ways to challenge ourselves and

#GetCivicallyEngaged around the climate because the planet’s health is our

health.

The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance and struggle of the essential workers who work service based jobs providing care for other people. Who are the homecare and nursing home care workers and how can we support them while working through the long-term care solutions? L. Joy brings April Verrett to the front of the class for this crucial and timely discussion.