#sundaycivics

Assemblywoman Latrice Walker sheds some light on some of the issues at stake in the state budget process along with issues and policy on the legislative docket. Rose Pierre Louis, the Chief Operating Officer of the McSilver Institute then joins us to discuss how an academic research institution creates new knowledge about the root causes of poverty and develops evidence-based interventions to impact public policy. OUR GUESTS New York State Assembly Member Latrice M. Walker is a native of the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, educated in the New York City public schools. She received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Purchase College in Sociology and Political Science., JD from Pace University and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2007. She made a name for herself as a strong voice and advocate from the streets of Brownsville to the Halls of Justice. She represents the 55th Assembly District in the New York State Legislature as a member of the Housing, Election Law, Energy, Correction, and Insurance Co

Is reading the local news part of your morning ritual? What outlets do you watch and what papers do you read? L. Joy brings journalists Azi Paybarah and Ben Max to the front of the class to lead a conversation on the importance of local news and diversifying the news you consume. Show Guests Azi Paybarah is a New York-based journalist who focuses on local politics. He worked as a reporter for the New York Press, the Queens Tribune and the New York Sun, the New York Observer, Capital, WNYC and now he writes the New York Today column for The New York Times. "If you think about news, it’s something you consume. What else do you consume? Food. There is a very big movement to eat locally, local food. If you think about news as something you consume it’s pretty healthy to consume local news." Azi Paybarah Ben Max is the Executive Editor of Gotham Gazette, a New York City-based independent online watchdog publication that covers city and state government, elections, and a wide variety of policy issues. He began h

The team discusses the news “below the fold” and L. Joy shares the story of meeting Senator and Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. #CivicDocket - Stories We Discussed Drafting Only Men for the Military Is Unconstitutional, Judge Rules link Sen. Cory Booker Reintroducing Marijuana Justice Act link San Francisco To Expunge Thousands Of Marijuana Convictions link Scrubbing The Past To Give Those With A Criminal Record A Second Chance link NYC Bodega Owners Urge Cuomo To Let Them Sell Marijuana When It's Legalized link Meeting Senator Bernie Sanders Listen as L. Joy tells the story of meeting Senator Bernie Sanders (32:18) in a small meeting of activists and organizers the day before his big announcement in Brooklyn. She asked the Senator and Presidential candidate what he learned from his 2016 campaign and how he plans to run this race different.

Organized for Black women by Black women, the Power Rising Summit is a safe space for Black women to develop strategic, actionable ways to build and maximize their economic and political power. L. Joy took the trip to New Orleans to teach civics and interview some of the participants. Show Guests Rev. Leah Daughtry on creating Power Rising: “If I could wave my magic wand, I would convene Black Women. All kinds of Black Women, to come together and let’s talk about the issues that concern us and what we want to do. What we want to do with this political power, this social power, this economic power that we have.” Jessica Pickney Vice President of Government Affairs at In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda: “We are really trying to frame voting rights and voting issues as reproductive justice issues. Bodily autonomy, and having the right to make choices about when and if to parent and how to parent in a safe environment free from harm of all kind often starts at the voting poll

Democracy is in crisis. How do we fix it? Professor Hélène Landemore comes to the front of the class to give a lesson on various forms of democracy and how she believes we should be including more people in the governing process. On L. Joy's Book Shelf Show Guest Hélène Landemore is an associate Professor of Political Science at Yale University, she is the author of Democratic Reason: Politics, Collective Intelligence, and the Rule of the Many and the upcoming Open Democracy: Reinventing Popular Rule for the 21st Century. Her research and teaching interests include democratic theory, theories of justice, constitutional processes and theories, and workplace democracy. Her research has been featured in the New York Times, the Boston Review, Slate and more. “The right to vote is essential and important but I think the right to have access to power which is located in the sphere where deliberation is performed, agendas are set, where decisions are actually made is perhaps even more central than the right to

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  - (U.S. Const. amend. II) What has the second amendment meant for and to Black people in America? Professor Akinyele Umoja gives us the history and context of the Black power of guns. #SistaToWatch Shetamia Taylor shares how her relationship with guns changed after a tragedy and Maj Toure shares how Black Guns Matter is bringing firearm safety to Black communities. Show Guests Akinyele Umoja is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of African-American Studies at Georgia State University where he teaches courses on the history of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements and other black political and social movements. He is the author of “We Will Shoot Back: Armed Resistance and the Mississippi Freedom Movement” Shetamia Taylor didn't consider herself an activist when she showed up to a Black Lives Matter protest on July 7th 2016 with her sons. That

How do polls impact our politics? Quinnipiac, Gallup and even SurveyMonkey put out polls measuring approval ratings, issues and candidate viability but what does it all mean? Rachel Bitecofer, Assistant Director of the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University comes to the front of the class to give us a lesson on how political polls are conducted and how we should read the results. Show Guest Rachel Bitecofer is Assistant Director of the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University, where she teaches classes on political behavior, campaigns, elections, and political analysis. In her position with the Wason Center she conducts survey research on public policy issues and election campaigns. She has been featured in many media outlets including national outlets such as the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and NPR and she is a regular contributor on CBC Radio. “All that you are going to be getting when you hear a poll result from now until September maybe October...r

"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Title IX is federal civil rights law that was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. Secretary of Education Betsey DeVos has proposed new rules on sexual harassment and violence. Ashley Sawyer of Girls for Gender Equity joins L. Joy, June and Lurie to discuss the proposed changes and how you can #TakeCivicAction on the issue. Show GuestA proud HBCU alum, Ashley has done systemic policy work to improve education outcomes for all children in juvenile justice facilities, with a particular emphasis on the education rights of youth with special needs/disabilities who have been adjudicated delinquent as a Stoneleigh Emerging Leader Fellow and has provided legal rep

Isn’t clean air, safe & nutritious food and potable water important to you? Who manages your trash or makes sure there is electricity? On this episode of #SundayCivics, L. Joy begins the conversation about our public utilities and the agencies that regulate them with guest Ibrahim Salih Abdul-Matin. #CivicDocket One Town's Decades Long Struggle For Cleaner Air http://snip.ly/e5090hHere’s What the USDA’s New Nutrition Rules Mean for the 30 Million Children Eating School Lunches http://snip.ly/xpbwkk How the Trash Industry Worked Overtime Trying to Thwart New York City’s Reform Plans http://snip.ly/4ttjv8 Show Guest Ibrahim has a long history working on environmental policy and has expertise in the public, private, and civic sectors on several affairs including sustainability, technology, community engagement, sports, and new media. He has served as the sustainability policy advisor to Mayor Bloomberg and currently serves as the Director of Community Affairs at the NYC Department of Environmen

New Year, new presidential candidates. The 2020 race may be a ways off, but candidates are starting to reveal themselves. L. Joy brings Carol McDonald and Jamila Bey to the front of the class to discuss how they are making their decision to choose a presidential candidate and it may help you make yours. Show Guests Carol McDonald is a seasoned activist, changemaker and communications professional based in Washington, DC. With over 20 years of experience working in and for communities of color, Carol has excelled in leading campaigns rooted in electoral politics, race equity and building inclusive organizations and public narratives. She is now Partner at 76 Words a firm that turns campaign strategies into television, radio and online communications to elect Democrats and support progressive causes. Jamila Bey is a veteran journalist and public speaker based in Washington DC. She is a frequent guest on several media outlets including Fox and Friends where she attempts to be the voice of reason.