Episode 123: Black Women Are On the Ballot
There are a historic number of Black women running for office in 2020. In addition to a Black woman being on the top of the ticket as the Democratic nominee for Vice President, at least 122 Black women filed to run for Congress and there are more running for local seats. L. Joy brings a few of those Black women to the front of the class including Joyce Elliott, candidate for Arkansas’s 2nd Congressional District and the four Black women of Justice 4 LACCD running for seats on the Board of Trustees for the Los Angeles Community College District.
Our Guests
Joyce Elliott grew up in the tiny community of Willisville, Arkansas, where she graduated from high school in a class of nine students. She was only the second person of color to graduate from the newly integrated school. She earned an undergraduate degree in English and speech from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and is a graduate degree in English from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Her first path to public service led her to 35 years in the classroom teaching high school juniors and seniors. Joyce served as a State Representative from January 2001 through January 2007. In her final term, she was Chair of the Education Committee and served on the Committees on Insurance and Commerce; Budget; Personnel; and Energy. She was elected to the Arkansas State Senate in November 2008, where she currently represents District 31. In her first term in the Arkansas Senate, Talk Business Arkansas magazine named her one of its Top Ten Legislators of 2009.
Justice 4 LACCD Board of Trustee Candidates
Sylvia Brooks Griffin is a career politician but does believe in Service. She is a Mom who has actively served my children and public school children by working with the administrations of ALL the public schools (Pre K - 12) her children have attended. She is a Community Volunteer who has advocated extensively for inclusivity in education for Special Needs communities inside the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and in my community with the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles (DSALA). She has an extensive background in the Arts, and understands the challenges facing Arts education and Arts valuation both in and outside of our school community. She sees a need for concerned citizens, like herself, to take a more active role in the shaping of policies that affect our communities.
Dr. Niché James-Gray is an activist for empowerment through education. As a teacher she has worked to inform, inspire and empower young adults. As an administrator she has worked to implement policy and procedures to ensure academic success for students while also supporting and creating incentive for faculty to ensure positive outcomes for students. Her approach, which has been shaped by her experiences as a Black woman and former student of multiple LACCD campuses, is to create the necessary resources for these students to succeed in their goals, whether that is to develop a trade as a career path, or transfer.
Charné Tunston is a lifelong advocate for youth mentorship, Charné Tunston, upon graduation from college, returned to her high school Crenshaw High, to teach and make an impact on others as her mentors had done for her. She founded the Tunston Leadership Foundation which has been able to continue her personal mission of touching the lives of youth, helping them grow and achieve their life dreams, as well as teaching them the importance of coaching and mentoring others. She wants to extend her reach so that these young students continue to receive the support that they need.
Raquel Watts was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, and has served underrepresented and underserved students since college. As an undergraduate at USC, she was the Executive Director of Troy Camp and effectuated change as President of The Student Committee on Admissions and Recruitment. Her college experience was the foundation for many past and present philanthropic endeavors such as being a long-standing volunteer for Crenshaw Christian Center, the home of the Faithdome. She has worked in the specialized field of Workers Compensation for the past 28 years and is currently a Senior Legal Hearing Representative for Mitchell Law Corporation where she represents injured workers and aggressively advocates for their right to benefits.