Episode 280: How Do You Build Community?

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.

Across the episode, she lays out six key steps for building community with intention:

1. Listen deeply and honestly.

2. Create spaces where people can gather.

3. Find a common thread that connects everyone.

4. Share the workload and nurture leadership.

5. Build a communications vehicle to stay connected.

6. Stay consistent, even when it’s hard.

She closes with a reminder that community is not a trend or a luxury—it is survival and liberation. In a time of isolation, disinformation, and political division, our most radical act may be to gather, connect, and act together.

Do Now

Ask yourself and those around you:

“What do we care about enough locally to act on together?”

Identify three people in your orbit—neighbors, parents, fellow congregants, or colleagues—and reach out to start the conversation. If you’re already part of a group, reflect on whether you’re listening deeply, sharing the work, communicating well, and being consistent.