Joyce McMillan describes her experiences during the COVId-19 pandemic and the pandemic's impact on social issues. McMillan discusses the initial stages of the pandemic, deaths in family, her daughters' activities during the pandemic, changes in diet, biking, and listening to music. She describes Harlem street scenes during the pandemic, Harlem demographics, and interactions between people of differ ent races in Harlem. She describes her work at a domestic violence shelter and conditions there during the pandemic. She discusses the music of Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. She compares and contrasts pandemic isolation to the isolation of incarceration. She gives an extended analysis of the problems with the foster care system in New York City and the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), and the criminalization of students. She also discusses cooking at home more, despite despite local restaurants' need for customers. Throughout the interview, she looks at how systemic issues facing Black people have been exacerbated by the pandemic
Political activists; COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; COVID-19 (Disease)--Social Aspects; Epidemics--Social Aspects; Social distancing (Public health); Homeless persons--New York (State); Imprisonment--United States; United States Race relations 21st century; Harlem (New York, N.Y.); McMillan, Joyce (Community organizer); New York (N.Y.). Administration for Children's Services
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2020
Physical Description
36 pages
Note (Biographical)
Joyce McMillan is a community organizer and mother who lives in West Harlem. Active in her community, she has been a New York City County Committee member, co-chair of her block organization, and co-chair of her building's tenant association. She is t he founder and executive director of Just Making a Change for Families (JMACforFamilies). Having been involved in the child welfare system, the penal system, the homeless system, the substance abuse system, and the welfare system, her advocacy focuses on removing systemic barriers in communities of color and abolishing systems of harm
Note
Interviewed by Khadijah Abdurahman on May 13, 2020
Note (Provenance)
Joyce McMillan, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023