Take Notice: Amplifying Black Stories

Joy Stanford

October 27, 2020 Joy Stanford Episode 1
Take Notice: Amplifying Black Stories
Joy Stanford
Show Notes Transcript

Joy Stanford
Running for State Representative - 26th District
Website: www.joyforwashington.com
Facebook: JoyForWashington ● Twitter: @Joy4WA ● Instagram: @Joy4WA

Mentioned in this episode:
King County Equity Now
Emerge Washington

Our very first episode features Joy Stanford - healthcare and housing advocate and educator, running for State Representative in Washington's 26th Legislative District. If elected, she would be the first female Black representative for the district. Joy shares with us her family history and her experience as a mother, her background in political advocacy, and her motivation for dedicating herself to state-wide change.
 
© 2020 by Take Notice Podcast.

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Music by Version Big-Fi featuring Darius Heggins
Produced, Hosted & Edited by Allison Preisinger-Heggins

Thank you for Taking Notice!

Take Notice - Joy Stanford



[00:01 – 05:02]

Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Welcome to the very first episode of 'Take Notice: Amplifying Black Stories'. I am your host Allison Preisinger-Heggins. I am really excited to get this project to your ears and to get going with this early episode. To begin I believe it is important to recognize to take notice of the voices that are so often unheard. Land acknowledgement statements are an important part of honoring those whose land we now live and work on. Taking the time to acknowledge this allows us to continue to learn how to do better. So, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the land on which I am creating this recording. I would like to show gratitude to the traditional ancestral land of the Tulalip, the Snohomish, the Stillaguamish, and the Sauk-Suiattle tribe. I encourage listeners to research the land on which you live and are listening right now. Now we are so very excited to bring you this early episode, we could not hold it back; it was just too perfect to get out to you before the election was over. 

Joy Stanford is running for state representative in Washington State and we did not want to hold back on this one, though we hope that you will also enjoy this episode after the election is over because it was just a fantastic conversation with Joy. But we want to encourage engagement voting, and early voting, and hoping you all have your voting plan. I turned in my ballot in Washington State; we get mail-in ballots, so I turn mine in a drop box, right by my middle school, just the other day. So, it was nice to kind of go back in time a bit in my brain, as I turned in this ballot that seems fairly momentous. So, here is hoping that you have your voting plan, and I would love to hear about it. So, get in touch with us if you would like. We will be releasing more episodes, the first week of December, we will be releasing three more episodes in December, and we are excited to get those conversations to your ears. 

I cannot begin to express how much I have enjoyed putting this project together and we will continue our conversation of that process, and how I came about doing this project. But, we will wait for those episodes in December to chat about that some more. But please subscribe, so that you can get those episodes in December into your favorite podcast app. Subscribe, share, follow, follow us on social media, we are at take notice podcast; you can find us at takenoticepodcast.org. If you are interested in being a guest on our show, we would love to interview you. Check us out on our website; see if it is something that you align with, and we have an intake form there or you can send us an email, we would be happy to connect with you if you are interested in being a guest and sharing your story. We also have an open call for short stories, recorded short stories, five to ten minutes recorded short story, either record it on your own or we can help you record it. 

The themes are fairly open; it does not have to be a necessarily structured story, though if you are a storyteller, we would love to hear from you as well. These stories, we are hoping will be a personal story of your own that you connect with and feel moved to share with our audience. So, if you are interested in being involved in that way, please get in touch with us, we would love to hear from you. So, please subscribe and we would love to stay connected with you, and we would love your feedback on these episodes as well. Joy Stanford is a candidate running for state representative in Washington State’s 26th legislative district. If elected, she will be the first female black representative for the district. She has been serving the south sound region communities for decades as a health care and housing advocate and as an educator. She was born and raised in San Mateo California and is a mother, wife, grandmother and is from a family of veterans. 

Please enjoy my conversation with Joy Stanford. Take notice would like to take the time to acknowledge black owned businesses organizations and artists. If you have a suggestion of which we should highlight during our episodes, please find us on social media or visit our website. King County Equity now is a black led research, policy, advocacy, and amplification institute. Engineering and designing, a new normal rooted in equity. They include more than 60 accountable, black-led community-based organizations to identify and surface black community needs and equity solutions. They use their platform, leverage existing networks, and lend labor resources; technical, professional, and community expertise to advocate and collective towards black liberation. Follow and support on social media or by visiting kingcountyequitynow.com. Well, welcome Joy, Thank you for joining me on take notice. I am so happy to have you and really looking forward to hearing your stories. How are you? 


Joy Stanford 

Excellent, tired but feeling good and just energized. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Wonderful! Yeah, you have had a lot of speaking engagements, and talking, and all kinds of activity, getting ready for the upcoming campaign, I imagine… upcoming elections. 


[05:03 – 10:10]

Joy Stanford 

That is what happens when you are a candidate and so, I am kind of… I am not new to this since I ran in 2018, so I was looking forward to it, and I expected everything that is been happening, so… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

That is always helpful; I am sure, at least to have some idea of what is coming up. 


Joy Stanford 

Absolutely! 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, good! I would love to hear about your background, and I read that you were born in San Mateo California, is that right? 


Joy Stanford 

Absolutely! Go San Mateo bearcats, graduated from San Mateo high school 1983, yes moved here 22 years ago, 1998. So, I have been here for a while.


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, great!


Joy Stanford 

Yeah. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins  

Awesome! Where did you move initially, to the same area or…? 


Joy Stanford 

Yeah, for orchard initially, and then I spent eight years, almost nine years there, and then… actually was eight because Ben was not quite nine yet, and then moved to gig harbor, and I have been here ever since. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, okay. Awesome! Wonderful! What brought you to Washington? Was it a job? 


Joy Stanford 

A job my husband no longer has, you know, he worked for united airlines, prior to 9/11, and was then laid off from united airlines after 20 years, with them after 9/11 and so, yeah we wanted to buy a house, we figured this was a great place to raise kids, and we moved here and so, thus began my Pacific Northwest history of my time. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah, it is a unique place that is for sure. 


Joy Stanford 

Definitely different from California. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yes. When you were grown up in California, who were you surrounded by, who is in your family? 


Joy Stanford 

You know, I just had a birthday party, fundraiser with some incredible women, and we all agreed and folks that were from the Pacific Northwest, we had a few folks on there from here, who have only known me here, and the one thing that they say is; wow! Your community was so diverse and so, I grew up in this very diverse, you know, everybody grew up together, played together, went to school together, did school sports together and so moving here was a little bit of a culture shock, because it is not as diverse and so, I just remember my mom and my aunt and my godmother saying, you grow where you are planted, and so I just went about trying to do that. So, my kids could feel… at the time I only had one when I moved here, and then I got pregnant with my last son, when I was here, but just went about trying to acclimate to here and figure out what is, you know, just because it is different does not mean it is bad, it is just different, but definitely different as it is definitely not as diverse culturally here in the 26th legislative district. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Right. Washington State is. If you are in the urban areas, it is a bit diverse but as soon as you step out of it even a few minutes. 


Joy Stanford 

It is a lot different. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. 


Joy Stanford 

Absolutely! 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. What did your parents do when you were growing up? 


Joy Stanford 

My dad was an upholstery and rug cleaner in a union; my mom reupholstered furniture and was a housekeeper and cook. The first time I saw the movie help, I said; oh wait, that is my mom and my grandmother and my aunt, all the women I know that is them, you know. So, they were the help and so when they adopted me because I was adopted at four and a half, my mom was a housekeeper and a cook for a very well-to-do family, very wealthy family and then she switched over to doing upholstery at the same company that my dad was working for, on small furniture, so chairs, and seat cushions, and things like that. But she kind of rolled back and forth in those two worlds for most of my life, so… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Okay, sure. Wonderful! Did you have siblings growing up as well? 


Joy Stanford 

You know, I had god sisters and god brothers, I did not have direct… my parents were much older when they adopted me, but I grew up around a core group of kids, and those are my sisters, those are my brothers, and those are my cousins and so, we still to this day, we say that I talked to my sisters and my one cousin, the four of us get on the phone every Sunday, it is pretty funny. My husband is like, I got to leave the room, you guys are… but, you know, we are just checking in with each other, especially during this time of COVID, isolation and, you know, just want to check in with them. I cannot do it as much every Sunday as I want to because I am on the phone talking to voters, and so once I get off the phone talking to voters, I do not want to talk anymore. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yes. 


[10:11 – 15:17]

Joy Stanford 

So, yes, say my voice. But I try to do it every other Sunday or every two Sundays, I try to give them a call, and just make sure so… I was around great people, I was around great families, sort of like, you know, the way my kids all grew up to, but it is just a little different, just a little different. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Right. Yeah, that was my next question was. What were the differences besides the difference in diversity for you growing up compared to what you saw your kids growing up around? 


Joy Stanford 

I do not think my youngest, I think he took a bus twice in his life, I was on the bus all the time, you know. So, as a kid in the city, we are like we are taking the bus to the mall, we are taking the bus to San Francisco, we are taking the bus to, you know, wherever. But, we are on the bus as soon as we were teenagers, we were on the bus. Younger than that we were on our bicycles, and we were and sometimes like we would ride two cities over, and my mom be like, where would you guys ride your bike? Just down, down El Camino, without telling her how far we went. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Right. 


Joy Stanford 

But, yeah so that is the difference, I think, here in the Kitsap Peninsula area, it is hard to take a bus because there are no buses. So, yeah I do not think my kids really ever took buses when they were teenagers and we had to drive them everywhere; my parents never drove me anywhere. My mom would laugh at me for taking somewhere. So, I worked from the time I was 16, it was really hard for my kids to find jobs at that age here and they were just really busy, super busy with school, and sports, and extracurricular activities, choir and so, a little different upbringing but you know, I have good kids, they did well in school, they did not give me too much trouble other than the very ordinary, you know, teenage angst and thank you Jesus for that. But I think, the other day my son said; yeah, we grew up in a bubble, and I said; yeah, you did, you did and so, it is just becoming very evident to him. But, you know, I still had to have the talk with my sons that my friends do not have to have. 

So, I have to tell him if you are pulled over, you are talking very politely, you are talking very slowly, you are not moving your hands, you are not moving quickly. If you are asked to get out of the car, you get out of the car. First thing you do is call me, get me on face time or phone something. So I know what is happening. But my friends, it is so interesting, I got several calls after the George Floyd incident, and my friends are like, oh my god! I never realized, what you had, like that you had to have that conversation I have never had that conversation with my kids. So, it was interesting how many people texted me and called me to say that and then and then they just went about really thinking about that and what I call doing the work of saying okay, like we get it now, we get why you were so strict, we get why you were always asking Ben and Brandon questions about. Where are you going? Where are you going to be? Who is going to be there? Parents going to be there, you know, are there guns in the house, you know, all of the questions that was me, so, yeah a little different but… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah, definitely, especially in that area too, I think. How do you feel about the area you live in compared to like maybe where you grew up in San Mateo as far as, did you have those same conversations, I imagine when you were… did your parents have those conversations? 


Joy Stanford 

No. You know, we talked about this the other day, me and my sister. No, never. One, we would never get in trouble, are you kidding I am scared. So, I am really sure my kids were scared of me but no, you know, I do not think, we just know, we did not, much different and that is a great segue into, you know, why I even got into running for office. I was asked to run for office because I started giving speeches around the area, around unity, and race, and race relations, and because at my youngest son's school, someone, an unknown assailant tried to burn down a portable and in front of that portable on the ground, somewhere, he or she had written black lives do not matter and someone snapped a picture of some of the black and brown kids looking down at that on the ground and I saw in that moment, the faces of my son and his friends and I remember my son coming home and saying to me, really is this happening, really during my senior year, this is how we are going to start the year, because this is not the way we wanted to start the year. 

[15:18 – 20:13]

Joy Stanford 

And so, I started going around, there was a group of ladies and I said; I have no problem going around and giving speeches and talking about, you know, how it feels to be a black woman in a not so diverse area, and then how do we come together. You know the fact that we are not going anywhere. So what do I need to do? Have the hard conversations with me. I am open to speaking to people. I am open to answering, you know, all of the questions that you do not understand, if you want to have that conversation with me and so then people started hearing me, give these speeches, you should run for office and I was like oh, no, I am not that nice. No and I kept saying that, they are like you are really nice, Michael I am but I just do not… like I am not made for that and women have to be asked seven times, more… seven to eleven times to run for office. Well, black women have to be asked double to triple that. 

And I am sure this group of wonderful people, and Hillary Sea Quest and Lynn Jabs and Jill New Meister, and all these folks were asking, you should run for office, you really should think about running for office and then I thought why I would do that, like I have never thought about that and I said; well, if you can convince my husband, then I will do it. Because I am thinking he is got to be in on this too, like my youngest and all my youngest could say was really you want to do it, do that during my senior year and I said, you know, what I will make sure, I do not miss anything I, you know, I had to promise that and I did. I did not miss anything, even if I showed up late, I was there and so, I said I would and I stepped up, but I stepped up late, I got into the race late, I was behind on fundraising, I had no idea what I was doing but through, you know, Hillary Sea Quest is a great mentor, and he said you need a treasurer, you need a consultant. 

So, two things you need right away, and I went about getting that and then I went about finding where I could go learn how to run for office and I went to national women's political caucus, had a training and Wellstone had training and I did those two, just took a lot of notes, and asked a lot of questions and I will tell you my consultant Mary New Bauer with NWP consulting is phenomenal because all the questions I asked her, as this newbie, she answered, she did not make me feel like I was just like… I should have known, you know, she answered them and she was like nope, that is good question blah… this is how it works, blah… And people ask me all the time like why did you choose her, and I said because she came to my house, she did not do it on Google meet-ups or whatever, all the other consultants I interviewed, they did not want to come out too, she came to me. 

And the first question she asked Dave and I was, tell me about you guys? Where would you meet? How long have you lived here? Where have you lived? And she wanted to know about us, and so I was like, she is the one and I had her 2018 during my run and I have her now from my run. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

That is awesome! I imagine with such a monumental thing that is imperative.


Joy Stanford 

Especially when you do not know... 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Right. 


Joy Stanford 

What is happening? What are we doing? You know, kind of deer in the headlights, you know, you have got to go to these forums and you have to talk about issues and I was like wait what? Oh okay, well good because this is good, these are issues that are affecting our community, this is great. But, I will tell you, it is much easier the second time around, much… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

I bet. 


Joy Stanford 

Much easier the second time around. I am in it, I am in it to win it, I am glad I am running a second time, because when you know better you do better and I feel like I knew what to expect versus the first time and so, I am just in this, I am in this to win this. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah, absolutely, I am really pulling for you and kind of wishing that I lived in your district. So I could vote for you. 


Joy Stanford 

Well, the cool thing is I am not alone, you know, this year we have got eight black women running here in Washington State. The largest number of any state of women running, black women running for a state seat, one senator and the rest of us are all running for house positions. So it is really cool not to have to be alone and I will tell you, you know, the second time around, before I decided to do that I did not emerge Washington training, and that is what really gave me that kind of solid foundation, like okay I know what I have to do, I have to fundraise, I have to think about how I am thinking about the issues, how that relates to my community, how I can think about ideas and solutions around issues for my community. 

[20:14 – 25:16]

Joy Stanford 

I mean it really solidified, like here is really what you need to be thinking about, here is kind of the road map to doing this and that is what emerge Washington gave me and then getting into the race and just having people like opportunity pack, amplify my race, and first mile, folks amplify my race throughout the whole state to say here are women that are running that we think are going to be champions for all people. So, this is the kind of momentum that I needed in 2018, but I have now that is just making this time much different and much more palpable, the energy and support behind my campaign. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. It seems like, it is definitely been helpful to like have a kind of start, and then really it sounds like you are blossoming now. 


Joy Stanford 

And just to start early. Let me just tell you start an early days.


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh sure. I can only imagine. 


Joy Stanford 

Like I started phone calling in January, February, I was like, look we have to phone call, okay. You know, because you are raising money, you are raising thousands of dollars. So, I do not have any kind of specific lobbyists or special interest groups behind me, I have got unions, I have got grassroots people, I have got the teachers, healthcare workers, grocery workers, folks like that, plumbers and pipefitters and folks like that behind me. So, you have got to start early and you have got to get to them and talking to them and letting them know, you know, what your platform is and how you can integrate what their needs are with the needs of the community and with the needs of the state. So, I am super excited, I am super pumped for this race, so… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, that is great! Yeah. I watched that documentary on Netflix, it has AOC in it but all these other women from across the states. 


Joy Stanford 

Yes. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

I cannot think of what it is called right now but it just makes me think like if people hear that story and then your story and the other women from Washington state, the more people are going to feel encouraged and engaged and like they can do it too if they are interested in being involved, so that is really gives me a lot of hope, for sure. 


Joy Stanford 

That is the point and the hope. Anyway, that is it, is to get more women, more women of color to step up. Even if it is just locally, even if it is the municipal races; so mayor, city council, commissions, there is so many; fire commission, parks commission, like even those positions are really important to what is happening, what is happening with our kids, what is happening with our environment because you think school boards but that is an important role. I know there is like two, there might be, yeah there is two of the eight black women that are on school boards that are running right now and so it is like that is important parks commission, you know, when you are talking the environment is important, we want to know, you know, that we have got good folks on there who are really thinking about and being thoughtful and mindful about our area and about our environment and so, even starting there and just kind of working your way up, I always… people say; did you always want to run? No, I did not. Oh, no. 

And then the other question I get from the older folks that I talk to on the phone. So how long are you going to do this? How long you are going to be working for us and then you are going to go to Washington DC and be some big mucky muck? And I always tell them no, I am here to make a difference in my own state, and then I am going to retire, and I am going to turn around and hand this baton to some other badass woman, who is going to come along and do an even better job than I am doing and that is the hope, right? Is not that is what we want, you know, is to be able to hand baton off to someone else. So that is why I am on the Emerge board, the Emerge Washington board, so that I can keep encouraging. Anytime I see a woman, who is doing something in the community, I am like let me talk to you, come here, come here, you need to run, you need to run for office, and we can help you do that at emerge, you know. 

So, I see the passion in folk’s eyes and I am going to… I am definitely going to try to turn them out to say; hey, you should run, you should run for something, I do not care what it is, run for something. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. Oh, that is wonderful! Yeah, just kind of being the stepping stones in the ladder. Yeah. 


Joy Stanford 

Absolutely! 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

I was curious just going back to the incident at your son's school. I was curious how the school handled that? 


Joy Stanford 

Oh, the principal was awesome! 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, wonderful!


Joy Stanford 

He is not the principal now but the principal was awesome. They started a… what did they call it? A diversity club that met once a month, I went several times with them, they did several projects to just bring attention to the fact that there is diversity in the school, and for folks to know that. 

[25:17 – 30:11]

Joy Stanford 

And it was a good thing, he has unfortunately left peninsula high school, he is over at south Kitsap high school, but I know he is going to do great things there. I heard just the other day that they are going to start another diversity club for the students, at the high school, which I am super excited about, so… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

That is so wonderful. 


Joy Stanford 

Yeah. I think that is just a club that just needs to keep going. We need to have like freshmen through seniors in that club and them recruiting folks as you know the years go on and doing projects like, you know, indigenous day and not just black history month but I am celebrating some of these people of color who we have forgotten. I tell the story that I called back my high school and said; I really hope you are talking about the hidden figures ladies now since I never knew there were black women who were good at math and maybe I would have been better at math… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, absolutely! Yeah. 


Joy Stanford 

Because I never knew that about our history, and it was so interesting, the poor secretary was like I am definitely going to pass that on. I cannot believe you are calling. What year did you graduate? I was like right, you know, I was digging it but I think that is something that these diversity clubs can do is just always bringing attention and keeping it in the forefront and then doing that anti-racism work and always putting it out there and maybe also encouraging courage for people to step up and step out and speak up and if you hear something you say something and so, I think those kind of clubs have the ability to do that but they have to be kind of solid in the school first and so, I am hoping more kids will do that once they come back to in person school, because right now I think the kids are loving, some kids are loving the not in person because they do not have to deal with that, they do not have to deal with the other ring that happens.


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, sure. 


Joy Stanford 

That is cool! 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Right. Yeah, I did not even think about that. 


Joy Stanford 

I did not either. I was on a zoom with some folks and I said; kids are really liking it because they do not have to worry about being called out or somebody is seeing, some sort of micro aggression happening. I am like oh, that is so true. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Right. 


Joy Stanford 

True and teachers… same thing with teachers, especially if you are the only teacher of color at a school, so, I think that there is something to be said for that but at the same time bringing those kids back to make sure that we are doing the work that we need to do to make it where it is not like that. So I think we have got time. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

It makes me think about some program that I heard about in Arizona that was… I think it was a class that was teaching history of people of color and the students that were taking the class and I could be wrong about the details here but I believe the students taking the class because they were recognizing themselves in history more, were actually ended up doing better in school in general and then of course the administration or something, you know, they just, they cut the program eventually and I need to know, I need to look and see what the details are on that piece. But, I recently… I know I read about it a couple years ago, maybe and then somebody brought it up last week that was talking about it, it is just… so, the backing of the administration part is so important too, so that is why it is so nice to hear that at your son's school they were so responsive in that way. 


Joy Stanford 

Yeah. Quickly responding, quickly being a part of the community, the principal actually showed up to several places where we went and spoke, and spoke up and gave speeches and so, it was really nice and then that was kind of on the heels of us, was the fact that was on the heels of us, having our very first Martin Luther King Day celebration, first ever here at gig harbor. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, really first ever. 


Joy Stanford 

First ever, as far as I know. Right downtown, unfortunately we did have that day, someone put up anti-Semitic posters up and down, the main street, where we were having this event, so that was interesting that why they would put it up, you know, right on the street where the event was going to be held. But, they did and we just… you have to rise above that but it was my favorite woman Michelle Obama said; when they go low we go high. So, you have to rise above that and move on. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Absolutely! 


Joy Stanford 

So, we did and we had a fabulous time and people enjoyed it, it is still being talked about today, and people want us to come back and do it again. Maybe if I am not serving, you know, in a few years, I can be a part of that but right now my job is to get elected and then go serve in Olympia. So, I am hoping some folks will gather together again and put that together again, so… 


[30:12 – 35:16]

Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. Hopefully that continues every year, at least… 


Joy Stanford 

At least! 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Sounds really good! Wonderful! Well, I know you have many things where you have to speak, so I do not want to take you over time… 


Joy Stanford 

No worry.


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

So, we will shift over, there are these questions that I ask every guest… 


Joy Stanford 

Sure! 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

The first one is what brings joy or fun into your life? 


Joy Stanford 

Right now what brings joy and fun into my life is, and it sounds so crazy. Number one thing is face timing with my brand new grandbaby, she is six months old, and she just lights up every time, I am on face time with her, oh called me and I said; oh the baby is calling me, hold on, the baby is calling me, I got to answer. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. 


Joy Stanford 

She just lights up because she knows who I am. But, talking to voters and just getting kind of this sense of… we may be different on some issues but we have some shared values that we can really talk about and say okay, yeah agree about that, you know. I mean it does not have to be every single issue but there are some shared values there and it just always makes me happy. Yesterday I had a conversation with a lady, who did not know about me. I think she said; I think I have heard of you but I was not sure what your platform was and she was particularly dealing with a daughter, who has some health issues, and she gave me a story, and I said; well, I am dealing with some health issues myself, so I totally can identify with you, I totally can empathize with you and so, I said, I need you to push back, and do not give up, and she goes oh, no, never and so we just kind of had that moment where we both were like yes, we are still going to push these doctors to figure out, what is wrong with her daughter, to figure out my health issues, and I told her my story, and then I finally got somebody who said this is what you need to do and it seems to be working. 

And so I said; you just keep at it, you just keep at it, so she was going to go check me out, but she is like I am sure you have I have, but she said I am sure you have my vote and so that is always brings me joy and even when folks say; no, I had a gentleman say; I am a staunch republican and I said; well, that is okay, I will represent you too when I am elected and he just started laughing; he is like I am going to go check out your website… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

That is awesome! 


Joy Stanford 

That always brings me joy, here is someone saying that to me, it is not republican, you know what I mean, and I am going to go check out your website. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. 


Joy Stanford 

I just say; if you are polite, if I tell people I am not calling to sell them something, this is not a solicitation call, they usually let me talk, so… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Sure. 


Joy Stanford 

Yeah. So, right now those are the couple things that bring me joy. I really like to scrapbook with my scraping sisters, Marie and Debbie and Stephanie, but I do not get a lot of time to do that right now, so… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Right. Oh that sounds fun too. Yeah. That is awesome! Oh, wonderful! Yeah, connecting with voters and just having that connection, no matter what happens, I imagine that is really rewarding. 


Joy Stanford 

Yes, it is. It is and some days are not that great, I will tell you. Some days are not that great but, you know what in the scheme of things, I have only had less than 10 phone calls that have been really bad and I would say probably less than six that have been really bad, out of the thousands of people that I have had to call over the last 10 months. So I am not going to… this is a good thing. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. Sounds like it… I should ask you, you have two sons or do they still live in the area you said you faced time with your daughter. 


Joy Stanford 

No I have two sons and a stepdaughter, my daughter lives over in Seattle; she is an eastern medicine practitioner and an acupuncturist and then my oldest son, he is the middle one; he lives in Chicago, which is why I face time with the baby. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Okay. 


Joy Stanford 

And then Ben is at Boise State Junior year, majoring in kinesiology, he wants to be a physical therapist. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, great! Good. I know a few of those people. I can never say what they do, you know. 


Joy Stanford 

It is okay. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. 


Joy Stanford 

He is always getting on me, so that is the only reason I know because he is like that is the soul muscle and you hate to ice and heat and this and the… oh my goodness! 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. I know. I used to coach cross country, so a lot of the people in that world went on to do that stuff, so they have lots of things to say about him. 


Joy Stanford 

Yes. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

And which is wonderful! Another question that I ask everybody is and it is super open-ended, it is a big question. What would make you feel genuinely equal? 


Joy Stanford 

What would make me feel genuinely equal? Well, I am going to make… wow! That is a big question. I will put it this way, when I can say justice for all, and it really means for all, that is when I will feel equal. When women are paid, what they should be paid equal to what a man is paid, and then I will feel equal. 

[35:17 – 40:01]

Joy Stanford 

Example, our women's national soccer team, when they are paid because of all the championships and the world cups that they brought home, when they are paid what the men are paid, then I will feel equal. When I do not have to worry about being stared at because I am a blended family, my husband is white and I am black then I will feel equal. So all of the things I think… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yeah. Thank you for that. Yeah, that question is so big but it is so interesting to hear everybody's own personal take on it. So I really appreciate it. 


Joy Stanford 

It is so much because I have, you know, my grandkids are of mixed race as well and so, I do not want life to be easier for them but I want it to be better for them and better to me is not having to worry about the fact that they may look different or have different cultural norms than their peers and so, Maya Angelo’s quote is so good; “when you know better you have to do better” and so, I think when we start doing better that is when I will feel equal. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

That is beautiful! Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. 


Joy Stanford 

No, thank you. Thank you. I think that is a good question to give… I think every podcast has to have like what are your questions, your two questions are very good, absolutely.


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

I am glad. That is good feedback. We are just getting started so that is wonderful feedback. 


Joy Stanford 

Awesome questions, absolutely. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Good. I am glad. Do you have any, besides of course your campaign, do you have any businesses or organizations or anything that you want to highlight that you maybe haven't already or…?


Joy Stanford 

You know, emerge Washington is just near and dear to my heart because I am on, you know, their board. I am also on the board of Washington paramount, duty along with some other parents, you know, I have tried to be very diverse. I worked at shared housing services because I am a product of a shared housing situation. Folks looking for housing, there is another option that is a whole nother podcast for us to do outside. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Sure. 


Joy Stanford 

You know, shared housing services, I was just recently laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic that, you know, these small, very small non-profits cannot raise the money that they need to raise to keep going or to staff and have folks working, it is rough, it is hard. So, I was recently laid off but wonderful organization, wonderful people miss them dearly and still totally believe in that option for folks who are looking for housing and I want to thank you the 26 LD, here in my area, there is some great supporters, I have got some great super volunteers. My young interns, we have got some… even high school kids who are not even eligible to vote that are just doing the work… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

That is awesome! 


Joy Stanford 

To get me elected, and like I said this campaign is so different from 2018. I think we just all knew what we needed to do and how to do it better, and we got to work and that is what we are doing. So, I just want to thank everybody who supported me, who continues to support me, even my friends back home, in san Mateo California, thank you so much for your continued support, and love, and encouragement, it is lonely doing this, this is not, I am not going to tell you, it is like everything. There are those moments where you are like, oh my god! But you keep going and I look at these kids, I read to a class on Friday, socially distancing, with my mask on, I read to a group of kids, and they were so great, they wrote me thank you notes, and just reading through those on the weekend was funny, it is the funniest thing. So, first graders, first graders, so… 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, that is adorable! 


Joy Stanford 

That is so cool! Like that yeah cool, you know and those are the kids and those are the faces, these are the reasons why I do what I do and I am doing. So, let us just get across that finish line November third, and please everybody make a plan to vote and do not forget to vote by November 3rd. Vote early. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yes. I am looking out for my ballot in the mail this week. I am hoping… 


Joy Stanford 

Friday, I still get mine on Friday, so I am super excited. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Okay. 


Joy Stanford 

Friday, I am doing it at that day and going to the drop box. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Yes, same here, absolutely. Oh man! Oh, I cannot thank you enough for joining me. I am so glad that we got connected, and that you are here on one of the very first episodes of take notice, and I cannot thank you enough and I really look forward to hopefully meeting you in person one day, when… 


[40:02 – 41:30]

Joy Stanford 

Yes. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

When that can happen? 


Joy Stanford 

That can happen. Yes. Thank you so much for inviting me, I truly appreciate, you just saying hey, Joy come on here with me, I am always going to do this, anything to help another female out, absolutely and get your podcast going. I love it. I love podcasts. I am like a podcast junk. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

I know there is just… 


Joy Stanford 

And then I am a ted talk junkie. So I just appreciate you showing interest in my campaign and me to have me on, so thank you, thank you. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Oh, absolutely. I wish you all the best in the upcoming election and the upcoming weeks and I hope your voice stays healthy also because it is great to hear it and great to hear your stories. So, yes thank you again so much. 


Joy Stanford 

Thank you, appreciate it. 


Allison Preisinger-Heggins 

Thank you for joining us for 'Take Notice: Amplifying Black Stories'. Please subscribe and follow us on social media, we are at take notice podcast; it would really help us out if you could take a couple of minutes to review our podcast. Thank you for your support. 'Take Notice: Amplifying Black Stories' is produced, hosted and edited by Allison Preisinger-Heggins, co-produced by Amanda Rae, music by version big five featuring Darius Heggins. Thank you for being with us and thank you for taking notice.