Boulder City Councilwoman Junie Joseph. Source: Boulder City Council
BY JULIA BOCCABELLA, SUMMER 2021 COLLABORATOR
In the weeks before November 8th, 2019, the city of Boulder, Colorado was sprinkled with yard signs promoting candidates for Boulder’s upcoming city council election. Every day on my walk to and from campus, I’d give the signs a passing glance, remembering the names and faces on them as that daily walk became my daily routine. I’ll admit it – I didn’t know much about city council elections, and they didn’t come up in conversations with any of my peers. College life in Boulder is often hectic, and to many young people, taking the time to dive into local politics is something we don’t think about often. This was especially true in the fall of 2019. There was a collective anxiety in the air about the upcoming Democratic primaries and the looming cloud of the 2020 presidential election, dubbed “the most important election of our lifetimes”. The signs promoting Boulder’s city council elections seemed like background noise against the din of the upcoming presidential race. Still, though, amidst all that noise, I remembered the smiling face of a woman named Junie Joseph on those yard signs. And amidst that noise, Junie was working hard to make Boulder a better place.
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Junie emigrated to the U.S. when she was 14 years old. She lived in Florida with her mother and five younger brothers, graduating from the University of Florida with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Anthropology. Later, she received her Master’s in Applied Human Rights from the University of York in England. This is only where the list of her accomplishments begins, and to say that Junie’s resume is impressive would certainly be an understatement. This year, Junie was appointed to the National League of Cities' 2021 Human Development Committee, where she guides the league’s policy positions and advocacy agendas on a variety of issues including poverty, social services, and education. She previously served on the Community Corrections’ Board and as the chair of the Boulder County Health and Human Services Citizen Panel Review. Prior to moving to Boulder, Junie worked tirelessly for human and civil rights with organizations all over the globe. As an intern, Junie worked with the United Nation’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, and later went on to work with the UN’s Mission to the Central African Republic as a Human Rights Officer. There, she served those in the region of Bria who were displaced by the ongoing civil war. Junie also served as a global law and development fellow for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Côte D’Ivoire, advocating for the access rights of disabled persons in the Ivorian justice system.
In July of 2020, while attending CU Boulder’s law school, Junie Joseph decided to run for city council. She was motivated in part by her own experience with the socioeconomic divisions that ripple through Boulder: the skyrocketing cost of living, the housing crisis, and the lack of support and representation for working class residents, students, and residents of color. Junie herself worked as a volunteer with the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, seeing the effects of Boulder’s affordable housing crisis from the front lines. She launched a strong campaign that reached out to voters of all different backgrounds in Boulder, devoting significant attention to those most affected by inequality in the city. The need for affordable housing, improved programs for those experiencing homelessness, government efficiency, and environmental protection became key goals of Junie’s campaign. The race was not without challenges. Junie was a relative newcomer, a working-class student and woman of color – a candidate very different from the usual makeup of Boulder’s city council: older white homeowners and business owners who weren’t working-class. But that November, after a lot of hard work and a strong campaign, voters in Boulder elected Junie Joseph as one of the city’s new council members. She currently serves as Mayor Pro Tempore.
2020 was a year that radically changed the world and laid bare the inequalities and challenges that so many Americans face in their everyday lives. As a Boulder city council member, Junie and the council worked to address the needs of Boulder’s residents during a very difficult time. The council fought to protect and restore funding for social services and programs like the local fire department, library, and severe weather shelters which faced funding cuts during the pandemic. As a member of various committees, Junie supported initiatives promoting racial equality, better and safer infrastructure, and a greener, more sustainable Boulder. Junie continues to fight for the people of Boulder despite considerable pushback and challenges – proposing suggestions to reform the local police department, protect renters, preserve local open space, promote ethnic and gender diversity in city commissions, and expand affordable housing.
Fall of 2019 probably wasn’t a time that many people kept local politics at the forefront of their minds. The constant stream of information about the upcoming 2020 presidential race, for many, created an ever-present buzz of stress that often pitched towards an uncomfortable roar. World politics remained tense, constantly changing, and overwhelming. And of course, the stresses and responsibilities of everyday life never seem to cut anyone a break, especially those who face structural marginalization in society. It’s easy to get lost in the crazy world of big politics and the 24-hour news cycle. Junie’s story shows that not only is change possible in the seemingly smaller cities and towns many of us live in, but that it’s important. Local politics are worthy of our time and attention. Junie Joseph is proof of this: she has an impressive resume working on big issues with organizations as influential as the UN, but that doesn’t mean the city council of Boulder isn’t an impactful office where she can create change for the better. It’s worthy of her time because she thinks the people of Boulder deserve better. And it’s a reminder to all of us that local politics can make our communities better places for all of us to live in – including our friends, family, and neighbors - and that’s certainly worth our time.
Think about the walks you take to class, into town, to a friend’s house. What do you see?
I see a lot of things. The beautiful Flatirons in the background. Unhoused community members greeting students by name with a warm smile and a quick chat. City busses making their stops. My friends, many of whom are visibly exhausted after working long hours to pay for tuition and still make this month’s rent. Professors, groundskeepers, parents on walks with their children. And for many days, I saw Junie Joseph’s signs. I didn’t know it then, but it was a sign that there was one of us – a fellow CU Buff and Boulderite – who saw all the people and places that make up Boulder and felt that was something worth fighting for. Local politics matter, and your community will thank you for being an active and informed part of it. Your voice is needed, it’s valuable, and you matter.
Julia Boccabella is a senior at the University of Colorado – Boulder majoring in Philosophy and Sociology. She is passionate about women’s rights, economic justice, and creating a more peaceful world.