JXN Community Forum

Forums are free and open programs to facilitate dialogue about the challenging issues of our time. Forums are held at the Jackson District Library, 244 West Michigan Avenue, Jackson, Michigan, between North Blackstone and North Jackson Streets. The JXN Community Forum series is sponsored by the League of Women Voters Jackson Area (LWVJA) and the Carnegie Branch of the Jackson District Library (JDL). Forums are usually on the second Thursdays of a month from 6:00–8:00 pm, in the Carnegie Auditorium, September through May, unless otherwise specified. The Forums have been a part of the community since 2005. See the JXN Community Forum Facebook page for more information.

All Past Forums

2019 – 2020 forums
September 2019 – Evicted! – Jackson book of the year
October – Candidate Forum
November – Recycling Forum

2018 – 2019 forums
September 2018 – November Ballot Initiative
October – Candidate Forum: County Commission, State House and Senate
November – No Neighbor Left Behind, Jackson Area Citizens Advisory Council
March 2019 – SNAP Benefits
April – Facing Race

2017-2018 forums
September 2017 – Maintaining Financial and Legal Control of Life Decisions as You Age
October – Candidate Forum Jackson City Council
November – Human Trafficking
December – “I’ll Be Me” Glen Campbell Documentary – last tour after Alzheimer diagnosis
January 2018 – A Community’s Response to the Rising Levels of Intolerance
February – Opioid Epidemic
March – Aging in Community – 2 Innovative Concepts: Virtual Volunteer Village and PACE
April – Fake News
May – Redistricting

2016-2017 forums
September 2016 – Jackson Candidate Forums – County Offices; State & Congress
October – How to Vote the Whole Ballot
November – Historic Districts
December: Ken Burns Documentary: Sharp Ministers
January 2017: Foster Care Challenges for Foster Children
February: Restorative Justice, Restorative Community
March: Legislative Update for Seniors
April: WWI America’s Place in the World
May: City Manager Update on Downtown Development

2015-2016 forums
September 2015 – Jackson Mayoral Candidate Forum
October – Legalizing Marijuana
November – Fireside Chat with Patrick Burtch, City Manager
December: Enbridge Line 5
January 2016: Minimum Wage and Living Wage
February : The impact of Land Treaties in Michigan on Native Americans
March: Refugees in Michigan: Where are they coming from? What do they go through to get here?
April: Water, Water Everywhere…Jackson’s water system, water policies, water rights and water quality
May: G.R.E.A.T – Grand River Environmental Action Team: Working on the protection and restoration of the Upper Grand River watershed in Jackson County for 25 years!

2014 -2015 forums
September 2014: Jackson Anchor Initiative
October: Make Your Vote Count: Redistricting
November – Meet A.L.I.C.E. in Jackson
January 2015 – Extreme Weather
February – Cradle to Career: What’s Happening in Jackson County?
March – Selma and Voting Rights Today
April – Consumer Privacy
May – Building a Bikeable Community

2013-2014 forums:
September 19, 2013: Forum on Human Trafficking
October 10: The New Jim Crow and Incarceration
November 14: Adoption Equality in Michigan
December 12: Minimum Wage
January 16, 2014: Human Rights in Jackson
February 20: What’s in YOUR food?
March 20: Natural Death Care: Home Funeral and Green Burial
April: The Loving Story: Love in the time of Jim Crow
May – Chicks in the City: Urban Agriculture

2012-2013 forums:
September 2012: A Vision for Downtown Jackson
October 18: A Review of Michigan Ballot Proposals
November 15: Michigan’s Indigent Defense System
December 13: The Arts in Jackson
January 17, 2013: Water Quality in the Wake of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
February 21: Poverty—It’s Not What You Think
March 21: Understanding the Charter School Debate
April 18: Reproductive Freedom in MI: Recent Legislation
May 16: School Libraries in the Future
June13: Freedom Forum – Where Are We on Race?

2011-2012 forums:
September 15, 2011: Looking Forward
October 20: Climate Change: The Evidence
November 17: State of Unions
December 15: Bullied—A Student, A School, and a Case that Made History
January 19, 2012: Anti-Bullying Part 2
February 16: Where Soldiers Come From
March 16: Dumpster Diving for food
April 19: The Status of Recycling in Jackson
May 17: Health Care for Jackson’s Uninsured and Under-insured
July 19: Local Ballot Issues

2010-2011 forums:
September 16, 2010: Immigration Issues from AZ to MI
October 21: Pets and The Economy – Keeping Best Friends Together
November 18: Primaries, Pork, and Partisanship
January 20, 2011: The Grand River Expedition 2010, A Virtual Tour Jackson, MI
February 17: Medical Marijuana Revisited: Grassroots Medicine, The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act
March 17: Michigan’s Budget – What would you Cut?
April 21: Partial Viewing of GASLAND Documentary Film
May 19: That’s a Wrap! Food, feedback and future forums

2009-2010 forums:
September 17, 2009: Health Care: Where Are We Now?
October 15: U.S. Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy
November 19: Food
December 10: LIVE FREE
January 21, 2010: Math Required to Graduate From Michigan High Schools
February 18: Community Gardening in Jackson
March 18: Why Fantasy Literature is Good for Children (and Adults Too)!
April 15: Landscaping for Wildlife
May 20: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train

2008-2009 forums:
September 18, 2008: Forum on Stem Cell Research
October 16: Proposal 1: Legalize Medical Marijuana
November 14: Sacred Storytelling
December 11: Loving the Unhappy: A Program on Holiday Sadness
December 14: Buying Locally
January 15, 2009: What’s Gone Wrong with Our Economy and What Needs to Be Done About It
February 19: Darwin and Evolution: Common Misconceptions
March 11: Stories from the Great Depression
March 19: The Face of Poverty in Jackson
April 16: Michigan’s Energy Future
May 21: Losing Our News

2007-2008 forums:
September 10, 2007: The Cost of the War Dialogue & Concert for Peace
September 27: Banned Books—Why? Why Not?
October 24: Building a More Inclusive Community for People with Disabilities
November 15: Getting to Work to Overcome Poverty
December 20: Domestic Violence: How Can We Help?
January 10, 2008: Who Needs Universal Healthcare?
February 21: Adoption Stories
March 20: The Big Read: Navigating through cultures with “Bless Me, Ultima”
April 17: “Entertaining Ourselves to Death”
May 15: Religion and Homosexuality: A viewing of the documentary “For the Bible Tells Me So”

2006-2007 forums:
August 17, 2006: “The Marriage of Science and Religion”
September 21: Creating a Culture of Nonviolence Among Youth.
October 19: The Future of Affirmative Action in Michigan.
November 16: Community-based Food Systems.
December: Global Warming, Part I: An Inconvenient Truth
Jan. 18, 2007: Global Warming, Part II
Feb 15: America’s Role in the World
March 15: Local Race Relations
April 5: Tainted Legacy: 9/11 and the Ruin of Human Rights (Book Discussion)
April 19: Dissent
May 17: Mental Illness Awareness Month: What can we Do to Decrease Stigma?
June 21: Religious Tolerance: Are we really “the Land of the Free?”

2005-2006 forums:
October 6, 2005: Straight from the Heart.
October 20: Parents as Spiritual Guides Series, Part I – Wonder.
November 3: Super Size Me.
November 17: Parents as Spiritual Guides Series, Part II – Courage.
December 1: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
December 15: Parents as Spiritual Guides Series, Part III – Rituals and Celebrations.
January 19, 2006: End of Life Questions I: Medical and Legal Issues
February 2: Prison Reform
February 16: End of Life Questions II: Ethical and Spiritual Issues
March 2: Fair Trade Coffee: What’s that all about?
March 16: Poverty: How Bad Is It? What Can We Do?
April 6: Women’s Health Care
April 20: The Patriot Act
May 4: Abortion Rights
May 18: The Battle Over Abortion: Seeking Common Ground in a Divided Nation.