Interview with Julita Sanders, June 17, 2022

Partial Transcript: Okay, today is June the seventeenth 2022.

Segment Synopsis: Breeding mentions topics he hopes Sanders will talk about in the interview.

Keywords: Athens Black history

Partial Transcript: So, my name again is Julita Marche Sanders.

Segment Synopsis: Sanders recounts her mother being a teen mom, attending various elementary schools in Athens, and her experiences in middle and high school. Despite being a good student, she explains that she hung around kids that would regularly skip and that her father used to call the school every morning to make sure she was in class.

Keywords: Angela Denise Tate-Flemming; Athens-Clarke County, Ga.; Barnett Shoals Elementary School; Chase Street Elementary School; Clarke Central High School; Clarke Middle School; Nottingham, Ga.; Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School; Paldo, Ga.; Terry Gerald; Whitehead Road Elementary School; William Flemming

Partial Transcript: And that actually brings me to the reason why I wanted to start my program.

Segment Synopsis: Sanders mentions that in high school she was involved in a conflict on the school bus involving a weapon, resulting in a hearing with the school board. She emphasizes that the support and understanding the faculty displayed made her realize that there were people who believed in her and wanted her to succeed, causing her to become serious about her studies.

Keywords: community relations; discipline; education

Partial Transcript: From that point forward, I actually got into some more trouble.

Segment Synopsis: Sanders shares a story of being out with a group who was shoplifting. She was put in jail briefly before being released to her parents. She was placed in an academic program, where she was assisted in applying for colleges, and decided to attend Morris Brown College in Atlanta, though she transferred to Athens Tech afterwards due to financial aid.

Keywords: Athens Technical College; Athens Tutorial Program, Inc.; Barbara Thurmond Archibald

Partial Transcript: And then, I want to say back in 1990, probably 1997, I decided to move to Atlanta.

Segment Synopsis: Sanders explains that she moved to Atlanta on seemingly a whim without a place to live or a job lined up before moving back to Athens a few years later. In 2002, she got married and began studying again at Athens Tech until she got her associate’s degree in paralegal work. She then got a bachelor’s in criminal justice and a master’s in forensic psychology.

Keywords: Athens Regional Hospital; Athens Technical College; General Electric; criminal law; real estate law

Partial Transcript: And in between all those degrees, I was working at the Clarke County School District alternative school.

Segment Synopsis: Sanders describes how she identified with many of the kids at the alternative school, because they were often looking for someone to advocate for them. Once she began working as case management clerk at the juvenile court, she realized that many of the children with whom the school system had problems with were also being taken through the legal system. She explains that there was no accountability mechanism involved in juvenile rulings, and combined with an uncaring school system, at-risk youth were being set up to fail.

Keywords: child abuse; childhood development; class divide; education; youth advocacy

Partial Transcript: And so Juvenile Offender Advocate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is dedicated to pairing juvenile offenders…

Segment Synopsis: Sanders emphasizes that her organization is dedicated to making sure that a middle party is keeping the offender and the legal representative accountable in building a better future for the juvenile. She explains the process of volunteer training in order to become an Advocate, as well as describing the faculty and areas of expertise they have. If the juveniles are older than sixteen, they are able to get a job at the Goodwill of North Georgia or attend Athens Tech classes in maintenance and logistics for free. All services provided by JOA to the youth are free with the exception of counseling sessions.

Keywords: Athens Technical College; community relations; counseling; justice system; juvenile court; poverty; therapy; youth advocacy; youth engagement

Partial Transcript: You named several power hitters that seemed to be on board with the program.

Segment Synopsis: Sanders elaborates how partners of JOA have assisted in helping youth in the program find jobs, provided wages for JOA interns, and provided transportation for their organization. She expresses the desire to establish funding to the program from the juvenile court system in the future.

Keywords: Athens Alliance Coalition; Athens Technical College; Department of Juvenile Justice; Georgia Power; Goodwill Industries International, Inc.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so my board members are very important people…

Segment Synopsis: Sanders names and elaborates briefly upon the current board members, explaining that she chose them because she knew their personal lives and their passions. She says that she chose these individuals to serve on the board because they were already advocating for youth in one way or another.

Keywords: C. R. Chisholm; Chrystal Gillis; Deaner Rutland; Dr. Alvie Coes; Dr. Roswell Lawrence, Jr.; James Ford; John Q. Williams; Kelly Girtz; Lemuel LaRoche; Rachel Abbruzzi

Partial Transcript: Is there anything I didn’t cover that you think would be important to tell your story?

Segment Synopsis: Sanders says that she would advise her younger self to believe in herself and to never give up; she emphasizes that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Keywords: generational advice; perserverance

Partial Transcript: Okay, usually after the interview is over, I hear things that…

Segment Synopsis: Sanders explains other ways she has been involved in the community besides forming JOA. She is a full-time employee with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department as the coordinator of events involving the community and the officers. She is also a professor part-time at Athens Tech, a member of several organizations, represents alumni and her sorority, and has received multiple awards in recognition of her services and leadership.

Keywords: Athena Leadership Award; Athens Technical College; Delta Sigma Theta; NAACP