Joyce Short, a resilient 77-year-old, positively impacts her community through advocacy and athletics, inspiring generations with her dedication and commitment to justice and empowerment.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
A New York Times weekly feature tells the world about Roosevelt Islander Joyce Short. The article, How a Children’s Tennis Instructor Spends Her Sundays, wasn’t long enough. There’s so much more.
Joyce Short’s Story
“Joyce Short, 77, has survived many things,” the Times writes. That’s true. But while she’s learned from harsh experience, that’s not her story. She’s given more than anything or anyone has taken from her.
A story of resilience and celebration is more like it.
Responding to multiple sexual assaults, Joyce launched Consent Awareness Network in 2009. Its goal is changing laws to better protect vulnerable women. The organization continues its work today.
But most memorable – by thousands – is her work with Junior Tennis and Learning.
Resilience?
“Athletics gave me the resilience and drive that got me through,” she told the Times. “I hope to impart those benefits to my kids.”
Joyce Short turns negatives inside out.
A Roosevelt Islander Through and Through
What the Times didn’t have enough space for is Short’s decades long commitment to the Roosevelt Island community. She joined The Maple Tree Group early on. She participated in a drive that served a splinter of democracy across the Island. Through the group’s efforts, residents briefly won the right to elect RIOC board members.
The arrival of Andrew Cuomo ended the privilege, but Short has stayed persistent in bringing it back.
For many years, she also played a leadership role with the Residents Association Common Counsel. She bridged a gap between the community and elected officials.
More recently, Short has worked with tenants in her complex, The Landings, demanding higher construction standards as renovations progress.
Overall, Joyce Short is the kind of contributor that both local and extended communities treasure. The Times picked a great subject, one bigger and better than the space allowed.
“I Can Ask”
Chair Fay Christian opened the Operations Advisory Committee on February 12th, reading out member names from a prepared sheet that omitted Melissa Wade. It didn’t feel intentional, but it struck me as odd precisely because it came from something prepared. Lydia Tang gently corrected her, noting that Wade was, in fact, a member of the committee. Wade met the moment with grace, or perhaps she simply wasn’t bothered by it.
Thank you. Tried reading article but had to give it up because of various false trails leading to products In have no interest in. I did however get the message that Joyce Short, like many women in America, has survived numerous sexual assaults by predatory males. It’s gotten to seem almost like a national rite of passage. Thank you RI Daily News for bringing it to our attention.
I’m glad you appreciate Joyce. She gives more than she gets. She’s got heart.
Now, as far as the ads you don’t like, if you and a few others ever contributed anything to the costs incurred in creating and maintaining this site, there might be fewer ads. But you, like the majority, want it all for free and to your liking at that.