James Joyce, III
Civil Rights Activist, Social Entrepreneur, and Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, Coffee with a Black Guy
Initially launched in the summer of 2016, CWABG serves as a safe place for interactive, community conversations about a variety of issues from the perspective of a black man. It’s been a growing, grassroots effort hosted by Joyce and his team to help put an end to racism. Simply put: Coffee. Connection. Conversation. For these efforts and more, several organizations have recognized Joyce and his innovation, including the Ventura County branch of the NAACP who awarded Joyce with their 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award. It’s bestowed upon an individual whose groundbreaking work increases understanding and awareness of racial and social issues. Forbes also featured Joyce and his work with CWABG in a piece published during the Covid-19 outbreak. In that, Joyce was recognized for his outstanding leadership in aiding anti-racist conversations even during a worldwide pandemic. He’s also served as keynote speaker for the University of British Columbia’s 2021 Social Enterprise Conference.
For much of the past decade, Joyce also served as District Director for State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, who represented nearly 1 million constituents within Santa Barbara and Ventura counties until terming out in Dec. 2020. In that role, Joyce was responsible for the day-to-day operations representing the Senator and her work. Known as a sturdy leader and champion for justice, Joyce has served on various advisory boards in the area including Impact Hub Santa Barbara (now Kiva Cowork), the Ventura County Leadership Academy (Joyce was awarded the 2021 Alumnus of the Year), and the Santa Barbara Young Black Professionals.
Seeking to put his background and experience to best use, in November 2021 Joyce finished 2nd among 6 candidates in the race for Mayor of Santa Barbara, CA capturing key media endorsements during the campaign. Joyce finished with 27 percent of the votes cast.
Joyce is also on the board for the Common Table Foundation (formerly the Lois and Walter Capps Project), the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapist Education Foundation, Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara, as well as the national board for Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB), where he helped found the collegiate chapter while a student-athlete at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
Prior to working in the public service sector, Joyce, a Maryland-native, served as a newspaper journalist in several diverse communities across the country covering a variety of subjects; from education to crime, local politics, features and more. An award-winning journalist, Joyce is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., currently serving on the executive board of the Xi Iota Lambda Alumni Chapter, seated in Camarillo, CA.
