Civic Engagement, Public Investment, and the Common Good

On this week’s episode of JustLove, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan examines how communities can foster civic responsibility and promote the common good through thoughtful public engagement and policy. In the first segment, he speaks with Dr. Matthew Daniels, Professor of Law, Political Science, and Human Rights at Anderson University and author of Catholic Heroes of Civil and Human Rights, about the Palmetto Civics Project. The initiative serves students across 75 South Carolina school districts, helping young people develop the skills for empathetic civic engagement, respectful dialogue, and constructive disagreement in an increasingly polarized society.

In the second segment, Monsignor Sullivan is joined by Dr. Eric Goldwyn, Program Director at New York University’s Marron Institute, for a discussion on public investment and transportation equity in New York City. Together, they explore the debate over funding free bus service versus investing in transit infrastructure and consider how transportation policy shapes economic opportunity, mobility, and quality of life for working-class communities. Through both conversations, listeners are invited to reflect on the values of citizenship, justice, and shared responsibility in building stronger communities.