WEBVTT - Work in Progress: Michelle Obama 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:16.560 Hi, everyone, It's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Hello whipsmarties, friends, 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:22.520 dear ones. I am beside myself. One of my favorite 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:26.439 human beings in the world is on the podcast today 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:34.760 to talk about life, love, personal evolution, becoming, curiosity, motherhood, martinis, 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:39.880 what reality TV she watches, and what the next phase 0:00:39.920 --> 0:00:44.040 of life looks like. Today we are joined by my 0:00:44.360 --> 0:00:51.000 forever floatis Michelle Obama. That's such an insane thing to 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:54.520 be saying. You know her as the forty fourth first 0:00:54.680 --> 0:00:58.240 Lady of the United States of America. She is an 0:00:58.280 --> 0:01:03.760 incredible advocate for women and girls education, democracy. She was 0:01:03.880 --> 0:01:06.959 raised on the South side of Chicago, graduated from Princeton 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:10.680 University and Harvard Law School. Is married to none other 0:01:10.760 --> 0:01:15.200 than our favorite President, Barack Obama, and is basically the 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:18.600 coolest mom any of us. Notes from her nonprofit work, 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:22.200 her advocacy for girls around the world, her work to 0:01:22.319 --> 0:01:27.960 eradicate poverty. Her nonprofit and philanthropic work is something to behold. 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:32.720 Whether she has advocated for poverty awareness, encouraged and helped 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:37.320 to change the rules around girls' education, advocated for better 0:01:37.400 --> 0:01:41.360 nutrition policies and physical activity and healthy eating in our country, 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:44.640 She has written three books, including her New York Times 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:48.640 best selling memoir Becoming and The Light We Carry, and 0:01:48.880 --> 0:01:52.360 as if that weren't enough, runs an incredible production company 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:56.240 at Netflix, making some of our favorite TV shows, including 0:01:56.240 --> 0:01:59.760 one of mine, The Later Daters, and Now when all 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:03.520 her free time, she is starting a podcast with her brother, 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:09.520 Imo In My Opinion is a gathering of Michelle Obama 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:12.760 and her big brother, Craig Robinson, as they bring their 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:17.600 unique experiences and candid perspectives to a range of listeners' 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:22.000 personal dilemmas, from the everyday to the existential, and every 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:25.200 week when they're answering your questions. They're also joined by 0:02:25.280 --> 0:02:31.200 special guests to tackle practical advice, relatable anecdotes, and plenty 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:36.280 of laughs, from dating to relationships, parenting, and financial planning. 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:41.040 Imo sees our iconic First Lady at her most relaxed 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:44.440 and honest, and take it from me, this podcast will 0:02:44.480 --> 0:02:48.960 leave you laughing, reflecting, and feeling more prepared to tackle 0:02:49.240 --> 0:02:53.239 life's challenges. I can't wait to talk to her about 0:02:53.240 --> 0:02:56.280 what inspired her to do this, why she's still giving 0:02:56.360 --> 0:03:00.840 us so much of her incredible time, and what her 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.799 dreams are for what comes next. Let's dig in with 0:03:03.840 --> 0:03:19.360 Michelle Obama. Hello, I am so just absolutely thrilled to 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:21.080 see you today, Sophia. 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:24.280 I'm beyond thrilled to be with you. Haven't seen you 0:03:24.440 --> 0:03:26.760 in person in a while, but I've been watching you 0:03:26.919 --> 0:03:29.760 and I'm so proud of the work that you're doing 0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:33.280 out there in the world, and I'm just delighted to 0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:35.000 be able to sit down and chat with. 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:39.040 You likewise, and that means the world and I will 0:03:39.040 --> 0:03:42.600 always give people their flowers. A lot of people ask 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:46.400 me at this stage, you know, it's crazy to think 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:50.360 I signed up for my first presidential with you and 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:53.280 President Obama almost twenty years ago, and people will say, well, 0:03:53.280 --> 0:03:55.520 where'd you get so into activism? Why do you care 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:58.120 so much about politics? And I'm like, I had the 0:03:58.160 --> 0:03:59.280 best mentors in the game. 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:03.120 What are you talking about? But You're but but you know, 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:07.880 as we see now, not everybody you know feels the 0:04:08.360 --> 0:04:11.880 compelled to to get involved in the at the level 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:15.480 that you did. And that's not just because of us 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:19.000 the campaign. That that's because of who you are. That 0:04:19.120 --> 0:04:23.720 you are putting your ideas, your thoughts, your passions, your 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:27.680 disappointments into action, which is what we say that that's 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:30.800 what makes a democracy. You can't sit on the sidelines, 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:34.200 even if you don't if you're not thrilled with every 0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:38.400 choice you have on the ballot, and you you walk 0:04:38.480 --> 0:04:41.000 the walk, always, always have. 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:44.680 Oh my goodness, I can't tell you how much it 0:04:44.720 --> 0:04:47.040 means to me to hear that from you. I I 0:04:47.120 --> 0:04:50.440 was planning on beginning with a question not having to 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:53.720 do with politics, but it's impossible not to ask you 0:04:53.760 --> 0:04:56.240 about a little bit, and I kind of feel like, 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:57.640 let me ask you now. We'll get it out of 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:01.320 the way and then we can just hang. When you 0:05:01.480 --> 0:05:07.679 talk about what a democracy means to you, it really 0:05:07.760 --> 0:05:11.000 is soothing, not just for the years, but for the soul. 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:15.520 It's such a reminder that we can both advance a 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:21.760 nation because we care. That it requires telling the truth 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:25.200 and that it might not always be pretty, but if 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:28.520 we do the whole thing, you know, if we encompass 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:33.160 all of what it takes, it will be beautiful. And 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:37.480 you are a voice of reason for both the truth 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:41.960 and the beauty. And so many people seem scared to 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:45.200 talk about what's true, seems scared to acknowledge that our 0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:50.760 diversity makes us better, seems scared to fight, they're disheartened, 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:52.839 and they're looking for hope. And the last thing I 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:55.720 want to do is ask another powerful black woman why 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:57.880 the rest of the world should be hopeful because you're 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:02.320 like we told you, but you are such an icon 0:06:02.360 --> 0:06:04.480 to so many of us, and in this moment, is 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.480 there something you say, not necessarily as one of the 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.039 you know, former leaders of the free world, but just 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:13.760 as as a mom and a friend that you want 0:06:13.760 --> 0:06:16.200 to say to the people you care about when they 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:16.840 feel afraid. 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:21.440 You know, I just want to remind people, first of all, 0:06:22.560 --> 0:06:27.920 fear is real, and it's rational, rational, and it's it's reasonable. Look, 0:06:28.560 --> 0:06:31.400 too many people in this country, I don't care what 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:37.440 their race, their political party, they're struggling these it's it's 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:41.159 it's hard to get ahead in this world these days. 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:46.400 Too much, too many people have too much, you know, 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:49.840 too few people have too much. Too many people don't 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:53.680 have enough. And that is the basis of a lot 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:56.560 of fear. You know, when when people can't, you know, 0:06:57.320 --> 0:07:02.120 they can't build a life that is reasonable with all 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:04.960 the hard work that they put in. People are struggling 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:08.960 to get ahead. They are working too many jobs and 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:14.160 still not able to get ahead. And that that just 0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:19.120 predisposes people to be afraid. So I think first we 0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:22.760 have to acknowledge that we do need to create some 0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:27.960 balance economically, that if we don't find a way to 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:32.160 really invest in the middle class, all of it right 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:35.840 as we did when my parents were growing up. 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:36.200 I mean, my. 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:39.520 Father was a blue collar worker. He worked for the city. 0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:44.080 And let me stop there about how important city government 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:48.160 workers are, federal government workers. Those are the jobs, those 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:51.880 are the roles in our society that built America in 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:55.760 so many ways. And on that single salary, my father 0:07:56.240 --> 0:07:59.280 could pay his bills, my mother could stay at home. 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:03.480 He put two of us through college, and he had 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:07.240 a little bit of savings and a pension. Right, that 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:13.120 reality doesn't exist for enough people anymore. And when you 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:16.400 don't have that, you are afraid, and you do look 0:08:16.480 --> 0:08:20.320 around for someone to blame. And that's where leadership comes in, 0:08:20.440 --> 0:08:23.840 because leadership can either lead buy fear. They can either 0:08:23.920 --> 0:08:27.240 fuel that fear and explain it away by saying, be 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:30.520 afraid of other people, people who aren't like you, somebody 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:33.400 else is to blame for this, Or you have leaders 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:37.240 who leave lead with hope and remind us that we 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:41.920 swim and sink together, and that we have to do 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:45.640 our part to make sure that our neighbors have enough 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:48.440 so that they feel like they have a stake in 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:53.520 this democracy. That's why I think hope is important, you know, 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:57.640 because it does control how we feel, and we cannot 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:05.360 underestimate the role that negative, negative language does to our 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:09.720 psyche and it makes us tired, and it makes us 0:09:09.760 --> 0:09:12.480 want to give up, and it taps into the worst 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:16.240 of us. So I always say we owe it to 0:09:16.320 --> 0:09:19.520 the next generation to stay hopeful. We have to watch 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:23.600 our language. We may say what we how we feel 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:26.640 in the privacy of our own homes, but those of 0:09:26.760 --> 0:09:31.160 us with public platforms, I think we have a responsibility 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:37.080 to keep moving us towards the light and encouraging everyone 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:42.760 to stay educated, focused and engaged in this democracy. So, 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:46.920 I mean, you know, there's no easy way to talk 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:49.640 about it, but I think we first have to acknowledge 0:09:49.640 --> 0:09:52.200 that a lot of people don't feel like they have 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:56.120 a fair shake in this country, and when they don't, 0:09:56.240 --> 0:10:01.480 they're easy pickings, you know, And it's easy for us 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:04.960 to turn on one another when so many of us 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:05.800 are struggling. 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:09.520 Do you think that part of that is because the 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:14.200 power that we're up against is so hard to kind 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:17.520 of quantify for the average person, And I say that 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:22.280 including myself. You know the idea that in the last 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:26.440 Trump presidency, twenty five percent of the entire United States 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:31.000 debt was created because we'd rather give a trillion dollar 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:35.640 tax cut to like sixty billionaires instead of just tax 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:38.400 folks that allowed for the system that your dad and 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:42.040 mom could flourish. And when you were a kid, it's 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:46.880 so hard to fathom that what those numbers mean that 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:48.880 it can be easier to think, well, there must be 0:10:48.920 --> 0:10:50.600 waste in the government, and why do we have so 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:54.560 many federal employees. And now now that the federal employees 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:56.880 are getting cut and the cancer research is getting cut 0:10:56.880 --> 0:10:58.840 and all these people are getting fired, they're like, wait. 0:10:58.679 --> 0:10:59.680 Wait, wait, Yeah. 0:10:59.840 --> 0:11:03.160 It almost seems to me like the reality that I 0:11:03.200 --> 0:11:07.600 think the leadership that you and your husband displayed, the 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:10.880 leadership that so many of our great elders in the 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:14.319 progressive parties have displayed that have tried to teach us 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:17.480 that this doesn't work unless we acknowledge that it's a 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:22.480 community project. It feels like the need for communities finally 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:23.280 hitting people. 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:28.960 Yeah, I hope so I hope that we understand, as 0:11:29.040 --> 0:11:32.520 I said before, that we all sink or swim together. 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:38.560 Is it's disappointing that we have to go through the 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:42.160 fire in this way, but sometimes, you know, I mean, 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:47.200 these issues are complicated, and we also have to remember 0:11:47.280 --> 0:11:51.480 we're dealing in different times now where people are very distracted, 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:59.320 they're on their phones, they are tiktoking and thirty character writing, 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:03.959 and know, we're dealing with communication that is totally new, 0:12:04.480 --> 0:12:08.760 and it's very hard to describe and explain very complicated 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:15.880 issues in thirty two characters or less, right, And so 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:21.360 I think it's difficult because people want their information in 0:12:21.440 --> 0:12:24.880 sound bites. You know, we also have social media that 0:12:24.960 --> 0:12:30.160 feeds people what they want, not necessarily the truth or 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:32.959 what they need to hear. So again, not only are 0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:38.520 people struggling, but they're being confused. We don't have one 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:42.600 clear source for truth. We don't have one clear source 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:45.160 where we all sit around and gather the same kind 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:48.040 of news and we hear the same kind of facts, right, 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:53.720 And we've never experienced that in any time in our 0:12:53.880 --> 0:12:57.600 history as a nation. Because this technology that we're dealing with, 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:01.880 we haven't quite figured it out yet. And just remember Sophia. 0:13:01.960 --> 0:13:07.400 When we entered the White House, we came in using blackberries. Right. 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:12.320 There was no such thing as social media, right, we 0:13:12.320 --> 0:13:14.920 were learning about it. I mean there was meet Up 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:18.240 if you remember that, that was a big organizing tool 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:21.760 of the Obama campaign. There was no Zoom, there was 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:25.720 no Insta, there was no you know, my kids. I 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:31.200 was barely learning how to parent them with these new tools. Right. 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:35.839 So we're also dealing with a new kind of information 0:13:36.440 --> 0:13:41.680 challenge and we haven't figured it out. I don't think 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:45.680 either party has figured it out. Politically, I think people 0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:48.320 don't know who to trust. We don't get the same 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:51.960 kinds of information, and therefore it is very hard to 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:55.880 then explain what tariffs are, and you know, what the 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:59.240 deficit is, and what certain spending cuts is and are, 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:04.320 and what how the federal government actually does serve you. You know, 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:07.559 there there are books out there, but people aren't reading books. 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:10.840 You know. The Fifth Risk that talks about the role 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:14.160 that the government plays and how much we depend on 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:18.560 it for our weather and FEMA and you know, and 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:21.120 I could go on and on and on, but you 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:24.640 know the government doesn't have a pr campaign, right, right, 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:28.360 I mean they don't have the resources of the technology 0:14:28.400 --> 0:14:32.720 technology giants to promote what government does. So it's very 0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:35.280 easy for people to say, yeah, this is the problem. 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:39.840 You know, it exploded. What does the VA actually do? 0:14:40.360 --> 0:14:43.240 You know, Well, let's just WoT. Yeah, of the VIA 0:14:43.280 --> 0:14:46.240 does a lot. But if you're not getting that fit 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:50.400 to you twenty four to seven, then the average American 0:14:50.480 --> 0:14:52.760 probably fully doesn't understand it. 0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:54.920 We'll be back in just a minute, but here's a 0:14:54.960 --> 0:15:01.880 word from our sponsors speaking of social media. So a 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:05.680 great meme this week that was like talking about how 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:09.160 this sort of economic disaster that's done on purpose can 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:11.840 only happen every hundred years because everybody who made it 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:13.400 happen the last time has to be dead. 0:15:13.680 --> 0:15:17.960 Ye try to happen again. I saw, and I was like, that's. 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:21.000 Part of it, because we lose sight of how it 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:25.960 actually works. But something that feels important to say, including 0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:28.080 the book that you just referenced, which we will put 0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:30.520 in our show notes, because we do say the audience 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:33.000 of this this podcast is whip smart. They like to 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:39.560 learn things. Black women show up for democracy in record numbers, 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:42.320 and we would be remiss not to say that as 0:15:42.960 --> 0:15:46.280 confusing as these silos can be, as toxic as these 0:15:46.320 --> 0:15:52.120 algorithms are, as much as this is an information kind 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:56.440 of warfare. Now with social media, you still see black 0:15:56.480 --> 0:15:59.720 women show up at ninety two percent rates and vote 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:03.760 for progress. And so what I would like to suggest 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:08.120 to the folks listening to this show is not only 0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:13.720 to follow our esteemed guest, but to tailor your algorithm. 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:19.480 Follow women like Brittany Pacnett Cunningham, follow social justice leaders 0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:25.320 in your communities. Tailor your algorithm to begin to expose 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:28.880 you to the people who stand up for what America 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:32.440 is supposed to be at her best, because you can 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:35.960 change your algorithm. And that would be my first tip 0:16:36.000 --> 0:16:37.360 for the folks at home to do that. 0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:41.120 And I want to add that we need to get 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:44.400 off our phones too and make sure that our real 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:50.080 lives are filled with diverse voices and experiences. We cannot 0:16:50.120 --> 0:16:53.920 rely on somebody else telling us who our neighbors are. 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:59.520 It is our responsibility to step outside of our comfort 0:16:59.600 --> 0:17:04.280 zone and meet some people who think differently, who look differently. 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:06.960 You know, I always say this if you're sitting around 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:10.320 a table, or if you're at a table of leadership 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:13.840 and everybody looks like you, and everybody agrees with you 0:17:14.280 --> 0:17:17.160 something is wrong. That is at the core of why 0:17:17.200 --> 0:17:20.760 diversity is important, because we get to meet each other 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:26.800 and share ideas and have real intellectual conversations. This is 0:17:26.840 --> 0:17:29.520 why your podcast is important. It's one of the reasons 0:17:29.560 --> 0:17:35.880 why I'm starting IMO. I mean IMO in my opinion 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:38.399 are My new podcast with my brother is not a 0:17:38.400 --> 0:17:44.280 political podcast, because I think right now people shut their 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:48.639 ears off to politics. But we do need to be 0:17:48.960 --> 0:17:52.720 in real conversations with each other, you know. We have 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:57.160 to be having these kind of serious conversations but having 0:17:57.200 --> 0:18:01.120 some fun and learning how we think and and engaging 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:04.480 face to face with people. So I want your listeners 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:07.800 to say that there is no substitute for really knowing 0:18:07.840 --> 0:18:11.320 your neighbor, for having a conversation with the person on 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:14.280 the train next to you, putting down your phone while 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:18.399 you're standing in line at the checkout counter, maybe looking 0:18:18.440 --> 0:18:21.800 over at the doctor's office and saying hi to the 0:18:21.840 --> 0:18:25.440 person sitting next to you, especially if they don't look 0:18:25.520 --> 0:18:31.679 like you. We have to be mindful, vigilant and purposeful 0:18:32.119 --> 0:18:36.919 about creating diversity in our lives because social technology is 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:38.760 pushing us in the opposite direction. 0:18:39.480 --> 0:18:42.879 Yeah, you know, I love that you mentioned the podcast 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:45.560 because this is exactly where I wanted to go. As 0:18:45.600 --> 0:18:48.080 you know, sitting in your home studio in front of 0:18:48.119 --> 0:18:50.480 a micro is tracking the time, and I'm like, we've 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:53.520 already spent twenty minutes on democracy, and I want to 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:54.560 ask the questions. 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:55.520 Because I'd be remiss not too. 0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:57.560 I really just want to hang out with you and 0:18:57.720 --> 0:19:00.719 like have a kiky And this that's what made me 0:19:00.760 --> 0:19:03.720 so excited when I read the announcement and I saw 0:19:03.760 --> 0:19:07.800 what you and your brother are doing, because you are 0:19:07.840 --> 0:19:11.080 just gathering people for a little bit of a of 0:19:11.119 --> 0:19:15.520 a respite and a laugh and maybe some learning. And 0:19:15.600 --> 0:19:19.399 to be clear, like, you don't owe us more. You 0:19:19.480 --> 0:19:23.399 don't need to do this podcast. So why didn't you 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:25.640 decide that this was the thing you wanted to do, 0:19:25.720 --> 0:19:27.400 this was the way you wanted to do it. 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:30.120 What is what? The honest answer is, I don't know 0:19:30.280 --> 0:19:36.640 what was right. But the truth is, I, you know, 0:19:37.280 --> 0:19:44.280 I feel like I I want to offer something in 0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:47.720 these times. I you know why, I don't owe anybody 0:19:47.760 --> 0:19:51.280 anything When you have the opportunity to have a platform 0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:56.760 and to share stories and to you know, engage. For 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:59.960 me personally, it's a little selfish because I love people. 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:04.399 I love engaging with the American public, you know, I 0:20:04.440 --> 0:20:07.959 really I am curious about what they are struggling with 0:20:08.160 --> 0:20:11.960 and how they're talking about things, and if I would 0:20:11.960 --> 0:20:14.080 be the kind of person who would be talking to 0:20:14.119 --> 0:20:17.439 you on the grocery line, if I was allowed to 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:20.119 go into a grocery store like a normal person without 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:24.840 secret service, right. I mean, my life is as it 0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:29.159 stands now, is not the usual life I'm used to living. 0:20:29.640 --> 0:20:32.720 I'm not connecting with people in the way that I 0:20:33.000 --> 0:20:38.560 like to, you know, So the podcast vehicle allows for that. 0:20:38.880 --> 0:20:42.560 It allows me with my brother outside of my husband, 0:20:42.800 --> 0:20:46.080 the person that I love most, who knows me best. 0:20:46.320 --> 0:20:48.560 So it's also kind of a cool thing for me 0:20:48.640 --> 0:20:50.960 to be working on a project with my big brother. 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:55.040 We have never worked together in a way. We've never 0:20:55.160 --> 0:21:02.199 done any work project together. So I just like the 0:21:02.280 --> 0:21:05.639 fact that once a week I get to be in 0:21:05.760 --> 0:21:09.480 conversation with our listeners. I get to hear what's going 0:21:09.520 --> 0:21:12.800 on in their lives. We get to pull in some friends, 0:21:12.800 --> 0:21:16.399 some celebrities, some experts. I get to learn, continue to 0:21:17.119 --> 0:21:21.040 learn and grow, and we're not talking about you know, 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:25.240 I don't have to be right about everything because we're 0:21:25.720 --> 0:21:28.560 you know, I'm not coming in as the expert. It's 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:32.480 just our opinion, you know, and we all have them, 0:21:32.680 --> 0:21:37.360 and so I think it's a really fun and exciting 0:21:37.400 --> 0:21:40.560 way for me to continue to stay engaged with the 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:44.359 American people and the people who have come to know 0:21:44.720 --> 0:21:49.200 and trust and look for me. I don't want anyone 0:21:49.240 --> 0:21:52.800 to feel like, while I'm never going to go into politics, 0:21:53.880 --> 0:21:57.159 I care about what happens in this country, and I 0:21:57.240 --> 0:22:01.000 care about how people are managing through it. And if 0:22:01.600 --> 0:22:03.960 I can offer a little bit of light once a 0:22:04.000 --> 0:22:07.359 week to somebody, you know, why not. 0:22:08.000 --> 0:22:10.040 Yeah, So a little bit of joy. 0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:12.520 I hope it's a little bit of joy and a 0:22:12.520 --> 0:22:15.280 little bit of support as well. 0:22:15.600 --> 0:22:17.960 And now a word from our sponsors that I really 0:22:18.040 --> 0:22:26.080 enjoy and I think you will too. I love hearing 0:22:26.119 --> 0:22:28.920 you talk about the why, because every once in a 0:22:28.920 --> 0:22:32.080 while someone will ask me why I do this, and 0:22:32.760 --> 0:22:35.560 I'll lean he in, go Kamere. You realize I made 0:22:35.560 --> 0:22:39.520 it my job to ask really cool people a bunch 0:22:39.600 --> 0:22:42.560 of questions and hanging out for an hour. It's like 0:22:43.000 --> 0:22:47.040 it feels like I won the career lottery. You talking 0:22:47.080 --> 0:22:50.159 about your relationship with Craig is a segue into what 0:22:50.280 --> 0:22:52.880 is normally my first question for people, but I feel 0:22:52.920 --> 0:22:55.240 like people really do know a lot about your life. 0:22:55.840 --> 0:22:58.040 I usually like to sit down with people and ask 0:22:58.080 --> 0:23:02.320 them that if from this this moment, you could like 0:23:02.560 --> 0:23:06.800 bend space time go back and meet your nine year 0:23:06.840 --> 0:23:12.440 old self, would you see yourself in her? Would you go, oh, 0:23:12.520 --> 0:23:16.080 I see how I became this? And I'm really curious 0:23:16.080 --> 0:23:18.040 about what you think it would be like to sit 0:23:18.119 --> 0:23:22.399 down at nine with you and your brother. Would you 0:23:22.480 --> 0:23:24.600 go like, oh, yeah, it makes sense that these two 0:23:24.600 --> 0:23:27.199 are doing this funny, quirky job together. 0:23:27.560 --> 0:23:31.080 You know, that's a great question, and I'm thinking about 0:23:31.080 --> 0:23:35.760 it as you ask it, and I think there are 0:23:35.800 --> 0:23:38.840 parts of it that are like, yes, you know, there 0:23:38.840 --> 0:23:41.760 are parts of my nine year old self, you know, 0:23:42.520 --> 0:23:47.560 my kind of overly confident, bossy kind of self at nine, 0:23:48.000 --> 0:23:50.280 the person who you know, could get my brother to 0:23:50.320 --> 0:23:54.000 do anything for me. You know. My mother always said, 0:23:54.200 --> 0:23:56.640 you know, I stopped raising you when you were ten 0:23:56.760 --> 0:23:58.840 because you seem to know what you were doing, right. 0:23:58.920 --> 0:24:01.680 I mean, she she would say that, But I'm like, Mom, 0:24:02.080 --> 0:24:04.040 you know, half of the stuff I do is you 0:24:04.160 --> 0:24:07.280 in my head. So you were there. But I think 0:24:07.320 --> 0:24:10.240 that was her way of saying that I was kind 0:24:10.240 --> 0:24:15.120 of beyond my years, you know, and kind of independent 0:24:15.240 --> 0:24:18.600 in a way. But on the flip side, I'd also say, 0:24:18.760 --> 0:24:21.880 as a little girl growing up working class black girl 0:24:21.920 --> 0:24:25.760 on the South Side of Chicago, there's absolutely no way 0:24:25.840 --> 0:24:29.280 I could have imagined the life that I have now 0:24:29.960 --> 0:24:34.960 that wasn't a life that was routinely available to kids 0:24:35.160 --> 0:24:38.240 that came from where I came from, you know. So 0:24:38.320 --> 0:24:40.800 the notion that me and my brother would you know, 0:24:41.640 --> 0:24:46.200 capture audiences and that are back and forth banter, and 0:24:46.480 --> 0:24:50.000 the lessons that we learned under the roof of Marion 0:24:50.160 --> 0:24:54.879 and Fraser Robinson would be would provide a base of 0:24:54.920 --> 0:25:00.359 wisdom for other people. Nah, I wouldn't have imagined in that. 0:25:00.480 --> 0:25:04.280 And I think that's also part of why I, you 0:25:04.280 --> 0:25:07.040 know now that I think about why I'm doing this, 0:25:07.720 --> 0:25:12.520 because at nine and at nine, at twenty, at thirty, 0:25:12.560 --> 0:25:18.320 at fifty, because I am a woman period, I didn't 0:25:18.359 --> 0:25:26.240 own my wisdom until now, right. I mean, as women were, 0:25:26.640 --> 0:25:32.239 we so question what we know. You know, we we're like, well, 0:25:32.280 --> 0:25:34.360 maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, So let 0:25:34.359 --> 0:25:36.560 me not raise my hand in class, and let me 0:25:36.600 --> 0:25:40.960 not you know, while our counterparts as early as twenty 0:25:41.000 --> 0:25:42.639 are like, I know the answer, I know how to 0:25:42.680 --> 0:25:46.160 fix this, I know what I'm doing. I've noticed that women, 0:25:46.520 --> 0:25:50.080 we don't own our wisdom until we have tested and 0:25:50.280 --> 0:25:54.240 proven and gone through the fire and won a bunch 0:25:55.160 --> 0:25:58.639 that we can say I kind of think I know 0:25:58.800 --> 0:26:02.399 something now. I think I have I think I've gotten 0:26:02.520 --> 0:26:05.240