1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to a bonus episode of 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:17,159 Speaker 1: Work in Progress. Thank you so much for listening to 3 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: Work in Progress through. One of the things I've really 4 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: been enjoying about the year beginning to wrap up is 5 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: sitting and taking stock of where we've been, how far 6 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: we've come, the things that we've done as a society, 7 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: and also the things that I've done as an individual. 8 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: Who I've listened to, who I've learned from, what I've read, 9 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: and I want to speak a little bit about the 10 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: phenomenal guests that I've talked to this year. In a 11 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: lot of ways, I feel like this podcast itself is 12 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: a measure of progress and growth, which I know are 13 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: things were always working on, hence Work in Progress forever. 14 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: And the plus side of all of that is that 15 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: I think one here at the podcast was our strongest 16 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: set yet. All of our guests prompted conversations that had 17 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: a huge impact on the way that I understand and 18 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: think about the world, the deepening of my perspective and ideas, 19 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: And it's meant so much to hear from so many 20 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: of you that you feel that way too, when you 21 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: send in notes and tell us that you listened to 22 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: a conversation and it helped you expand your view of 23 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: a subject, or of a place, or of people. That 24 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: to me feels like not only we're doing it together, 25 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: but those of us who make this podcast for really 26 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: doing something right. So thank you for that. I thought 27 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: it might be neat to recap some of the moments 28 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: that I have found looking back have stuck with me 29 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: the most as we transition from the end of this 30 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: year to the beginning of the next. So let's get started. 31 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: In my conversation with Ebermex Candy, I got to really 32 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: confront and examine what it means to be active as 33 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: an ally. Dr Kendy's distinction between being not racist versus 34 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: being anti racist put a new lens on privilege. Not 35 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: just for me, I know for the world. His book 36 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: is a bestseller after all, and he helps really clarify 37 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: and crystallize the role that we can take to fight 38 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: prejudice in our country. Something he said really stuck with 39 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: me during our talk. He said that we as individuals 40 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: have to recognize our power. I've been thinking a lot 41 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,519 Speaker 1: about what that means in terms of working towards being 42 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: an ever better version of myself. And how I might 43 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: and each of you might use our individual power to 44 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:49,959 Speaker 1: impact the world around us. I'd love to know, as 45 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: we reflect together, what you think you can do to 46 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: use your individual power to impact the world around you. 47 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: Send us a note, send us an email. I'd love 48 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: to hear it. And if you took notes, and I 49 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: know a couple of you did during Dr Kendy's interview, 50 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: feel free to send us those two. It's always so 51 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: nice for me to compare my notes to yours and 52 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: to hear about the things that impacted me versus what 53 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: impacted you, or or if those things are the same. 54 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: With journalists Ken Armstrong and marib A Knight, we took 55 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: a deep dive into the power of investigation to uncover 56 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: otherwise invisible issues in our society. For me, it really 57 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: demonstrated the role that journalists play in holding our society 58 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: accountable and demanding that we live up to our ideals 59 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: and also that we confront with truth when we don't. 60 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: It's so incredibly important for all of us to protect 61 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: a free press. Kennon Marabaz Pulitzer Prize winning news story 62 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: about children being jailed in school districts of Tennessee was 63 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: jaw dropping and heartbreaking and eye opening in the episode 64 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: is something I carry with me. It's it's ever present 65 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: in the back of my mind, and the story itself 66 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: is definitely worth the read. I imagine many of you 67 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: read it after the episode aired, but if you haven't, 68 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: we will also put a link to that story in 69 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: today's show notes. We have to show up better for 70 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: our kids. We have to demand better for their futures, 71 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: and Kennan Marraba really reminded me to double down on 72 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: a personal level. Having Anita Hill on the show, it 73 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: was just such a refresher to my spirit. I've spoken 74 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,720 Speaker 1: about it on the episode, but it feels worth reiterating 75 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: that seeing Anita speak truth to power about her experience 76 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: as a victim of sexual harassment to go up against 77 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: a Supreme Court justice is something that I drew so 78 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: much strength from, and I know so many people who 79 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: listen to the episode did as well, because so many 80 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 1: of us have those experiences of our own, perhaps not 81 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: with a justice, but with people whose power can be intimidating. 82 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: The interview dropped at a period of time where I 83 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 1: feel like a lot of us were wondering if things 84 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: were actually improving if if all of our work was 85 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: actually yielding progress. But talking to Anita reminded me that 86 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,840 Speaker 1: sometimes when we make the most progress, when when our 87 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: collective voice gets the loudest, systems of power really try 88 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: to quell us. Because there are more of us than 89 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: there are of them. Power is hard to topple and change, 90 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: but it is possible. And in talking to Anita and 91 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 1: listening to her compare where she was during the Claris 92 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: Thomas confirmation hearings and her view of watching history repeat 93 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: itself with the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, I was really able 94 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: to I don't know, dive deeper and and examine perspectives 95 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: on social change. I got to take with me that 96 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 1: feeling that yes, sometimes the rules feel like they stay 97 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,039 Speaker 1: the same, but it doesn't mean the game isn't changing. 98 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 1: We are making change, and it will require dedication and longevity. 99 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: Changesn't sexy and it doesn't happen overnight. It uh, it's dedicated, 100 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: and it requires us to stay the course. But we 101 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: see more and more people calling for things to be different, 102 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:31,600 Speaker 1: and I believe that we are going to continue to. 103 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 1: As Dr King famously said, bend that moral ark of 104 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: the universe towards justice. Anita continues working after all she 105 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: went through, she continues to light a hope torch for 106 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: the way that the world is changing, especially for women 107 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: and victims of sexual assault and harassment. And if after 108 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: all this time, she believes it, she reminds me that 109 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: we all can too, So I highly recommend her episode 110 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: and her incredible book. One of the most delightful surprises 111 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: for me this year was getting to sit down with 112 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: Chef jose Andres. By talking to him, I really got 113 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: to see firsthand why he was awarded Humanitarian of the Year, 114 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: and I feel like that award should have come with 115 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: a sort of extra metal for jolliest person of the Year. 116 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: He's so incredibly positive. Regardless of how many disaster zones 117 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: he's worked in, how many communities he's seen just devastated 118 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: by natural disasters or man made disasters, he shows up 119 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: with a smile, and he shows up with so much 120 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: love that it really beams out of him. And for 121 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: someone who's committed to taking on and understanding a lot 122 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: of our deepest problems, he reminded me of two things. 123 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: First of all, we can find solutions and be a 124 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: part of them as a species. Human beings have solved 125 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: so many impossible problems. There is nothing out there it 126 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: should feel undoable, no matter how big the challenge might be, 127 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: and the set and thing is keeping our optimism alive. 128 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: To paraphrase Jose's own words, it's easy to get bogged 129 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: down by the things we know are wrong or unjust 130 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 1: or harmful. But it is so important to remember and 131 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: draw strength from all the things that we do have. 132 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: Working from all the societal and humanitarian crises we have 133 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:23,679 Speaker 1: managed to send aid to, to move past, or even 134 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: to surmount. We can do hard things, and if we 135 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: do them with love, we can often do them with 136 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: a smile. My discussion with Neil cat y'all got to 137 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: cover a lot of different areas and topics, but the 138 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: overall theme that emerged from that interview where the effects 139 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 1: of power on integrity. I love opportunities to explore our 140 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 1: social and political realities on work in progress, and there's 141 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,439 Speaker 1: no better expert than Neil to look at the judiciary 142 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: aspect of our political reality. He was able to put 143 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: into really clear words the way that our constitution was 144 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: tested by the fast few years. I honestly think this 145 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: episode is a must listen for anyone who's interested in 146 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: the impact of government and party politics, and he reminded 147 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:14,559 Speaker 1: me that's so much of the founding principles and the 148 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: best principles of our country can only remain true if 149 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: we fight for them to do so, and fight we shall. 150 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,080 Speaker 1: Ah again. I just feel so happy to be wrapping 151 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: out another year with all of you. When we started 152 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: the show in twenty nineteen, we had no idea what 153 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: it would become, and it is a highlight of my life. 154 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: For those of you who follow me on socials, you know, 155 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: I'm also experiencing another pretty great highlight right now. I 156 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: am gearing up to launch my brand new show Good 157 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: Sam premieres on CBS on Wednesday, January five at ten pm. 158 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: It feels like it's almost here, and I just can't 159 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: believe it. You know, we all got together to make 160 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: this TV show in and then the pandemic hit, and 161 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 1: everybody put in of work and tested their patients by 162 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 1: waiting until early to film the pilot, and then we 163 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: went back to start shooting the show at the end 164 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: of September. So it is a two year labor of 165 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: love to bring this show to you in January, and 166 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: I can't wait for you to see it. And because 167 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,839 Speaker 1: we have been on the grind of those sixteen hour 168 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 1: days and doing these podcasts on the weekends, I am 169 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,199 Speaker 1: going to take a little delicious hiatus break for this 170 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: holiday and spend it with my family. We've got two 171 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: weeks off during production. It's kind of like being in school, 172 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: right You get a two week holiday break and you 173 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: jump back in. And I've made the decision to actually 174 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: take these two weeks off to be with my loved 175 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: ones as much as possible. So that means we're going 176 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: to take a little bit of a New year hiatus, 177 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: not too long, don't worry, but work in progress will 178 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: not come back right away with a new episode for you. 179 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: The first week of two I will tell you that 180 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: we will be back. And I want to say again 181 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: how much getting to do this show means to me. 182 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: How much I appreciate all of you for listening and 183 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: supporting the podcast, the creativity that goes into it, the 184 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: way that people show up, open, vulnerable and honest for conversations. 185 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 1: It's something that's very rare in today's world, and we 186 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 1: are deeply grateful to have this space. And we only 187 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: have it because all of you show up, and so 188 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: I hope you too will take a little bit of 189 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: a break and just relish in your loved ones, whether 190 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:36,319 Speaker 1: they're your family or your chosen family. And let's all 191 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: come back to each other rested and loved and happy, 192 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: and let's dive back in sending love, happy New Year 193 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: to all of you.