To celebrate ten seasons of Overheard with Evan Smith, this special episode takes a look back at some of the thought leaders who have been on the show – politicians, activists and scientists. From President Obama to climate scientists, no topics were off the table.
Former Georgia House Democratic Leader Stacey Abrams discusses voter suppression and politics.
Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, nonprofit CEO and political leader. After serving for eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, and seven as Minority Leader, Abrams became the 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia. She won more votes than any other Democrat in the state’s history and was the first black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in the United States. After the 2018 election, Abrams launched Fair Fight to promote fair elections across the country, encourage voter participation and educate voters about elections and their voting rights.
Abrams is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the 2012 recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award. She has also written many romantic suspense novels under the pen name Salena Montgomery, in addition to “Lead from the Outside,” a guidebook on making real change.
Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas discusses immigration and his memoir, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen.”
Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker and a leading voice for the human rights of immigrants. He is the founder of Define American, the nation’s leading non-profit media and culture organization that fights injustice and anti-immigrant hate through the power of storytelling. His memoir, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen,” was published by HarperCollins in 2018.
Activist and author Cecile Richards talks about her time at Planned Parenthood, activism in the 21st century and her 2018 memoir, “Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead.”
Cecile Richards is a national leader for women’s rights and social and economic justice. As President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund for more than a decade, Richards worked to increase affordable access to reproductive health care. After starting her career as a labor organizer, working with women earning minimum wage, she went on to start her own grassroots organizations and later served as Deputy Chief of Staff to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. In 2011 and 2012, Richards was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Khizr Khan talks about his son’s death, speaking at the Democratic National Convention and what he thinks it means to be a patriot.
Khizr Khan is a Gold Star father, author and a Constitutional Rights Advocate. He attended Punjab University Law School in Pakistan before moving to the US where he attended Harvard Law. In 2016, he and his wife Ghazala spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Khan’s book is titled, “An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice.”
Activist DeRay Mckesson talks about the 2016 presidential election, the origin and mission of the Black Lives Matter movement and issues America faces today.
DeRay Mckesson is a civil rights activist and educator. He is a predominant member of the Black Lives Matter movement and was named one of Fortune Magazine’s Top 50 World’s Greatest Leaders in 2015. Mckesson is a co-founder of Campaign Zero, a platform to end police violence.
Gloria Steinem discusses the issues our country faces today — race relations, gender inequalities and the current political climate.
Gloria Steinem is a writer, lecturer, political activist and feminist organizer. She is particularly interested in the shared origins of sex and race caste systems, gender roles and child abuse as roots of violence. She now lives in New York City and published a book detailing her more than thirty years on the road as a feminist organizer in 2015.
Gloria Steinem is the most famous feminist in the world: a pioneering activist and best-selling author who co-founded Ms. magazine 40 years ago and is no less enthusiastic about or energized by the fight for gender equality today.
Michael Morton spent 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit: the murder of his wife. In late 2011, he became the 45th person in the state of Texas to be exonerated based on DNA evidence.
Elie Wiesel was a tireless activist, celebrated humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize winner. His lectures and writings on his experiences in the concentration camps have enlightened generations about the horrors of the Holocaust. Wiesel passed away in 2016.
