Difficult Conversations (with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Sarah Stewart Holland)
You and Me Both with Hillary ClintonShow Notes
It’s almost that time of year for holiday gatherings with family and friends. And with that comes lots of eating, maybe lots of cooking, and, for many, a growing list of topics that are off the table for discussion, as they run the risk of derailing an otherwise festive occasion.
Of course, there are times when we need to have difficult conversations, and to be able to disagree with others without threatening our connection to the people we love, or the vital work we need to get done.
On today’s episode, Hillary speaks with Sarah Stewart Holland and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, two people who are highly skilled at navigating difficult conversations, and can share stories and offer advice from the front lines.
Sarah is a progressive Democrat who ran for office (and won!), and is raising three kids, in the very red state of Kentucky. On the Pantsuit Politics podcast, she and her more politically conservative co-host Beth Silvers have been tackling challenging conversations since 2015. They’ve written two books to help others do the same, including the book club favorite I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversation.
Linda, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, has been engaged in high-stakes, complex negotiations for decades. Over the course of her 35-year career with the Foreign Service, she served as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, as the Director of Human Resources, and held posts abroad in Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Switzerland, and elsewhere.
You can read the full transcript HERE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton
For her season finale, Hillary sits down with her husband, the 42nd president of the United States, to continue a wide-ranging conversation they’ve been having together for over 50 years. From their home in Chappaqua, New York, amid the current war in the Middle East, they recall the eight years of work Bill did during his presidency to find a road to peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people. They tackle other pressing subjects like immigration, climate change, and the urgent need for funding the war in Ukraine. And they also look for hope wherever they can find it—including Northern Ireland and Albania, and, closer to home, through celebrating the holiday season and reflecting on the bond they continue to share with one another after all their years together.
Hillary is traveling, and will be back next week with a new episode. In the meantime, we’re bringing back one of her favorites..
The overturning of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022 dealt a severe blow to women’s health care in the United States. Today, nearly half of states in the country ban or severely restrict abortion care. The ripple effects reach far wider: hospitals are shutting maternity wards, and OB-GYNs are leaving states that don’t allow them to provide essential care to their patients.
This week, we bring you the first ever live recording of You and Me Both before a sold-out audience at Symphony Space in New York City. Hillary was joined by singer, actor, and three time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone, while writer and comedian Amber Ruffin served as MC.
A few months ago, Hillary wrote a piece for The Atlantic on what she called “the weaponization of loneliness.” It was inspired, in part, by an important and alarming advisory issued by the Office of the Surgeon General on an underreported crisis in the United States: an epidemic of loneliness that has contributed to increased rates of opioid and alcohol addiction, domestic abuse, suicide, gun violence, as well as diabetes, heart disease, and more. To that list, Hillary added the rise in divisive, even toxic and dangerous, political engagement.