PBS News Weekend full episode, September 18, 2022
GEOFF: GOOD EVENING. I'M GEOFF BENNETT. TONIGHT ON “PBS NEWS WEEKEND,” DEMANDING CHANGE -- WE HEAR FROM TWO MINNESOTA NURSES ABOUT THE RECENT STATEWIDE STRIKE OVER PAY AND STAFFING. THEN, GOING GREEN -- HOW FARMERS ARE HELPING IN THE RACE TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE. AND, OUR WEEKEND SPOTLIGHT WITH CYNT MARSHALL ON HER JOURNEY TO BECOMING THE NBA'S FIRST BLACK FEMALE CEO. CYNT: YOU GET THE BEST OUT OF PEOPLE, YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY CAN BRING WHO THEY ARE INTO THE WORKPLACE.
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TO LEARN MORE, VISIT CONSUMERCELLULAR.TV. >> AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS. AND FRIENDS OF THE "NEWSHOUR."
THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU. GEOFF: GOOD EVENING. IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU.
AS WE COME ON THE AIR, FINAL PREPARATIONS ARE UNDERWAY FOR TOMORROW'S FUNERAL FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH II, THE FIRST STATE FUNERAL IN THE U.K. IN NEARLY SIX DECADES. PRESIDENT BIDEN AND FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN ARE IN LONDON TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS. AND WE HAVE THIS REPORT FROM EMMA MURPHY OF INDEPENDENT TELEVISION NEWS. EMMA: IN LIFE, THE QUEEN WAS A GLOBAL FIGURE. IN DEATH, LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE HAVE TRAVELED TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS TO HER.
SHE HAD PLEDGED LIFELONG SERVICE AND SHE DELIVERED ON THAT PLEDGE. COMMANDING RESPECT FROM THOSE WHO KNOW THE WEIGHT OF SIMILAR SERVICE. LATER, AFTER SIGNING THE OFFICIAL BOOK OF CONDOLENCE, THE PRESIDENT REFLECTED ON THE QUEEN'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD. >> TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO YOU, AND YOU WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD HER FOR 70 YEARS. WE ALL WERE.
THE WORLD IS BETTER FOR HER. THANK YOU. EMMA: ON THE EVE OF WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE THE LARGEST STATE FUNERAL IN BRITISH HISTORY, THE WEIGHT OF WELCOME FALLS TO THE NEW KING. >> THE PRIME MINISTER OF PAUPA NEW GUINEA, YOUR MAJESTY.
EMMA: FROM ACROSS THE WORLD, COUNTRIES LARGE AND SMALL, LEADERS HAVE JOURNEYED TO OFFER THEIR CONDOLENCES FOR A WOMAN WHO'S SERVED LONGER THAN ALL OF THEM. >> IT WAS WONDERFUL FOR YOU TO MAKE THE EFFORT. >> THE PLEASURE IS MINE. IT'S MY DUTY TO PAY MY RESPECT. >> SO KIND OF YOU TO RING ME AS WELL.
I WAS MOST TOUCHED BY THAT. EMMA: TONIGHT AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE, FOREIGN ROYALTY AND FOREIGN DIGNITARIES ARE GATHERING TO REMEMBER A WOMAN WHO OFTEN INSPIRED THEM AND OFFER SUPPORT TO THE FAMILY WHO MUST NOW HONOR HER LEGACY. >> MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM. IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT TIME. I KNOW HOW MUCH THEY LOVED HER AND DEEPLY RESPECTED HER, HOW MUCH OF A ROLE MODEL SHE WAS TO ALL OF THEM, AND I THINK SHE HAS INSTILLED IN THEM THE MOST IMPORTANT VALUES, A DEEP SENSE OF DUTY, OF DISCIPLINE, OF SERVICE FOR THE COUNTRY. EVERY LEADER WILL LEAVE HIS OWN MARK, BUT I THINK THE MAIN PRINCIPLES ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE GENERATIONS.
EMMA: AND FROM THE FAMILY TONIGHT, ANOTHER EXPRESSION OF THE LOSS THEY FEEL. THE DUKE OF YORK ISSUING A STATEMENT SAYING, MUMMY, YOUR LOVE FOR A SON, YOUR CARE, YOUR CONFIDENCE I WILL TREASURE FOREVER. I HAVE FOUND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM INFINITE, WITH NO BOUNDARY OR CONTAINMENT.
I WILL MISS YOUR INSIGHTS, ADVICE, AND HUMOR. UNFORGETTABLE TO THE FAMILY AND TO MANY OF THOSE WHO FEEL SHE WAS ALSO A PART OF THEIR FAMILIES. GEOFF: THE QUEEN'S STATE FUNERAL STARTS AT 6:00 A.M. EASTERN AND
WE'LL HAVE COVERAGE OF THE DAY'S EVENTS STARTING AT 2:00 A.M. EASTERN ON OUR WEBSITE, PBS.ORG/NEWSHOUR. IN THE DAY'S OTHER HEADLINES, HURRICANE FIONA MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTHERN COAST OF PUERTO RICO TODAY, AND HAS KNOCKED OUT POWER ACROSS THE ENTIRE ISLAND, LEAVING MILLIONS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. OFFICIALS THERE SAY IT COULD TAKE DAYS TO FULLY RESTORE.
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD ALREADY APPROVED AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION AND OFFERED FEDERAL ASSISTANCE. IN PREPARATION FOR THE STORM, RESIDENTS HAVE BOARDED UP HOMES AND BUSINESSES, BRACING FOR TORRENTIAL RAINS AND HEAVY FLOODING. ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO TO THE DAY, HURRICANE MARIA BATTERED THE ISLAND, KILLING NEARLY 3000 PEOPLE IN THE MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED. MEANTIME, IN ALASKA, STREETS RESEMBLED RIVERS, AS THE REMNANTS OF A PACIFIC TYPHOON CAUSED WIDESPREAD FLOODING ACROSS MUCH OF THE WESTERN COAST OF THAT STATE.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF DEATHS OR INJURIES. ALASKA'S GOVERNOR HAS DECLARED A DISASTER FOR THE AFFECTED AREAS. UKRAINE HAS CLAIMED STRATEGIC GAINS AGAINST RUSSIAN FORCES, THIS TIME TO THE SOUTH. IN THE RUSSIAN-CONTROLLED CITY OF KHERSON, UKRAINE'S MILITARY TODAY CLAIMS TO HAVE DISABLED ALL CROSSINGS ACROSS THE DNIPRO RIVER, CUTTING OFF CRITICAL RUSSIAN SUPPLY ROUTES.
BUT, IN DONETSK TO THE EAST, ARTILLERY SHELLING HAS KILLED FIVE CIVILIANS. BOTH SIDES BLAMED THE OTHER FOR THE DEATHS. THE BRITISH DEFENSE MINISTRY TODAY WARNS THAT RUSSIA IS LIKELY TO INCREASE ITS ATTACKS ON CIVILIAN TARGETS, AS IT SUFFERS BATTLEFIELD DEFEATS FROM RECENT UKRAINIAN COUNTER-OFFENSIVES.
AND HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI LED A CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO ARMENIA THIS WEEKEND, AS A FRAGILE CEASE-FIRE THERE HOLDS ALONG THE BORDER WITH AZERBAIJAN. FOOTAGE FROM ARMENIAN OFFICIALS CLAIMS TO SHOW AZERBAIJANI TROOP MOVEMENTS ALONG ITS BORDER. MORE THAN 200 SOLDIERS FROM BOTH SIDES HAVE BEEN KILLED IN RECENT FIGHTING BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. IN A NEWS CONFERENCE, PELOSI CONDEMNED THE VIOLENCE, AND SAID THE BLAME LIES SQUARELY WITH AZERBAIJAN. >> THIS WAS INITIATED BY THE AZERIS, AND THAT THERE HAS TO BE RECOGNITION OF THAT AND HOW THAT WILL STOP.
THE TERRITORIAL SECURITY AND SOVEREIGNTY OF ARMENIA, THE DEMOCRACY OF ARMENIA, IS A VALUE TO US IN AMERICA. GEOFF: PELOSI'S COMMENTS DREW A STRONG REBUKE FROM AZERBAIJAN, WHICH SAID HER REMARKS THREATEN THE PROSPECTS OF PEACE. STILL TO COME ON "PBS NEWS WEEKEND," HOW SOME FARMERS ARE HELPING FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE. AND MY ONE-ON-ONE WITH DALLAS MAVERICKS CEO CYNT MARSHALL.
>> THIS IS "PBS NEWS WEEKEND," FROM WETA STUDIOS IN WASHINGTON, HOME OF THE "PBS NEWSHOUR," WEEKNIGHTS ON PBS. GEOFF: HOSPITALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE FACING NURSING SHORTAGES. NURSES IN MINNESOTA THIS PAST WEEK ORGANIZED THE LARGEST STRIKE OF PRIVATE SECTOR NURSES IN U.S. HISTORY, WITH 15,000
NURSES WALKING OFF THE JOB FOR THREE DAYS. AND WHILE THE PANDEMIC PUSHED MANY NURSES TO THE BRINK, SOME SAY THE BURNOUT WAS YEARS IN THE MAKING. JOINING US NOW IS KELLEY HONEST, ONE OF THE NURSES FROM THE MINNESOTA STRIKE, AND JEAN ROSS, THE PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL NURSES UNITED. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BOTH WITH US. AND KELLEY, YOU WERE OUT ON THE PICKET LINE WITH YOUR FELLOW MINNESOTA NURSES THIS PAST WEEK.
WHAT WERE YOU ALL DEMANDING FROM HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT? KELLEY: THE FOCUS OF OUR CONTRACT CAMPAIGN HAS LARGELY BEEN AROUND THE STAFFING THAT HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST, EVEN PRE-PANDEMIC, THE LAST FEW YEARS IN HOSPITALS AROUND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND TRULY AROUND THE COUNTRY. THAT HAS BEEN THE LARGEST PART OF THE FOCUS OF OUR STRIKE. ALSO, ISSUES LIKE PAID FAMILY LEAVE, WORKPLACE VIOLENCE, AND PROTECTIONS AROUND THAT, AND ALSO COMPENSATION FOR NURSES.
GEOFF: SO, KELLEY, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE WORKED AT THE SAME HOSPITAL FOR SOME 14 YEARS NOW, INCLUDING A STINT IN THE ICU DURING THE PEAK OF COVID. WHAT CHOICES DO YOU THINK THE HOSPITAL MADE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS TIPPING POINT WHERE NURSES FEEL NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO HIT THE PICKET LINE? KELLEY: EVEN BEFORE COVID SHOWED UP IN AMERICA AND IN MINNESOTA, OUR HOSPITALS STARTED IMPLEMENTING THIS PROCESS THEY REFERRED TO AS BENCHMARKING, WHERE THEY WOULD COMPARE THEIR STAFFING LEVELS TO LIKE HOSPITALS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THEN WORK TO MATCH THE STAFFING LEVELS. SO IN MOST CASES THEY DROPPED THE STAFFING LEVELS, BUT DOING THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK, TAKING CARE OF THE SAME AMOUNT OF PATIENTS WITH THE SAME OR EVEN HIGHER LEVELS OF ACUITY. THEN WHEN THE PANDEMIC SHOWED UP, THEY STAFFED US UP. WE WERE MORE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO CRITICAL PATIENTS AND THEIR EVER-CHANGING LEVELS OF SICKNESS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE BREAKS AND GO DRINK WATER AND EAT AND REST AND KIND OF DO THOSE THINGS SO THAT WE COULD KIND OF REFUEL AND GET BACK INTO THE ROOM, TAKING CARE OF OUR PATIENTS. AS COVID KIND OF BECAME PART OF THE NORM, BOTH IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD AND INSIDE THE HOSPITAL, THEY STARTED REVERTING BACK TO THESE LOWER BENCHMARK LEVELS OF STAFFING. AND SO WE WENT BACK TO DOING MORE WORK WITH FEWER RESOURCES THAT WE DID BEFORE.
GEOFF: SO, JEAN, WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THIS NURSING SHORTAGE, AND WHAT'S PREVENTING HOSPITALS FROM PURSUING THE SOLUTIONS? JEAN: THE VERY SIMPLE WAY TO FIX THIS IS TO LISTEN TO THE NURSES, TO RESPECT THEM ENOUGH TO RESPECT THEIR JUDGMENT. YOU NEED TO PAY PEOPLE FOR THEIR WORTH. AND I THINK YOU SAW OUR WORTH CLEARLY DURING THE PANDEMIC. YOU NEED TO PAY THE NURSES ENOUGH THAT THEY WILL STAY WORKING EVEN DURING A PANDEMIC, AND WILL ATTRACT OTHER NURSES INTO IT, BECAUSE IT'S A WONDERFUL CAREER. THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT KELLEY MENTIONED THAT HELPED US DURING THE PANDEMIC WERE THINGS THAT THE EMPLOYER DID NOT EASILY GIVE US.
WE HAD TO FIGHT. WE HAD TO GO TO WE HAD TO GO TO THE GOVERNOR. WE HAD TO GO TO THE PRESIDENT. WE HAD TO GO TO THE CDC AND OSHA. SO EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT, WE'VE HAD TO FIGHT FOR, AND WE KNOW WHAT NURSES NEED IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR PATIENTS SAFE.
THE EMPLOYER NEEDS TO LISTEN TO US, NEEDS TO ACQUIESCE TO OUR NEEDS FOR GOOD STAFFING AND FOR ADEQUATE COMPENSATION. GEOFF: JEAN, WE REACHED OUT TO SOME OF THE HOSPITALS TO GET THEIR RESPONSE TO THIS, AND A STATEMENT THAT WE GOT FROM ONE OF THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, THEY ESSENTIALLY SAID THAT THEY WERE DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED BY THE NURSES UNION'S CHOICE TO STRIKE BEFORE EXHAUSTING ALL EFFORTS TO REACH AN AGREEMENT. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO MIGHT AGREE WITH THE POINTS THAT YOU MAKE, BUT WHO WOULD ALSO SAY THAT BY NURSES STRIKING, THAT THAT REALLY PUT PATIENTS AT RISK? WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT? JEAN: IF YOU DON'T STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOURSELF AS A NURSE AND FOR PATIENTS TO KEEP THEM SAFE, THAT'S PUTTING PATIENTS AT RISK. WHEN YOU DO NOTHING, YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM. IT'S VERY, VERY HARD FOR NURSES TO WALK OUT ON, LEAVE THEIR PATIENTS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF CARE THEY'RE GETTING, AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T KNOW OUR PATIENTS. WE ARE THE BEST PEOPLE TO PROVIDE THAT CARE. SO WHEN EMPLOYERS SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DISAPPOINTED, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT MORE THAN DISAPPOINTMENT GOING AGAINST THEM, TOO. WE ARE TOTALLY DISGUSTED, QUITE FRANKLY.
THEY'RE MAKING MONEY HAND OVER FIST, DESPITE WHAT THEY SAY. AND QUITE FRANKLY, IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY YOUR PEOPLE TO BRING THEM IN AND KEEP THEM, MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT LINE OF BUSINESS. GEOFF: JEAN ROSS AND KELLEY ANAAS.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. JEAN: YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. GEOFF: TODAY, THE CONCENTRATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE IS MORE THAN 50% HIGHER THAN IT WAS DURING THE PRE-INDUSTRIAL ERA.
IN AN EFFORT TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE, MANY INDUSTRIES ARE GRAPPLING WITH HOW TO REDUCE OR OFFSET THEIR CARBON EMISSIONS. ILLINOIS PUBLIC MEDIA'S DANA CRONIN REPORTS ON HOW FARMS ARE BECOMING A FRONTRUNNER IN THE RACE TO REDUCE CARBON. DANA: IT'S SPRINGTIME ON JASON LAY'S FARM IN BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.
WE'RE STANDING ON ONE OF HIS 75-ACRE FIELDS, WHICH, DURING THE GROWING SEASON, IS COVERED WITH CORN OR SOYBEANS. BUT TODAY, THE FIELD IS DOTTED WITH A GRASS-LIKE GRAIN CALLED CEREAL RYE. IT'S A COVER CROP, WHICH GOES IN DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.
>> AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT HELPS HOLD THE CARBON DIOXIDE, OR THE GREENHOUSE GASSES, IT HELPS HOLD THEM SO THEY DON'T GET RELEASED OUT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. DANA: INSTEAD OF LEAVING HIS FIELD ALONE IN THE WINTER, LAY USES THE RYE TO HELP FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE. AND THESE 75 ACRES OF COVER CROPS ARE KEEPING A LOT OF CARBON OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE. >> ROUGHLY IT WOULD BE ABOUT HOPEFULLY A TON AN ACRE. SO ABOUT 75 TONS ACROSS THIS WHOLE FIELD.
DANA: THAT'S EQUIVALENT TO THE EMISSIONS OF 15 GAS-POWERED CARS DRIVEN FOR ONE YEAR. LAY IS PART OF A GROWING NUMBER OF FARMERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY STARTING TO EXPERIMENT WITH THESE COVER CROPS THANKS TO SOMETHING CALLED THE CARBON MARKETPLACE. THE MARKETPLACE WORKS LIKE THIS.
LET'S SAY THERE'S A COMPANY, LIKE A FACTORY OR MANUFACTURER, THAT NEEDS TO OFFSET THEIR CARBON EMISSIONS BECAUSE OF SELF-IMPOSED GOALS OR GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. THEY CAN GO TO BIG, CORPORATE AGRICULTURE COMPANIES, LIKE BAYER, FOR EXAMPLE, AND PURCHASE CARBON CREDITS. BAYER IN TURN PAYS FARMERS, LIKE LAY, TO PLANT THESE CARBON-CAPTURING COVER CROPS, WHICH OFFSET THE COMPANY'S EMISSIONS.
THESE CARBON PROGRAMS ARE POPPING UP ACROSS THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY, TARGETING EVERYTHING FROM CORN AND SOYBEAN FARMS IN THE MIDWEST, TO COTTON FIELDS IN THE SOUTH. >> I ABSOLUTELY AM A BELIEVER THAT CARBON CREDITS ARE PART OF THE MOVE TO REDUCE THE OVERALL PRESSURE ON THE ATMOSPHERE. DANA: CHRIS HARBOURT IS CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER AT INDIGO, A FARMING TECHNOLOGY COMPANY. UNLIKE OLDER AGRICULTRE COMPANIES, INDIGO FOCUSES EXCLUSIVELY ON SUSTAINABILITY. >> RIGHT NOW, WE CAN GET EVERY FARMER ON EARTH TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR, IF WE INCENTIVIZE IT CORRECTLY, AND THEY HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE EQUIPMENT, THEY'RE ALREADY DISPERSED ACROSS THE GLOBE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY.
DANA: BUT HARBOURT ACKNOWLEDGES SCALING UP WOULD BE DIFFICULT. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REPORTS ONLY 4% OF FARMLAND IS PLANTED WITH COVER CROPS. AND ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THOSE FARMS ARE ENROLLED IN CARBON PROGRAMS. TO HELP BRING MORE ON BOARD, INDIGO OFFERS FARMERS SHORT, FIVE-YEAR CONTRACTS.
BUT SOME CLIMATE EXPERTS SAY IT'S GOING TO TAKE LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS TO REDUCE THE CONCENTRATION OF CARBON IN OUR ATMOSPHERE. >> FOR THE CLIMATE, WE REALLY NEED, I WOULD SAY, DURABILITY OF CARBON STORED ON TIMESCALES OF 100 YEARS. DANA: GIANA AMADOR IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF CARBON180, A NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON CARBON REMOVAL. SHE ARGUES, WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING A REAL DENT IN THE CLIMATE CRISIS, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON HOW TO REDUCE CARBON OVERALL, NOT JUST OFFSET IT.
BUT, AMADOR SAYS, PAYING FARMERS TO SEQUESTER CARBON IS ULTIMATELY A GOOD THING. >> WHAT'S EXCITING ABOUT THESE VOLUNTARY OFFSET MARKETS IS IT PROVIDES AN INCENTIVE FOR FARMERS TO SHIFT PRACTICES AND POTENTIALLY HELPS WITH SOME OF THOSE FINANCING CHALLENGES. >> I MEAN, IT'S THE OBVIOUS AMERICAN ANSWER -- YOU GIVE ME MORE, AND I'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT. DANA: FOR "PBS NEWS WEEKEND," I'M DANA CRONIN IN BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS. GEOFF: FOR DALLAS MAVERICKS CEO CYNT MARSHALL, THE PATH TO SUCCESS WAS ANYTHING BUT EASY.
SHE GREW UP IN THE HOUSING PROJECTS OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA AND ENDURED A PAINFUL CHILDHOOD WITH A VIOLENT AND ABUSIVE FATHER. BUT SHE CREDITS HER MOTHER FOR INSTILLING AN UNFAILING WORK ETHIC AND UNWAVERING FAITH. CYNT: SHE JUST PASSED ON THAT THAT SPIRIT OF GRIT AND GRACE AND RESILIENCE TO ME.
I STAND ON THE SCRIPTURE, SO I REALLY THINK THAT THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON. BUT I KNOW I'M GOING TO COME OUT BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT. GEOFF: I SPOKE WITH CYNT MARSHALL THIS PAST WEEK ABOUT HER NEW MEMOIR, "YOU'VE BEEN CHOSEN: THRIVING THROUGH THE UNEXPECTED."
SHE RECOUNTS HER PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY TO BECOMING THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE CEO IN THE NBA. THAT FOLLOWED MORE THAN THREE DECADES OF CLIMBING THE CORPORATE LADDER AT AT&T. I ASKED HER ABOUT THE PRESSURE SHE FACED BACK THEN, LIKE FEMALE BOSSES TELLING HER TO CHANGE HER APPEARANCE AND EVEN CHANGE HER NAME IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL. CYNT: WELL, I THINK WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED TO ME IN MY FIRST WEEK WITH THE COMPANY, I JUST RESPONDED TO IT BECAUSE IN BOTH OF THOSE CASES, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE WOMEN WERE VERY WELL-INTENDED, THAT THEY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A KIND OF CULTURE WE WORKED IN, OR THEY BELIEVED THERE WAS A CULTURE WE WORKED IN, AND THEY WANTED ME TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
I WAS 21 YEARS OLD, AND I DID WHAT THEY ASKED ME TO DO. I TOOK MY BRAIDS DOWN, I TOOK OFF MY RED SHOES AND ALL OF THAT. BUT 19 YEARS LATER, I JUST SAID, UH-UH.
BY THE TIME I HIT 40 AND I ACTUALLY KNEW WHAT KIND OF COMPANY I WORKED IN, I KNEW IT WAS A COMPANY THAT REALLY NURTURED AUTHENTICITY. AND I WAS RIGHT, BECAUSE SOMEONE CALLED AFTER THAT AND MADE IT ALL RIGHT. GEOFF: I WAS GOING TO SAY, TO YOUR CREDIT, WHEN YOU WERE UP FOR THAT PROMOTION, YOU TURNED IT DOWN, THAT THE BOSS WHO SAID THAT YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR NAME, CUT YOUR HAIR, WEAR WHITE, DON'T WEAR A BOLD, QUOTE UNQUOTE, TOO ETHNIC COLORS, THAT YOU SAID THAT THAT WASN'T FOR YOU. THAT WASN'T THE JOB FOR YOU.
CYNT: RIGHT. WHEN SOMEONE STARTS TO CROSS THE LINE TO ASK ME TO CHANGE FUNDAMENTALLY WHO I AM, THAT'S WHEN I HAVE TO DRAW THE LINE. AND WHEN I WAS TOLD TO USE WORDS LIKE LUCKY INSTEAD OF BLESSED, AND TO BE CINDY OR CYNTHIA AND NOT CYNT, I SAID, OKAY, I AM CYNT.
I'VE BEEN CYNT MY WHOLE LIFE. I DO BELIEVE THAT I'M BLESSED, NOT LUCKY. AND I HAD A GREAT JOB, A GREAT VP JOB, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE THAT. SO I JUST ASKED HER TO HELP ME FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP MY JOB. BUT SAY NO TO THIS FUTURE ONE. AND SO I THINK HOW THAT HAS SHAPED ME AS A LEADER IS AUTHENTICITY IS SO IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE YOU GET THE BEST OUT OF PEOPLE, YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY CAN BRING WHO THEY ARE INTO THE WORKPLACE. GEOFF: YOU WRITE IN YOUR MEMOIR THAT AS YOU WERE NAVIGATING YOUR PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY, THAT THERE WERE PERSONAL CHALLENGES TO YOU -- CHALLENGES, TOO. YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND TRIED TO START A FAMILY AND YOU WRITE ABOUT HOW YOU SUFFERED FOUR SECOND TRIMESTER MISCARRIAGES. AND THEN WHEN YOU WERE ABLE TO HAVE A CHILD, SHE DIED IN HER INFANCY. CAROLYN, SPECIAL K, YOU CALLED HER. CYNT: SPECIAL K.
SPECIAL K. GEOFF: TELL ME ABOUT THAT. CYNT: YES, I NAMED HER CAROLYN WITH THE K BECAUSE MY MOM'S NAME IS CAROLYN AND MY HUSBAND'S NAME WAS KENNETH. SHE WAS BORN FOUR MONTHS PREMATURELY, SO THAT WAS UNEXPECTED. AND SO THEY SAID SHE WOULD LIVE TWO DAYS, SHE LIVED SIX MONTHS, AND SHE WAS HERE FOR A REASON.
TRULY, I THINK THE DOCTORS LEARNED A LOT. WE LEARNED A LOT FROM IT. AND SO THE LORD TOOK MY BABY AT 6.5 MONTHS OLD. IT WAS THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE OF MY LIFE. HONESTLY, I JUST ENDED UP JUST LAYING OUT ON THE STAIRCASE ONE DAY WHEN MY HUSBAND LEFT TO GO SEE HIS FAMILY AFTER THE FUNERAL AND I LAID THERE THE WHOLE WEEKEND.
I HAD THE SAME CLOTHES ON WHEN HE GOT BACK HOME. I JUST NEEDED TO LET IT OUT. I JUST COULDN'T EVEN DEAL WITH THE GRIEF. MY HUSBAND SAW ME WHEN HE GOT HOME AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS STILL IN THE SAME CLOTHES.
AND HE JUST PUT HIS HAND DOWN. HE REACHED HIS HAND DOWN AND HE GOT ME UP. AND THAT'S THE STORY OF MY LIFE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO FOR EACH OTHER, BE THAT HAND AND LIFT THAT PERSON UP. GEOFF: AND THEN ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, IN 2010, YOU'RE DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE THREE COLON CANCER. AND THE WAY YOU WRITE ABOUT THIS IN THE BOOK, I MEAN, THERE IS NOT AN OUNCE OF BITTERNESS OR RESENTMENT.
AND WHAT COMES THROUGH IS THAT ALL OF YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCES UP TO THAT POINT EQUIPPED YOU FOR THIS DIAGNOSIS THAT YOU HAD NO IDEA WAS COMING. CYNT: ABSOLUTELY. IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN MY LIFE BEFORE THEN WAS A SETUP. AND, YOU KNOW, MY MOM SAID WHEN I TOLD HER THAT I WAS DIAGNOSED, HER FIRST RESPONSE WAS, THIS IS FOR HIS GLORY, THAT THIS IS FOR A REASON. GOD WILL GET THE GLORY OUT OF IT.
SHE SAID, YOU WILL TELL THIS STORY IN A BIG WAY ONE DAY. AND SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THERE'S A SCRIPTURE THAT SAYS, THE SICKNESS IS NOT UNTO DEATH. AND SHE KEPT QUOTING THAT AS WELL.
AND SO HERE I AM, CANCER-FREE 11 YEARS LATER. GEOFF: AND THEN IN 2017, YOU RETIRE FROM AT&T AND YOU GET A CALL FROM MARK CUBAN, WHO WE'VE INTERVIEWED ON THIS PROGRAM BEFORE. AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS.
CYNT: DON'T JUDGE ME, BUT I DID NOT. GEOFF: NO JUDGMENT. NO JUDGMENT AT ALL. SO HE CALLED YOU UP, AND WHAT DID HE ASK? CYNT: HE ASKED ME IF I COULD COME IN AND BE THE CEO OF THE DALLAS MAVERICKS AND TO HELP TRANSFORM THE CULTURE, AND TO REALLY HELP TO CREATE A GREAT PLACE TO WORK FOR SOME WELL-DESERVING PEOPLE WHO HAD DEVOTED THEIR LIVES -- AND THEY STILL HAVE -- TO SPORTS AND THEY WERE NOT IN A GREAT WORK ENVIRONMENT. AND SOME THINGS HAD UNFOLDED THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, CAME OUT IN AN ARTICLE AND MARK WAS GETTING MORE AND MORE INFORMATION BY THE SECOND AND REALIZED THAT HE NEEDED TO REALLY MAKE SOME CHANGES. AND SO I'M BLESSED THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT.
WE BROUGHT SOME GREAT PEOPLE IN WITH ME, AND I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR IT. SO MANY OF US HAVE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ON A JOURNEY FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, TO BE A GREAT PLACE TO WORK. GEOFF: WHEN YOU STEPPED INTO THE EXECUTIVE RANKS OF THE DALLAS MAVERICKS, THERE WERE NO WOMEN AND NO PEOPLE OF COLOR WITHIN MANAGEMENT.
HOW DID YOU SET ABOUT TURNING AROUND THAT CORPORATE CULTURE? CYNT: RIGHT. AND SO, I HAD NO WOMEN OR PEOPLE OF COLOR ON MY EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, IN PERMANENT POSITIONS. AND SO I HAVE LEARNED FROM MY 36 YEARS AT AT&T ABOUT THE VALUE OF DIVERSITY AND HOW IT REALLY EQUATES TO, YOU KNOW, BOTTOM LINE, PROFITABILITY, TO HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP OF VOICES MAKING DECISIONS AND LOOKING AT THINGS. AND SO, I PROMOTED SOME -- I BROUGHT SOME PEOPLE IN WITH ME. SO I BROUGHT TWO WOMEN IN WITH ME AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL. WE PROMOTED SOME OTHERS, WE HIRED SOME PEOPLE.
AND SO NOW WE ARE AT 50% WOMEN, 50% PEOPLE OF COLOR AT OUR EXECUTIVE TABLE AND THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION. AND THAT MATTERS. GEOFF: YOU WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CALL THE THREE L'S OF LEADERSHIP. LISTEN, LEARN, AND LOVE. I WAS STRUCK BY THE LOVE PART, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU HEAR FROM A LOT OF CEO'S.
CYNT: OH, YOU HAVE TO LOVE THE PEOPLE. AND WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN TO GET TO KNOW THEM, WHO THEY ARE. WHAT ARE THEIR PROFESSIONAL DREAMS? WHAT ARE THEIR PERSONAL DREAMS? WHO ARE THEIR FAMILIES? I MEAN, JUST LOVE THEM AS PEOPLE FIRST, WHICH IS TRULY WHAT I TRY TO DO. GEOFF: WRITING A MEMOIR LIKE THIS REQUIRES AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF SELF-REFLECTION. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM NAVIGATING LIFE'S MOST DIFFICULT CHALLENGES? CYNT: WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IS THAT -- IT'S MY THEME SONG, TOO. SO IF YOU EVER HEAR ME SPEAK, YOU'LL KNOW WHAT MY WALK UP SONG IS.
AND IT'S "AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH." I REALLY LEARNED THAT WHEN I WAS WRITING THIS BOOK IS THAT THERE IS NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH TO EP PEOPLE FROM GETTING TO ME, TO HELP ME GET UP THE MOUNTAIN. AND THERE'S NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH, NO GOAL THAT'S HIGH ENOUGH TO KEEP ME FROM REACHING IT. AND IT'S BECAUSE OF ALL THE SUPPORT THAT I GET. OBVIOUSLY, I'M A WOMAN OF FAITH, SO I BELIEVE THE LORD HAS A PLAN FOR ME, BUT HE PUTS PEOPLE IN MY LIFE.
MY SON, KENNETH ANTHONY, WROTE A SONG WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. AND THE NAME OF THAT SONG IS, "IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY." AND SO I KEPT THINKING ABOUT THAT WHEN I WAS WRITING THIS BOOK. AT EVERY TURN IT TURNED OUT THAT IT WAS OKAY. AND SO, WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE THAT FAITH AND THAT TRUST THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH IT, THAT WE -- NOT TO EVER LOSE HOPE. GEOFF: CYNT MARSHALL, THE BOOK IS "YOU'VE BEEN CHOSEN."
IT'S A REAL JOY TO SPEAK WITH YOU. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. CYNT: THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
GEOFF: AND THAT IS OUR PROGRAM FOR TONIGHT. TOMORROW, WORLD LEADERS PAY THEIR FINAL RESPECTS AS QUEEN ELIZABETH II IS LAID TO REST. I'M GEOFF BENNETT. FOR ALL OF US HERE AT "PBS NEWS WEEKEND," THANKS FOR SPENDING PART OF YOUR SUNDAY WITH US. HAVE A GREAT WEEK. >> MAJOR FUNDING FOR "PBS NEWS WEEKEND" HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY.
AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS. THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU. [CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY.]
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2022-09-21 00:18
