NPM meets Cokie Roberts
Cokie Roberts is an American Emmy award winning journalist and a best selling author. Her books include We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters, From This Day Forward, Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation, and her latest, Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation.
As written in the North Philly Metropolis’s blog, when being in the same room with a famous journalist such as, Mrs. Cokie Roberts, it’s not only mind blowing, but you have to ask yourself how are you able to be so lucky. Cokie Roberts is a true inspiration to the up and coming journalists/authors of the NPM. Tanisha Clanton, William Harris, and Peak Johnson were among the lucky few to be able to interview Cokie. They asked what many people considered to be excellent questions. As the trio entered the WHYY building where the event was taking place, they were brought into what appeared to be a conference room where they made sure that they had all of their questions memorized and their digital cameras charged. Some were a little nervous, though Peak Johnson replied, “This is just like the old days. Most of us are busy with school and work and are unable to really go out on interviews as much.”
Sister Mary Scullion led the trio up to the second floor where they were able to have lunch before the big interview and actually had the early chance of meeting Cokie Roberts herself. Harold Honickman and Lynne Honickman were also in attendance, passing around a copy of the North Philly Metropolis to Cokie who believed it to be a great thing that teens of North Philadelphia are doing. After eating, it was time for everyone to take their seats and as Bill Marazzo, CEO of WHYY introduced Cokie, William, Peak, and Tanisha went over their questions one final time. Though before Peak Johnson knew it, he was already asking his question:
PJ: What life experiences do you think prepared you to be a great journalist?
CR: I was blessed with a very fine education; the Religious of Society of the Sacred Heart educated me. 
In the 1950’s when I was growing up a lot of people didn’t think girls should be taken seriously, but I was lucky enough that my teachers did. I also grew up in a political family, both my father and my mother served in congress. So I knew what a tremendous effect journalist had on politicians and that they could be very hurtful. You had to be very careful to know that what you were saying was accurate and fair. So I think that that life experience was terribly important in terms of my journalism today.
After reading a passage from her book, Ladies of Liberty, it was Tanisha Clanton’s turn to ask her question:
TC: What is your view on the election between Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton?
CR: It’s a fascinating election. It’s great that Pennsylvania has gotten paid attention to. I think that it’s a very exciting election for the country and I think that the fact that people are signing up to vote is terrific. Even though I don’t like the amount of money that is in politics, the fact that people are sending it as a way of participating shows that they are interested.
Tanisha was asked by Mr. Bill, what were her friends saying about the election? Tanisha replied, “My friends really don’t know who to choose because you’re having a woman and African-American male both running for president. It’s tough.” Cokie Roberts replied, “They’re good choices.” The mike was soon passed onto William Harris, who quietly asked Cokie:
WH: How long did it take you to write Ladies of Liberty?
CR: Founding Mothers came out in 2004 and this one [Ladies of Liberty] came out in 2008, so in someway it took around 4 years. Though not 4 years of non-stop writing because I have day jobs [she laughs] and I have a life.
William went on to ask, what was the most interesting aspect of life for the women of that time.
CR: Well there were lots of different views; you have to remember that these women had no political rights or any legal rights. A married woman could not own property and a quarter of the country was in bondage. So you had all kinds of legal issues for these women and life was just very difficult. They were pregnant all the time and were losing babies all the time, traveling was very difficult. Just think how hard it was just to get through a day. But with all of that what I found so interesting was how deeply committed they were to this country, how very political they were, how very politically influential they were, and how powerful men of their acquaintance recognized the power of the women and gave them credit.
Cokie was asked another question by a member of the audience whether she thought the woman of today have it just as hard the women during the time our country was being founded. Cokie replied that she didn’t think so, but what do you, the reader think?
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