The After Show : "Sisters Loved and Treasured”

Key Concepts

• Sisterhood and Unbreakable Bonds: The central theme of the discussion, exploring the unique relationships between sisters.
• Journalism and Media Career: Deborah Roberts' journey into broadcast journalism, her inspirations, and the challenges she faces.
• True Crime Fandom and Analysis: The sisters' shared interest in true crime and their hypothetical roles in solving a murder mystery.
• Legacy and Inspiring the Next Generation: The importance of dreaming big and encouraging younger family members to pursue their aspirations.
• Mental Well-being and Sisterhood: The positive impact of sisters on mental health, supported by research.

Sisterhood and the Book "Sisters Loved and Treasured"

The discussion centers around Deborah Roberts' new book, "Sisters Loved and Treasured: Stories of Unbreakable Bonds," which was inspired by her own experience growing up with six sisters. She highlights the deep connection she shares with her four living sisters: Janet, Bonita, Tina, and Belinda. The process of writing the book involved open conversations about their lives, childhood perceptions, and adult feelings, which strengthened their bond. Deborah also acknowledges two of her sisters as "warriors": Janet, a breast cancer survivor, and Tina, who is currently battling her own health challenges but is thriving.

Deborah Roberts' Journalism Career

Early Aspirations and Influences

Janet asks Deborah if she always wanted to be in the news and when she knew this was her calling. Deborah recalls being mesmerized by the evening news with Walter Cronkite as a child, observing the changing landscape of news with the emergence of Black and female reporters like Connie Chung and Lynn Tucker. In high school, she was interested in performance and television, initially considering acting. However, upon being introduced to journalism in college, she realized her true passion was TV journalism.

Childhood Indicators

Bonita and Janet recall Deborah's early inclination towards asking questions and conducting interviews. Janet remembers Deborah practicing her reporting in front of a mirror with a brush as a microphone, a habit her brother Junior would often tease her about. Deborah acknowledges this, stating she "was destined" for this career, especially since she didn't possess other talents like singing, which her mother often pointed out her strong speaking ability compensated for.

Dealing with Nerves

When asked about nervousness before interviews, Deborah admits she gets nervous "all the time," including during the current conversation. She explains that while she is generally comfortable due to experience, important interviews, such as those with Michelle Obama or Jill Biden, or even celebrities, can cause significant nervousness due to the desire to ask the right questions and come across well. She also describes feeling nervous when conducting interviews in prisons for "2020" true crime segments. These situations involve heightened security, including the presence of SWAT teams, and require surrendering personal items like phones and IDs. Deborah recounts a particularly nerve-wracking interview in New Jersey where inmates could see them in a contained area. Despite the nerves, she believes they provide good energy, propelling her to think on her feet and perform better. She emphasizes the importance of masking these nerves to appear natural on camera, especially during live television segments like filling in on "Good Morning America."

Memorable Stories

Bonita asks Deborah about a story she is particularly proud of. Deborah mentions that her pride in stories changes over time, but a deeply impactful one occurred while she was on maternity leave. A senior producer called her about an Ethiopian American woman living in the U.S. who wanted to return to Africa to find her roots. The woman had been given up as a child due to an injury and was raised elsewhere before coming to the U.S. The story involved a race against time, as the woman was leaving in three days. Despite being on maternity leave, Deborah's husband encouraged her to take the story. She had to stop breastfeeding and get vaccinations. The story was a "by the seat of your pants" endeavor with no guarantee of success. Ultimately, the woman was reunited with her mother in a village after a journey. Deborah found this story particularly meaningful as a Black woman connecting with Ethiopia and its people. The story also won an Emmy award.

Another memorable story, a recent true crime segment for "2020," involved a young mother who was abducted and killed, with the 911 system failing her. Deborah found this story touching due to the victim's youth and the missed opportunities to save her.

Legacy and Inspiring the Next Generation

Deborah poses the question about their legacy within the family and what advice they would give to the young people in their family and beyond about following their dreams. She notes that they come from a large family with many nieces and nephews (around 25). Deborah admits to being "pushy" and sometimes "judgmental" (in a good way) because she was ambitious herself and wants her nieces and nephews to have big dreams. Growing up in Perry, Georgia, a small town of 10,000 people post-segregation, they experienced life in a limited way. However, Deborah had dreams beyond their small town and wants to convey to her nieces and nephews the importance of imagining and thinking bigger, not just about a specific career but about exceeding expectations. She encourages them not to let their circumstances or surroundings limit their potential to make a mark in a bigger way.

Tina adds that Deborah influenced her significantly by encouraging her to stop "splitting verbs" and to read more. While Tina initially disliked this, she grew to appreciate it and became a "grammar fanatic." Deborah also influenced her own children in similar ways. Tina humorously recalls trying to get Deborah and Bonita to do yoga, which they found amusing and didn't take seriously at the time, but later came to appreciate. Janet confirms that Deborah would correct them on grammar immediately, making them repeat sentences correctly.

True Crime Roles and Murder Mystery Dinner Party

The conversation shifts to their shared interest in true crime. Deborah, noting Janet's long-standing fascination with the genre, asks who among them would be a "sleuth" if they were to analyze true crime stories. Janet believes it would be her, recalling how she and a friend (now a police officer) would watch true crime shows and predict who the perpetrator might be based on subtle clues, often correctly identifying individuals who appeared suspicious in the background.

They then engage in a hypothetical "murder mystery dinner party" scenario, assigning roles:

• Lead Detective: Deborah is chosen for this role because she is "always into the details" and "doesn't miss a thing." Her children have even told her she should have been a detective.
• Medical Examiner: None of the sisters are eager for this role. Tina expresses a lack of stomach for "gory gooey things," although she acknowledges that as a reporter, she has become somewhat accustomed to hearing gruesome stories.
• Prosecutor: Deborah and Tina both believe they could be prosecutors. Deborah explains that Tina has an "analytical mind" and a good ability to "sum people up pretty quickly."
• DNA Analyzer/Forensics: Janet is suggested for this role due to her patience and attention to detail, which are crucial for meticulous work.

Conclusion

The sisters express that the discussion has been fun and a welcome change from the usual "true true crime" focus of "2020." Deborah reiterates that her book, "Sisters Loved and Treasured: Stories of Unbreakable Bonds," was inspired by her sisters and highlights research suggesting that sisters are beneficial for mental well-being. She believes they have all experienced a "mental health boost" during their time together. The episode concludes with thanks to the sisters for participating and to the audience for joining.