On Thursday, Hillary Clinton will appear as the latest guest on The Dissenters, a new podcast series that features 21 interviews with leaders and activists on their meaning of “dissent.” The series is hosted by Debra Messing and Mandana Dayani, co-founders of the non-profit campaign I Am a Voter.
In an exclusive clip from their interview, Clinton discusses the importance of dissent and peaceful protest in light of recent demonstrations against police brutality. “I think about Dr. King, and I think about losing John Lewis — people not only willing to dissent and protest, but to model what it is they were seeking on our behalf,” she says.
Messing wanted to bring Clinton onto the podcast after helping her campaign for president in 2016. “Hillary Clinton has led the way in fighting for women’s rights around the world,” she told Rolling Stone. “She has experienced very public failures, and has gotten right back up and continued to be guided by her sense of purpose. She has modeled so much of what it means to be an advocate, activist, and dissenter and we could not think of a more impactful way to end the season than to hear her journey and reflections on dissent and democracy.”
She added: “Given the civil unrest in America, the suppression of dissent here and around the world, the disinformation, and vilification of the press, we wanted to highlight the necessity of dissent in the preservation of democracy. Dissent is not something that should be managed or controlled; dissent was how our country was founded, how we become better, how we model and present the future. It was incredible to hear Hillary talk about her tenure as Secretary of State and her experiences with dissent in countries around the world. We hope that our listeners will recognize that all of our dissenters, from Hillary Clinton to the accidental activists that were previously unknown, have compassion, know the power of community, fearlessly question authority, and challenge disinformation and prejudice. And, they are all our heroes.”
Other guests on The Dissenters include Glennon Doyle, Amanda Nguyen, Adam Schiff, Shannon Watts, Sophia Bush, Zach Skow, Patrisse Cullors, Ali Wentworth, Jameela Jamil, Kate Roberts, Nadya Okamoto, Mark Bustos, Eva Longoria, Schuyler Baller, Preet Bharara, Christian Siriano, Cindy Eckert, Jane Fonda, Carole Cadwalladr, and Dr. Edith Eger. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and other platforms where podcasts are accessible, with new episodes releasing every Thursday.