Hey there. I'm Kimberly Atkins store. You know, the idea behind this podcast, Justice by Design,

really came from my desire to not spend all of my time looking at what's wrong with our nation

and lamenting injustices. I wanted to put energy on the people and the work that's being done

to find solutions to those problems to actually make our world, our society better, more just,

more equal, give it a sense that it is meant to work for everyone.

And part of that, of course, as I've already talked about,

it deals with, you know, taking care of ourselves and our own mental health too.

So this week, the results of the election, I know, were not what a lot of listeners to this podcast

wanted. Certainly is not what I wanted. I do know that there is much work ahead to identify

the perils and threats to the way of life as we know it, to do what we can to prevent those, and to be clear-eyed

about all of the work, so much work. There needs to be done to make this a more just nation,

to make America live up to the ideals upon which it was founded.

But before I get to that, I just need to take a beat.

I need to take a minute, you know, just in thinking about what's ahead for us as the result of the election in the presidential race became clear.

I thought about my grandmother, and she would always say to me, Kim, you're going to be president.

And I would tell her grandma, no, there's no way. I don't want that job, like not a chance.

She eventually started saying, well, you're going to be on TV.

And so I said I'd take that.

And that was prophetic.

But the reason she said that to me is because she had no doubt when she looked at me,

a young black woman, that I was in a world that I could lead if I wanted to, that there was nothing standing in

the way besides my own hard work and determination. Yes, my work would have to be harder,

...