I'm Matt Bongiovi, and I'm so happy to be joined today by our two very special guests, Tara McGuinness and Hana Schank. Tara is the founder of the New Practice Lab at New America, where she leads a team of designers, researchers, and product managersworking to improve family economic security and well-being.
Hana previously founded and ran Collective UX, a user experience consultancy working with companies and governmental organizations to design human-centered products. Tara and Hana are here with us today to discuss their book, "Power to the Public, The Promise of Public Interest Technology."In "Power to the Public," Hana and Tara share a blueprint for how governments and non-profits can harness the power of digital technology
What sort of rituals are you creating? Tara Abernathy is beginning her career as a Craftwoman and she has certain convictions about how the world fits together.
And it's like two hours long, two and a half hours long. Tara Brach-- also fantastic.
So we move across two generations and across the world. Tara 's living, at this time, in Houston, Texas, which is where I now live.And now I've lived in Houston long enough that I feel comfortable setting parts of my books in Houston.
Jenny Blake: Tara of "lift the oars." Wisdom of greatness. Tara : I'm "life the oars" lady and I actually stole that from Oprah and Byron Gates.Jenny Blake: OK, great. We're in the presence of greatness.
Jenny Blake: OK, great. We're in the presence of greatness. Tara : , I'm not, I'm a junkie just like Jenny. I would like to say, what's your most memorable piece of feedback you've gotten from the book so far?Jenny Blake: Oh, that's such a great question. OK, the most memorable piece of feedback.
When you saw this, what made you decide that this was right for you? TARAJI P. HENSON: Well, Danny Strong, co-creator-- one of the co-creators and producers of Empire gave me this script when we filmed the pilot for "Empire." And then the show became a big success, and it was hard for me to schedule my schedule.
And for you, Taraji, and you, Robin, how do you embody that in a character and create that, as a director? TARAJI P. HENSON: Uh, I mean, well, I couldn't really add too much because Ann was a really-- a real person. I just listened to a lot of the stuff people said about her, that she was a powerhouse, Roughneck Annie.
And we talked about it. Taraji and I and Dominique were talking about it last night, how these weren't just-- they were poor, and they were in a small town-- Durham's a relatively small town-- but they were leaders within that town.
But in your own personal experience, is there something that you drew from or thought about when you're agreeing to be in, produce, direct this story? TARAJI P. HENSON: I guess for me, it was just what made it so important for me and why I gave up my entire hiatus-- She never lets me forget that.
Did he share his background stories with you? TARAJI P. HENSON: I mean, it was rough. One time he-- my dad-- woo, I wish he was alive to tell his story.
Yeah. And outside of your artist career, last year, you opened up a foundation in your father's name. TARAJI P. HENSON: Mm-hmm. Can you tell us about its mission?
Can you tell us about its mission? TARAJI P. HENSON: The mission is to work with the recidivism in prison systems. Because the prison system is not really a place for reform or to get your life together
But, see, a lot of times you have these therapies who are coming from other countries, and they just want the card to come here and practice. TARAJI P. HENSON: It's-- I'm sorry.
But, see, a lot of times you have these therapies who are coming from other countries, and they just want the card to come here and practice. TARAJI P. HENSON: It just is something that gets under my skin.
Later on, Milano followed up that tweet, crediting Burke with her earlier use of the phrase and her longstanding efforts to support survivors of sexual abuse. Tarana Burke went on to be named one of Time Magazine's silence breakers, which Time Magazine named 2017 person of the year. And she was this year's commencement speaker at U Penn's School of Social Policy and Practice.
Googlers, please welcome to the stage, Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson, and Lyriq Bent. TARAJI P. HENSON: Thank you You are welcome. There you are. TARAJI P. HENSON: Where-- how do we do?
--Lyriq's at the end. TARAJI P. HENSON: Hi. How's everybody doing? You look good.
How's everybody doing? You look good. TARAJI P. HENSON: I do? You look great. Yeah, you look really good.
You look great. Yeah, you look really good. TARAJI P. HENSON: Today? Every day, but you look really good today.
Every day, but you look really good today. TARAJI P. HENSON: Well, thanks. Smart man. Smart man.
I was gonna have to fix that real quick. TARAJI P. HENSON: Thank you. Well, welcome guys. Thank you for coming to Google.
popped into a coding class that was happening right over here with Young Women's Leadership Academy. TARAJI P. HENSON: Yes! So we had about a dozen young ladies from Queens, who-- I think they were doing some of VR coding.
Just know. Just be prepared. TARAJI P. HENSON: That was the disclaimer. OK. I'm ready. That's the disclaimer.
I'm ready. And this is not being filmed at all, so-- OK, good. TARAJI P. HENSON: Oh, good. We can say F-bombs.
All right. You want to take those off now, don't you? TARAJI P. HENSON: Ah, these. Dad's trying to take my shoes.
Melinda. Melinda. Sorry. Yeah. TARAJI P. HENSON: That-- Belinda's for someone else. That's for Viola. Viola, Viola.
And the first face I saw was hers. TARAJI P. HENSON: And then he calls me, and I'm like, in the middle of filming "Empire." I'm not done until months later. So I'm like, sure, I'll do it.
But for some reason she said yes. TARAJI P. HENSON: Well, because you wouldn't go away. You wouldn't take no for an answer.
I'm not-- All that-- I heard all that bullshit. TARAJI P. HENSON: He was like-- he let me finish, and he was like, OK, you've been living with Cookie for three years now. You've got that.
The first scene though-- but the first scene that we shot, it was Cookie. TARAJI P. HENSON: The first scene? It was Cookie. The very first scene.
And I pulled you aside and said, nope, that's Cookie. TARAJI P. HENSON: What was the first scene? It didn't make it in the movie.
You were like, thank goodness that shit is over, and then you get in the car and you drive off. TARAJI P. HENSON: Oh you cut that. Yeah, because that was Cookie.
I mean, it was definitely scary. TARAJI P. HENSON: I've been waiting for this. Ever since I seen "Fatal Attraction" I've been gunning for a character like this.
Every woman in here is not agreeing with you. TARAJI P. HENSON: No? See, see. TARAJI P. HENSON: But see, I do that.
But what are you talking about? TARAJI P. HENSON: I do that. I will take something-- and we're all capable of it.
She doesn't have that voice. TARAJI P. HENSON: She just took her story and ran with it. She doesn't have that voice, yeah.
Basically, he's saying you're off. TARAJI P. HENSON: No. Well-- Tyler, that's what you think about me?
But I wanted to know how you got into that character. TARAJI P. HENSON: Well I mean, we've all had a broken heart. If you haven't, you haven't loved.
Including show up with an ax, but yeah. TARAJI P. HENSON: Yeah. Right. Exactly. Exactly. So-- TARAJI P. HENSON: I have this one hair that's driving me crazy.
This is what we deal with all the time, all the time. TARAJI P. HENSON: People would be looking at me. They're like, shh, be quiet, you know, because people-- I have a weird way of operating, like working.
You know, you have actors where you have to be quite-- Whole set. TARAJI P. HENSON: --you can't move. No one move. TARAJI P. HENSON: You right there.
Sit down. Why is she on her phone? TARAJI P. HENSON: Why are you standing up? I can't concentrate now.
I can't concentrate now. TARAJI P. HENSON: It's literally like that. And I could act in the middle of a damn circus.
Working that way. Do you work a different way? TARAJI P. HENSON: He's very calm. Just--
It's about to get real calm, real leading man, real sexy. TARAJI P. HENSON: Right. Right. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Go ahead, flip the switch. TARAJI P. HENSON: And then we're the peanut gallery. Right.
Go ahead. I forgot the question. TARAJI P. HENSON: Go ahead, Denzel Jackson, Jr. Was this your first time acting with Tiraji?
There was a disclaimer to not spend any time. TARAJI P. HENSON: No. That's kind of remarkable, though, because while the movie-- its title character is you --really it's about the relationship between your character, Robert--