Podcast Summary: "We Can Be Brave"

Amanpour | CNN Podcasts | October 31, 2025

Overview

This episode of Amanpour delves into the theme of courage in modern times, highlighting stories of personal bravery and societal challenges. Host Christiane Amanpour brings forward powerful conversations with Washington Bishop Marianne Buddy about moral courage and her children's book "We Can Be Brave," interviews pioneering astronaut Eileen Collins about breaking barriers in space, and closes with a discussion on systemic abuse and activism inside Alabama’s prisons with the filmmakers behind HBO’s documentary "The Alabama Solution." The conversations intricately weave the notion of bravery—from the pulpit and the launchpad to the prison yard—into the broader American fabric confronting fear, division, and injustice.

Segment I: Marianne Buddy — Teaching Courage to the Next Generation

[02:15 – 15:45]

Key Discussion Points

• Adapting “We Can Be Brave” for Young Readers

  • Bishop Buddy underscores the importance of teaching courage to children, reflecting on how early life experiences shape future decisions.
  • Quote [02:32]:

    "The most consequential decisions we make in life have their roots in things that happened to us when we were young."
    —Marianne Buddy

• Is Courage Taught or Innate?

  • She insists courage can absolutely be learned—not only innate—by stepping into unknowns and continually practicing bravery.
  • Quote [03:38]:

    "It is something that we learn throughout our lives."
    —Marianne Buddy

• Role Models and Collective Courage

  • Buddy cites Eleanor Roosevelt’s definition: “doing what you think you cannot do,” and speaks to moments where courage was demanded of her, especially in public acts.
  • Community support and being inspired by others’ bravery are vital.

• Speaking Truth During a Divisive Era

  • Amanpour recalls Buddy's high-profile appeal for compassion directed at President Trump during a national cathedral service.
  • Quote [06:11]:

    "I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now... [including] gay, lesbian, and transgender children... those fleeing war zones and persecution."
    —Marianne Buddy (pulpit address, replayed by Amanpour)

• Repercussions and Public Reaction

  • Mixed response: criticism from President Trump’s supporters, immense support from others, but the act was rooted in “basic biblical and spiritual values.”
  • Quote [07:30]:

    "It was an opportunity... to honor the very people who were being and are being so dehumanized now."
    —Marianne Buddy

• America’s 'Culture of Contempt'

  • Buddy elaborates on polarization and normalized hostility, warning of the dangers of viewing ideological opponents with “intense suspicion and even hatred.”
  • Quote [09:56]:

    "The language of contempt has become increasingly normalized in our daily speech."
    —Marianne Buddy

• Ecumenical Hope: Pope Leo & King Charles III Pray Together

  • Buddy is moved by acts of unity between faith leaders, seeing it as a profound public demonstration of common purpose and reconciliation.
  • Quote [12:28]:

    "To see the highest of leaders do so in a public way... It was inspiring. It brought tears."
    —Marianne Buddy

• Passing Courage Forward: Parenting as a “Masterclass”

  • She reflects on learning from children’s resilience and the importance of elders nurturing young leaders.
  • Quote [14:21]:

    "For me, parenting was a masterclass in courage—not one that I taught, but one where I was the student."
    —Marianne Buddy

Segment II: Eileen Collins — Breaking Barriers in the Cosmos

[16:50 – 36:34]

Key Discussion Points

• On Being in Space

  • Collins describes the physical sensations and joys (and annoyances) of living in microgravity.
  • Believes space tourism will boom if made affordable and safe.
  • Quote [18:23]:

    "The human experience of being in space is so wonderful... Space tourism will be huge."
    —Eileen Collins

• Early Challenges & Upbringing

  • Raised in Elmira, NY, she worked several jobs to afford flying lessons and relied on books for role models.
  • Emphasizes joy of flying, exploration, and perseverance.

• Being a Trailblazer in a Male-Dominated Field

  • First woman to pilot (1995) and command (1999) a space shuttle—immense scrutiny, few female role models, heavy burden of representation.
  • Quote [24:46]:

    "I did not want to make a mistake because I didn't want people to say, oh, look, the woman made a mistake. I was the first, and I was setting a precedent for how people would perceive women in the future."
    —Eileen Collins

• Preparation, Fear, and Focus

  • Intense training offset anxiety; pressure heightened by being the 'first.'
  • Mental rehearsal, discipline, and teamwork carry her through high-stakes moments.

• On Support Systems

  • Husband Pat Youngs, himself a pilot, provided partnership and practical support to balance careers and parenting.

• Spaceflight Dangers: Lessons from Disaster and Recovery

  • Discusses the impact of the Columbia disaster, the pressure of "return to flight," and the tense moments managing heat shield uncertainty.
  • Quote [28:06]:

    "In the return to flight mission, we did have this foam fall off... We had a plan in case we did have damage... We called it Safe Haven."
    —Eileen Collins

• International Cooperation: Shuttle–Mir Missions

  • Humanizes Russian cosmonauts, laments how geopolitics hampers cooperation. Current technical realities still necessitate US–Russian collaboration in space.
  • Quote [31:29]:

    "What I've learned is that they're just like us... We have so many similarities, more than we have differences."
    —Eileen Collins

• Gender Standards and Military Service

  • On current debates regarding "male standards" in combat, Collins recalls rejecting lower standards for women and advocating for true equality.
  • Quote [34:33]:

    "We as the women were like, you don't need to treat us any differently. We're tough. We're here because we love the mission."
    —Eileen Collins

Segment III: “The Alabama Solution” — Exposing Prison Abuse through Activism and Film

[37:44 – 52:38]

Key Discussion Points

• Documenting Systemic Abuse

  • Filmmakers Charlotte Kaufman and Andrew Jarecki describe the dire, overcrowded, under-resourced conditions of Alabama’s prisons, relying on contraband cell phone footage for unfiltered access.
  • Quote [38:19]:

    "The conditions are horrible inside Alabama's prison system, and they're deadly and they're brutal and they are upheld by a very corrupt administration."
    —Charlotte Kaufman

• Why Cell Phones, and What Do They Expose?

  • Officers themselves are implicated in trafficking drugs and phones; cell phone footage lays bare daily violence, lack of medical care, forced labor, and a deadly environment.
  • Quote [40:09]:

    "Officers are operating a very lucrative trade in drugs and cell phones."
    —Andrew Jarecki

• Case Study: Stephen Davis

  • Story of an inmate beaten to death (allegedly by an officer); state claims “use of deadly force was warranted” but filmmakers’ investigation—backed by multiple witnesses—portrays a cover-up of abuse.

• Inmate Activism: The Free Alabama Movement

  • Leaders like Robert Earl Council “Kinetic Justice” and Melvin Ray use smuggled phones to mobilize inmates, spark strikes, and share stories with the outside world.
  • Quote [44:01]:

    "They have understood that if they can reach the public, the public will be horrified by what's happening."
    —Charlotte Kaufman

• Forced Labor and Economic Interests

  • Inmates not only maintain prisons but also are sent out to work in state facilities and for corporations, despite not being considered safe for release—reflecting deep economic incentives.

• Systemic Evasion and Government Accountability

  • State authorities refuse to acknowledge widespread abuses, attempting to block the flow of information (“jammers”), rather than improve conditions.

• A National Problem

  • Secrecy, lack of accountability, and forced labor are not unique to Alabama—these systemic issues pervade American prisons.
  • Quote [51:22]:

    "Our film is also about what happens when a government is allowed to detain people... with little to no accountability."
    —Charlotte Kaufman

Memorable Quotes

• On Moral Courage

  "Courage isn't something that only brave people have, but that it's a lifelong journey of lessons and practice and efforts that we make large and small."
  —Marianne Buddy [02:32]

• On Setting Precedents

  "I did not want to make a mistake because I didn't want people to say, oh, look, the woman made a mistake."
  —Eileen Collins [24:46]

• On Systemic Injustice

  "How can a journalist go into a war zone but can't go into a prison in the United States of America?"
  —Anonymous Inmate/Prison Activist [39:32]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:15]: Bishop Marianne Buddy on adapting "We Can Be Brave" for children
• [06:11]: Replay of Bishop Buddy’s pulpit address to President Trump
• [09:56]: Buddy explains the "culture of contempt" in America
• [12:28]: Reflections on Pope Leo and King Charles III praying together
• [18:23]: Eileen Collins describes the experience of being in space
• [24:46]: Collins on first-woman pressure: “I did not want to make a mistake...”
• [28:06]: Collins on managing post-Columbia disaster missions, the “Safe Haven” plan
• [31:29]: Collins on U.S.–Russia space cooperation
• [34:33]: Collins challenges double standards for women in the military
• [38:19]: Charlotte Kaufman on Alabama prison conditions
• [39:32]: Inmate activist questions lack of press access to prisons
• [44:01]: On inmate activism and “The Free Alabama Movement”
• [51:22]: Kaufman: Broader implications for all of America’s prisons

Tone and Style

The episode intertwines gravity with hope, often alternating between concern for contemporary crises (societal polarization, institutional abuse) and the uplifting stories of those who face down fear and promote change. The speakers are eloquent, passionate, and direct, sharing personal anecdotes, institutional critiques, and appeals for empathy, accountability, and progress.

This summary provides a comprehensive map of the episode for listeners, highlighting major themes, critical moments, and the indelible voices who champion courage in today’s fraught environment.