Stephanie Flowers: Arkansas State Senator

For my podcast, I interviewed Arkansas State Senator Stephanie Flowers. In my interview we discussed upbringing, leadership style, policy initiatives, path to political success, and media attention. To begin, I chose Senator Flowers because she had been one of my political idols. In March of 2019, Flowers gave a passionate testimony (that went viral) refusing to stand down or be silenced when discussing a proposed stand your ground bill. Regardless of the political ramifications, Senator Flowers broke the speaking rules of the Arkansas State Legislature to ensure the protection of Black people—stating multiple times that the effect of ‘stand your ground’ laws disproportionately affecting Black people in Arkansas.
In terms of up bring and leadership style, Senator Flowers had nine siblings in total. Her father was a lawyer who was intimately involved in the civil rights movement, which inspired her to go into law and later politics. Flowers does not identify as a politician, but several times during the interview explained the need for politics to pass policy. Additionally, Flowers discussed the massive amount of positive feedback that she received from around the country after the public testimony.
From the interview (and what I touched in on at the end of the interview) I learned that no one path to success looks the same. Senator Flowers never expected to be a politician or be in the public eye. She wanted to be a lawyer, like her father and wanted to help her community. In doing so, Flowers has shown a love for her constituents, supporting them in any way she possibly can. Lastly, I wanted to touch on the importance of this last project. This was simply a perfect way to apply what we have learned in class to what is happening in today’s political landscape, specifically the perception and life of Black women. I was deeply touched by the conversation Senator Flowers and I had, and know that it will have a positive effect on me as a person for time to come.