Transcript[]
Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Mateo & Moby
On screen, a boy, Mateo, walks down a hallway as he reads a book. As he passes by a closed door, a sign on the door reading “Quiet! In Session”, three pops sound out from behind it. When the door opens, Mateo sees a robot, Moby, standing in front of a makeshift judge’s bench wearing a wig. Next to Moby, in the witness stand, is a giant squid and across from them is a goat. A couple of logic bots are holding up a book to the squid. All movement stops as Mateo stands in the doorway. Mateo walks out and closes the door behind him.
MATEO: Don’t ask if you don’t want to know; don’t ask if you don’t want to know.
In the animation, Moby suddenly appears next to Mateo.
MOBY: Beep!
Moby casually pulls a typed letter from his wig. Mateo starts to read from it.
MATEO: “Dear Mateo and Moby: Who is Sonia Sotomayor? From, Jessica.”
MATEO: Yeah, I’d much rather try to explain this.
In the image, a headshot of Sonia Sotomayor is shown. The screen then pulls out to show a group shot of all the Supreme Court judges.
MATEO: Sonia María Sotomayor is one of nine judges who sit on the Supreme Court.
In the animation, the screen is filled with white graphics of male heads with ties around their necks. The screen scrolls down to show a few heads in color and some wearing ribbon ties. Red circles are drawn over the three women heads, the last one representing Sonia Sotomayor.
MATEO: When she was sworn in, she was only the third woman--and the first Hispanic--to ever hold the job. That’s a big deal: The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. Its decisions affect the whole country, and can reshape our entire society.
In the animation, the screen splits in two. On the right side, a diverse group of students sit at their desk as they listen to their teacher. On the left, a police officer recites the Miranda right as he arrests a man.
MATEO: Like Brown v. Board of Education, which banned segregated schools. Or Miranda v. Arizona, which requires police to tell suspects their rights, like they can stay silent or request a lawyer.
On screen, three icons representing the three branches of government, the Supreme Court, Congress, and the White House, are shown. Two pieces of paper come out of the Congress and White House icons only to have them smashed by a gavel coming from the Supreme Court.
MATEO: Even laws passed by Congress or orders issued by the President can be struck down by the Court. Justices hold the job for life—but it wasn’t the first job Sotomayor had wanted.
MOBY: Beep?
In the image, a young Sonia Sotomayor, reads a book titled, “The Clue in The Diary.” The screen pulls out a little to show Sonia wearing a detective hat.
MATEO: In elementary school, Sotomayor wanted to be a police detective. She’d been inspired by the Nancy Drew books, about a mystery-solving teen.
The animation shows a thought bubble. In the bubble Nancy Drew sits in her blue car and waves to her father standing on the sidewalk.
MATEO: Nancy drove a blue roadster and counted on her father, a lawyer, for advice.
In the animation, the thought bubble disappears and is replaced by the image of young Sonia in her childhood home with her family. Her father is at the stove while her mother carries dishes to the sink. Sonia sits at the table with her little brother as she reads.
MATEO: Meanwhile, Sotomayor had been born to Puerto Rican parents in the Bronx, New York, in 1954. She lived in public housing with her mother and younger brother.
In the image, Sonia’s mother approaches her husband at the stove but he disappears just as she reaches him.
MATEO: Her father, who’d been addicted to alcohol, died when she was nine.
The screen shifts back to Sonia at the tab. She lifts the cookie jar next to her but it’s empty. She sets it down and starts thinking. The screen then shifts to her little brother, a circle focusing on his face. It then shifts to Sonia’s mother, a circle focusing on her face before focusing on the stains on her apron.
MATEO: But Sotomayor just knew she'd make a great detective. She was logical, good at following clues and solving puzzles. And she was capable—her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes had taught her that: She'd been sterilizing needles and giving herself a shot every day, since first grade.
MOBY: Beep!
MATEO: Well, there was a problem: Without good care, diabetics can get foggy, or even pass out.
In the animation, Sonia and her mother sit across from a doctor who is telling them about Sonia’s diabetes. The screen zooms in on Sonia frowning and looking down.
MATEO: Her doctor told her they weren’t allowed to be pilots, firefighters—or police detectives. The law is different now, but when she learned that, Sotomayor was crushed.
On screen, Sonia sits next to her brother as they watch a show on a black-and-white TV. The screen zooms in on the tv to show a man, Perry Mason, arguing his case in front of a courtroom.
MATEO: Luckily, she found new inspiration watching TV on Thursday nights: Perry Mason, a crusading lawyer who always proved his clients’ innocence.
The image changes and Perry is replaced with young Sonia. The screen then zooms in on the judge who also changes into young Sonia.
MATEO: If she couldn’t be a detective, Sotomayor decided, she’d be a lawyer. Or a judge--she could tell he was the one who made all the big decisions.
The screen zooms out again to show Sonia and her brother watching the TV as normal.
Judge from TV: Case dismissed!
MATEO: Now at the time, that was almost as impossible as becoming Nancy Drew!
In the animation, the graphics of male heads from earlier returns. This time there is only one blonde female head in the bunch. The screen zooms in on the blonde head as the other graphics fade away. A door appears in front of the head. A sign on the door reads, “Law Offices of Nope, Nope, & Nope. No Women Allowed.” The door then closes.
MATEO: Sure, there were a few trailblazers out there, but female lawyers still weren’t common. Or welcome: Most firms wouldn’t hire them, no matter how talented.
On screen, Sandra Day O’Connor stands proudly in her graduation robes and cap. A sash reading, “Top Student” appears on her. She then puts her hands on her hips, looking a little angry.
MATEO: Take Sandra Day O’Connor, a top law school grad in 1952. When she went looking for a job, she was offered one--as a secretary.
In the image, Sandra’s outfit changes to judges’ robes. She holds a gavel in her hand and is back to standing proudly.
MATEO: She went on to become the first woman on the Supreme Court. Lawyers of color were pretty rare, too, and if you were both
MOBY: Beep!
MATEO: Exactly—but as she grew up, Sotomayor got used to being the first.
In the animation, an adult Sotomayor stands in graduation robes and cap. She smiles as multiple diplomas appear in her hands. She then squints and puts her hand up to her eyes as if she’s looking for someone. She can’t see anyone and shrugs.
MATEO: Her father had only finished third grade, but she was her high school’s valedictorian. She was offered scholarships to the country’s top colleges, then law school. Both places, she was one of the few Latinos on campus.
The screen splits in two to show Sotomayor as a prosecutor addressing a courtroom and sitting at a desk in a big office with a view of the Empire State Building.
MATEO: She went on to a career as a big-city prosecutor, putting away criminals for the state. And then a corporate lawyer, representing companies and big brands.
In the image, several people mill around a street with several store fronts. On the sidewalk, a couple of guys stand at a stall selling a bunch of purses.
MATEO: She even got in some Nancy Drew-style adventure by tagging along on police raids: Once, the targets were counterfeiters who’d been copying her clients’ products.
Police sirens sound out and the men run off. Sotomayor and a policeman chase after them on a motorcycle.
MATEO: When they ran off, Sotomayor hopped on a motorcycle and gave chase! She became known as a hard worker with a nose for details and untangling complicated ideas.
In the animation, President George H.W. Bush stands next to Sotomayor, who is wearing judges’ robes.
MATEO: In 1992, President George H.W. Bush nominated her to a federal judge’s seat.
MOBY: Beep!
MATEO: Well, the United States has two court systems: state and federal.
On screen, Texas is shown. An icon for the scales of justice is on top of it.
MATEO: State courts deal with state laws, including most ordinary crimes and lawsuits.
The screen splits in three sections to show the Constitution, a map of the U.S. with some states in red and the scales of justice over them, and a circle with graphics representing the three branches of government.
MATEO: Federal courts were created by the Constitution. Their cases involve more than one state, or federal laws, or the government itself.
In the image, graphics of the White House and the Congress building are shown on screen. A speech bubble containing a picture of Sotomayor appears beneath them, coming out of the White House. A green check appears next to Sotomayor under Congress.
MATEO: Federal judges are nominated by the President, and confirmed by Congress.
In the animation, the circle containing a picture of Sotomayor is moved over a map of New York, with New York City highlighted in red. The screen then pulls out to show all of New York State highlighted in red. The screen pulls out even more to show the whole United States in red.
MATEO: Sotomayor became the youngest federal judge in her New York district. The first Hispanic federal judge in New York state, and the first puertorriqueña nationwide.
In the image, the map disappears to reveal Sotomayor sitting at the bench in a courtroom. She bangs a gavel on the desk and sports fans begin to wave flags and cheer.
MATEO: She issued tons of big rulings, like one ending a 232-day baseball strike in 1995. Sports fans said she’d “saved baseball”!
On screen, a branch of federal law officials appear, with the members of the supreme court on the top and federal judges, Sotomayor included, at the bottom. Sotomayor’s icon moves up one level.
MATEO: Later, she got bumped up to a court of appeals, which handles challenges to lower court decisions.
In the animation, Sotomayor stands next to President Obama.
MATEO: And in 2009, President Barack Obama nominated her to the Supreme Court.
MOBY: Beep!
MATEO: She had more court experience than any previous nominee. You’d think she’d be a shoo-in!
In the image, Sotomayor stands at a podium with the graphics of male heads behind her. As she speaks, some of the heads change to also represent women and people of color.
MATEO: Except: For years, Sotomayor had given speeches advocating for diversity on the bench. She thought judges’ backgrounds and experiences could affect how they saw the facts.
In the animation, a group of white male judges sit behind a courtroom bench.
MATEO: Like Plessy v. Ferguson, an 1896 Supreme Court decision that allowed segregation.
On screen, two identical water fountains are on a wall. One is labeled “White,” while the other is labeled “colored.” The fountain labeled “colored” changes from a nice marble fountain to a simple bucket of water.
MATEO: It ruled separate facilities for African-Americans were legal if they were “equal.” When anyone who’d ever used them knew that they were never equal.
In the animation, Justice O’Connor stands next to a collection of white head icons representing the Supreme Court. The screen shifts to the right to show Justice Sotomayor standing on the other side of the icons. The icons change to show a more diverse group of justices.
MATEO: Justice O’Connor had said that when it came to good decisions, any wise person—man or woman—would reach the same one. Sotomayor disagreed: Having a diverse bench would mean considering more perspectives, she said.
In the image, the icons move away and Justice O’Connor and Justice Sotomayor are left standing next to each other. Justice Sotomayor is smiling while Justice O’Connor doesn’t look pleased.
MATEO: And sometimes, a wise Latina’s experiences could lead her to better conclusions.
MOBY: Beep!
MATEO: Yeah, during her confirmation, it became a whole thing.
On screen, a radio show anchor speaks into a microphone. An American flag is used as a backdrop.
MATEO: Some commentators—and members of Congress—called her racist.
In the animation, a clipboard has a list of senators clipped on it. The first two are crossed out in red. A hand reaches up and crosses off the third.
MATEO: But Sotomayor stayed calm, visiting dozens of Senators individually to explain her thinking.
On screen, Sotomayor sits at her confirmation hearings.
MATEO: She also clarified, saying no "ethnic, racial, or gender group has an advantage in sound judgment."
In the image, Sotomayor stands at her confirmation ceremony, hand on the Bible.
MATEO: In August 2009, she was overwhelmingly confirmed as the Supreme Court’s 111th justice. Since then, Sotomayor has been unusually vocal, both off and on the bench.
The screen splits in three sections to show Justice Sotomayor throwing a baseball, a collection of the books she’s written, and at a podium addressing the crowd.
MATEO: Supremes are usually pretty private, but she’s tossed out baseballs, written bestsellers, and done countless appearances.
In the animation, Justice Sotomayor sits at the bench taking notes.
MATEO: On the job, she stands out for asking lots of questions, and writing lots of dissenting opinions.
The screen is gradually covered with pieces of paper with “Dissent” written on the top.
MATEO: Judges don’t have to write dissents: They choose to, when they disagree with a ruling and want to say why. And sometimes dissents guide the way for reform later--which happened with Plessy.
The animation returns to Moby and Mateo in the hallway.
MATEO: Speaking of dissents, I’ll bite: What was that about?
MOBY: Beep!
On screen, the door opens and a squid tentacle comes out to rest on Moby’s shoulder.
MATEO: I knew I didn’t want to know!