Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sonya Pfeiffer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Sonya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

My first job out of school was as an overnight assistant on the International Desk at CNN in Atlanta. I got friendly with one of the foreign correspondents, Walter Rodgers. He became a friend and a mentor, and he gave me incredible advice: Hamlet, Act I Scene 3. It is the parting words from Polonius to Laertes, and those principles have become my life guide. I have the monologue framed at home and in my office. Walter had decades of experience and knew the many challenges I would face aiming to become a foreign correspondent. He also knew how timeless the Shakespearean words were.

Among the most important: “Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatch’d, unfledged comrade.”

I did not follow this advice when I made it to a top 25 market. I was an investigative reporter and got a great tip about a story that I thought the network would pick up. Rather than keep the information close to the vest, and close to those I trusted, I shared it with a new anchor who had recently come to the station from the network level. I thought he might help me get the story in front of a national audience. This would be the equivalent of “dulling my palm with entertainment” of a “new-hatch’d, unfledged comrade.” Sure enough, the anchor stole my story and next thing I knew he was on his way to the middle east to cover it.

And, of course: “This above all: to thine ownself be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” This advice is the same advice I give younger people who ask me about career choices, with a contemporary spin, of course. Know who you are and be true to who you are. Or, like I say to my kid, be your best self. You will always sleep well at night.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

In my first career as a television journalist, I learned no matter the size or geographic location of a community, the inequity facing communities of color in the United States is a constant, particularly when it comes to the criminal legal system. I won awards for reporting that exposed systemic hypocrisy, discrimination and disparate treatment. But after more than a decade of storytelling for several network affiliates, I went to law school to become a public defender. I recognized that the courtroom was a more powerful forum for storytelling on behalf of people who have been excluded and targeted since this country’s founding.

My legal work expanded from state to federal criminal defense work. I now litigate civil rights cases on behalf of the wrongfully convicted. As my practice grew, so did my understanding of how our legal system runs like a well-oiled machine of injustice. From charging decisions to sentencing, Black and Brown defendants are treated with a rough insensitivity that makes clear how law enforcement actors dehumanize criminal defendants generally, and defendants of color specifically.
It became clear to me that to create change within the criminal legal system, it was imperative to tell stories outside of that system. In 2017, I purchased a commercial art gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the aim of exhibiting excellence – both by the roster artists and through the programming that would accompany exhibitions – and using artwork as a vehicle for discussion around difficult societal issues, many centered on law and justice.

North Carolina is a state with a notorious history of violence towards Black Americans and resistance to integration, and boasts an economy built on free labor through slavery and sharecropping followed by decades of low-cost labor and policies rooted in discrimination. Against this backdrop, my gallery developed a mission and vision to uplift artists whom the traditional power brokers have attempted to keep at the margins and to create exhibitions that do not shy away from challenging topics but instead embrace the power of art to create change.

I have created more than a dozen exhibitions since 2017. Objective success came quickly with awards, an onslaught of artist submissions, and media attention from local, regional and national publications. This success is evidence that the gallery’s mission is possible, needed, and welcomed. The key has been our programming: panel discussions, documentary screenings, participatory performance art and unique artist-curated talks. We have reached audiences of all ages and all walks of life. The gallery has become known as a place where all are welcome, and all can learn from artwork and artists. We are now looking at ways to expand our audience and give our artists a broader platform.

From my legal work, I understand firsthand the harm the system exacts upon those charged with crimes. It impacts not only individuals, but their families and the broader community. I work within a system that was designed to preserve white supremacy and perpetuate stereotypes of “others” as dangerous criminals. In the art world, I have come to recognize that the same institutional obstacles and history of racism, sexism and xenophobia have been used to deny opportunities to and discount the talents of creatives who do not fit the historically privileged archetype. But I have also learned that artists are among the most brilliant forward-thinkers in society, and through their eyes and talents we can address pressing societal issues in a subtle yet powerful manner.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Circling back to the advice Polonius gave to Laertes, and Walter Rodgers brought to me: be true to who you are. That simple advice has guided all of my personal and career decisions. Others know who I am and what I stand for, others know I can be trusted to do what I say I will do, and others understand I will not compromise. These are core truths that have helped build my reputation as a professional – whether as a reporter, an attorney, a gallerist, or a mom.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Listen more, speak less. Think before acting. Lift people up.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pr-lawfirm.com  and eldergalleryclt.com
• Instagram: SonyaPfeiffer
• Linkedin: SonyaPfeiffer
• Twitter: PfeifferSonya

Image Credits
Jeff Cravotta, Cravotta photography (law firm photos)