And who by his own account didnt find his way until his late teens. He writes about that and balanced governing being a Husband And Dad in his recently published book a Promise Land. We dropped in on the former president in chicago visiting a High School to talk about their lives and the challenges they face. Are you going back to Community Organizing . You know, probably im a Little Too Gray Haired and old to be going door to door like i used to be and plus, Secret Service follows me around so im disruptive. I am going back to what inspired me to get into public life. One of the things that inspires former President Barack Obama these days are meetings like this one. Hey, people. Hey, hey. Its called a Bam Circle, Bam Stands for becoming a man. A program started in chicago in 2001 to Mentor And Support boys and young men. How is everybody doing . The idea is to create a place for them to safely and honestly share struggles and successes, issues at home, in school or on The Streets. President obama first joined a Bam Circle back in 2013. Thats when he met High School students james adams, daniels and christian champagne. Today, in the same classroom they sat in eight years ago at the high Park Park accused me, High School on the South Side of the chicago, mr. Obama is catching up with them again. James and lazeruos is 25. Christian is 25. He said talking with the president back then was Life Changing. So crazy. That first period that i went to class, it was like im fixing to meet the president on my lunch. That was the most unconceivable thing you could possibly think of, and then my heart was like racing like when we was just sitting down and he walked in like it changed the trajectory of my life dramatically. That meeting had a big impact on President Obama, as well. One of the things that led him to launch an initiative called my Brothers Keeper which announced at the White House in 2014. Christian, lazerous and james were there. That was your first time in d. C. My first Plane Ride and that was really my first time being out of my neighborhood. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Christian champagne was 18 years old at the time. He sad down with us and shared his story and to my surprise, he was just like me growing up without a father and sometimes not too concerned with school. [ laughter ] okay. Thats pretty nice that this is a black president grew up without a father. Some of the guys grew up without a father is relatable. Its not just he had it made from jump and hes a president. Its i can relate to him. Mr. Obama has been candid about the struggles of his youth and hopes sharing his story will inspire other kids to believe they, too, can establish great things. I made bad choices. I got high without always thinking about the harm it could do. You say you were a lackadaisical student of limited talent and dedicated partier. No Student Government for me, Eagle Scouts or interning at the congressmans office. I have to be careful not to over state. I was not, you know, going around, you know, beating kids up. I get it. And, you know, setting things on fire but i understood what it meant to not have a father in the house. I understood what it meant to be in an environment in which you were an outsider. In hawaii, one difference between me and these young men was there werent a lot of black people generally at the time, and you also were growing up before that in indonesia as an outsider. Also an outsider in indonesia. So there was mixed in with the teenage hormones and just the usual stuff that teens go through that sense of whats my place . And how do i raise myself to be a man . And what does that entail . Responsibilities are there . What obligations do i have . When i try to record in the book is the sense in which in part the values that my mother and grandparents instilled in me, even if i wasnt always following them when i was a Teenager Led me to the realization around 20, a little later than some of these guys that to be a full grown man meant not acting out, not beiin cynical but taking on responsibilities not just for yourself but the world around you. Helping boys and young men become full grown men is what bam is all about and the Obama Foundation supports Bam Programs in several cities through the my Brothers Keeper alliance. Do you think you would have benefitted from having this as a teenager . Im sure i could have. When we came here, three of the guys here were still in school at the time and we had a chance to have a Conversation And Part of what i shared with them was and i think this surprised some of the guys was my Life Wasnt that different than yours. I wasnt that different from you. The main difference was i was growing up in a gentler environment. In hawaii. In hawaii. So, you know, the violence and drugs and some of the issues that the guys were dealing with day to day were different. But the mistakes i made, the struggles i was going through were similar, and i think that it would have been useful for me at that time to have just a circle in which you can talk and i think that, you know, one of the things we all learned from a pandemic is that human connection matters. That were not all by ourselves and we dont accomplish most of the things we accomplish by ourselves. It requires a community. And i think particularly for boys and men of color, many of whom grow up without fathers but many of whom also live in relative isolation where the communities because of safety issues or economic issues folks dont have as many resources around them it becomes that much more critical to be able to have someplace where you can come and just say listen, im struggling with this or, you know, im confused about that or, you know, these are the kinds of pressures im dealing with and have somebody who either is their Peer Or Somebody older that can say yeah, man, Thats Something i went through, also. Im struggling with this, too. This is something im confused about and being able to talk it through. President obama says he found his Purpose And Ambition in life through community service, and eventually a career in politics becoming a father to daughter sasha and malia gave him the chance to be the father he never had. James and lazerous are fathers now as well. We were talking before, the three of you guys were in the program. You were in the school. Now you guys have moved on. Two of you are now fathers. Yes, sir. And both of you have daughters. Yes, proud. So, you know, anderson here, hes a new father. How old is wyatt now . Just turned 1. Just turned 1. So hes still in diaper changing mode. Other than changing diapers, how is that changed your perspective and how do you think about it because look, meeting the president. Thats cool. But its not Life Changing in the same way that being a parent is. Before having a daughter, like, i was able to make stupid decisions, but now that i have a daughter, i have to think about her. I have to think about her mother, her sister because now im the man of the house, and everything that i do is pretty much revolved around her. So i want to be that father thats always there. I want to be the one that you come home from school to that brightens up your day. Anything you need, you can always come to me. I didnt have that growing up. I didnt have a father. It was one point in time i didnt see my father for, like, ten years so i want to be there for her for everything. Fantastic. How about you . Being a father is amazing to me. My Baby Girl got a great big smile, full of energy, full of life, full of joy. I was fortunate to have my Father And Mother together. One Thing Bam helped me out with is being able to speak on things because i wasnt able to talk to my father because he was strictly business. He was old school. Old school all the way. I didnt understand that. I just wanted to talk to him and let him know i need to talk to you. I seen so much that my dad didnt even know i saw. I think i was, like, 7 when a grown man shot at me. You know what im saying . So much that you see daily, so much that you see daily nonstop that you, as a man, not supposed to feel. So with my daughter and my future children, im going to have a lot of children [ laughter ] im going to make sure the money is right to take care of all of that. You better also check with mama. She has something to do with it. Sure. Im going to definitely implement communication with my daughter, being able to open up and tell me how she feel. Bam counselors often act not only as mentors but also father figures to the young men in their group. They check in on their grades, their health, their safety. Christian champagne says President Obama checked in on him over the years since they met more than his own father has. Whats going on, man . You all right . Yeah . Things going all right . Finish strong like you were supposed to . Yeah, i do. I know experience, excellence is possible and i need to strive for that. Although, sports are important to me, i focus on my gpa and will get it back to a 3. 8. [ applause ] what has your life been like since that meeting . You went to morehouse . Yeah, i went to morehouse, well, for like a semester and then i realized i couldnt pay for it so i had to come back home and start over and go to western, work through that, got a Couple Internships and landed a job thats a Career Job now but before i wasnt even really thinking about going to college to be honest because i was always worried about can i pay for it . Would i be accepted . You know. I think after the first visit you may hear, i worked a little harder on my grades. You know, i stopped playing around. I was like maybe i could do something else. Maybe i could go to college. When you sit in a circle like that, you know, the obstacles these kids are facing and able to overcome is really extrao extraordinary. Yeah, you know, the first time i sat down with these guys, the mosT Important thing for me to communicate at that time and i was the president of the united states was you guys in many ways are ahead of me of where i was at your age. I just had certain advantages you guys dont. I could make a Mistake And Land on my feet. But even christian is 25. His single mom i think you have five or sixth brothers and sisters, family of six. You know, he got into morehouse, had to drop out because of money. Went to another school, had to drop out because he got ill. Now hes working hoping to go back to school. Its not a question of not working hard enough or, you know, being motivated enough. And that is where sort oF For me, my personal Journey Enter seconded with this broader question of how are we setting up a society so young men like that can succeed or not succeed and thats what led me to the outside of chicago. Thats what led me to be an organizer is that sense that look, when i walk down The Street of the South Side of chicago, i see young people and they look and remind me of me or michelle and a combination of circumstance allowed us to succeed, but these kids are just as talented. They just as smart. They could achieve just as much if weve got an education system, a social safety net, job opportunities that expose them and give them a chance and, you know, i think that the single mosT Important thing i learned as an organizer here in chicago was that, you know, the line between Success Or Failure in this society so often is indicated not by anybodys inherent merits but the circumstances theyre in. That doesnt mean they dont have individual responsibility. These young men you recognize i have to work hard and do my part but it also means we as a society continue to fail them. Also, how stacked the deck is against so many people in our society from even before they are born. Yes. I heard i was reading the speech you gave awhile back, a figure i never heard before by the age of 3 if you grew up in a low income family, you heard 30 Million fewer words than a well ofF Family. Which means by the time you show up in first grade, youre already significantly behind. The good news is it turns out as youre learning as a parent, kids are amazingly resilient and they can catch up, but it also means that we have to make investments to ensure they catch up. The other thing, i mean, i leave that M Rroom thinking how many other kids arent in that room . One of the things we really liked about this program becoming a man was they didnt focus on the superstar, right . That they deliberately target not the kids who are either in the most trouble or are either most successful in defying the odds but the kids who are right there sort of in the middle that can tip in either direction that if they get an encouraging adult, if they are able to as lazerous was expressing, if they can find words to tell their story and talk out, they can succeed and Thats Part of what i think made this conversation wonderful is yeah, these kids arent like sort of one in a million. This is what you just heard was young black men all across this country. Thats who they are. Its not the stereo type. These are not prod gees no, no. If we have a society thats afraid of them, we need to listen and hear them because theyre no different than you or i in so many ways except for the opportunities they have or dont have. Mr. Obama will be writing another book about his final years in the White House and what happened after, but in a Promise Land the president writes about the beginnings of the changes he witnessed in the Republican Party when John Mccain selected Sarah Palin to his running mate. Dark spirits lurking on the Republican Party coming center stage. Did u you ever think it would g this dark . Incomparable design makes it beautiful. State of the Art Technology makes it brilliant. The visionary lexus nx. Lease the 2021 Nx 300 for 359 a month for 36 months. Experience amazing at your lexus dealer. Introducing Aleve X. 359 a month for 36 months. Its fast, powerful longlasting relief with a revolutionary, rollerball design. Because with the right pain reliever. Life opens up. Aleve it, and see whats possible. If you have this. Consider adding this. An Aarp Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan from unitedhealthcare. Medicare supplement plans help by paying some of what medicare doesnt. And let you see any doctor. Any specialist. Anywhere in the u. S. Who accepts medicare patients. So if you have this. Consider adding this. Call Unitedhealthcare Today for your free decision guide. I booked our hotel on kayak. Its flexible if we need to cancel. Cancel. I havent left the house in a year. Nothing will stop me from vacation. No canceling. Flexible cancellation. Kayak. Search one and done. When youre born and raised in San Francisco, you grow up wanting to make a difference. Flexible cancellation. Thats why, at recology, were proud to be 100 employee owned with local workers as diverse as San Francisco. We built the citys Recycling System from the ground up, helping to make San Francisco the greenest Big City In America but we couldnt do it without you. Thank you, San Francisco. Gracias, San Francisco. Thank you. [ speaks native language ] lets keep Making A Differene together. Its been more than four years since the obamas left the White House and a moment the president describes as bittersweet in his book. Hello, everybody. Partly because they were leaving and partly because of what he thought might happen to the country. You wrote about president and dark spirits and had long been lurking on the edge of the Republican Party coming center stage. Did you ever thing it would get this dark . No, i thought there were Guard Rails institutionally after trump was elected that you would have the socalled republican establishment who would say okay, you know, its a problem if the white House Isnt doesnt seem to be concerned about russian meddling or its a problem if we have a president who is saying that, you know, Neonazis Marching in charlottesville, there are good people on both sides. Thats a little beyond the pail. And the degree to which we did not see that republican establishment say hold on timeout, thats not acceptable. Thats not who we are but bec cowed into accepting it and January 6th what originally was dont worry, this isnt going anywhere, were just letting trump and others vent and then suddenly you now have large portions overf an elected congr going along with the falsehood that there were problems with the election. And the leadership of the Gop Briefly for, you know, one night when they still had this sort of scent oF Fear in them going against the president then poof. Suddenly, everybody was back in line. What the reason for that is because the base believed it. The base believed it because this had been told to them not just by the president but by the media that they watch and nobody stood up and said stop. This is enough. This is not true. I wont say nobody, let me correct it. There were some very brave people who did their jobs like the Secretary Of State in georgia who was then viciously attacked for it and all these congressman said you know what . Ill lose my job. Ill get voted out of office. Another way of saying this is i didnt expect that there would be so few people who would say well, i dont mind losing my office because this is too important. America is too important. Some things are more important our democracy is more important. We didnt see that. Now, you know, im still the Hope And Change guy and so my hope is that the tides will turn but that does require each of us to understand that this experiment in democracy is not selfe selfexecuting. It doesnt happen automatically. These values and trues we hold selfevident, this is important. Were going to sacrifice for it and stand up for it even when its not politically convenient. You write we need to explain to Each Other who we are and where were going. As somebody who has dedicated myself to Story Telling that resonates with me. Are we as a country still willing to listen to Each Others stories . This is the biggest challenge we have is that we dont have the kinds of shared stories we used to. There has always been a division along race. We have 400 years of whites and blacks not being able to have Share Kpd experiences because O Slavery and Seg Raregation and forth but within the community, the stories of kids growing up in manhattan and the stories of kidding grows up in abilene, texas and the stories of the kid who is growing up in montana, those stories no longer meet partly because of the segment, the siloing of the media, the internet, entertainment. We occupy different worlds and it becomes that much more difficult for us to hear Each Other, see Each Other. The thing i learned first as an organizer and elected official as a politician was when you start hearing peoples stories, you always find a thread of your own story in somebody else. And the minute that recognition happens, thats the basis for a community. It seems like something has changed so that its become so extreme that were not even allowing ourselves to get into a position where we can see that commonality. I heard in the past you talk about when you were starting out in politics, you go to Southern Illinois to conservative districts. They gave me a hearing. Yeah. I think thats changed. Part of it is the nationalization of media, the nationalization of politics. The fact is that you used to va will the of local newspapers and tv stations. People werent having highly ideological debates but focused on what is happening day to Day And Part of it is the structure of the economy and community. It used to be a High School, the average High School in america, the average public High School, you would have the Bankers Kid and Janitors Kid in the same school and they would interact and their parents would be going to the same Football Game and would have to know Each Other and if it turned out there was a talented kid of a janitor who also happened to be on the football team, the Banker President might say hey, why dont you come work at the bank here because he knew that person. Now, we have more economic strike that Fa Stratification a you have the media, not just Walter Cronkite but 1,000 different venues. That contributed to the sense that we dont have anything in common so so much work is going to have to involve not just policy but its also how do we create institutions and occasions in which we can come together and have a conversation . No Promise Land you ceda Moc Say Democracy seems to be teetering. The Big Lie pushed by not only the former president but republicans in congress. Are we still just teetering on the brink or in crisis . Well, i think we have to worry when one of our major Political Parties is willing to embrace a way of thinking about our democracy that would be unrecognizable and unacceptable five years ago or a decade ago. When you look at some of the laws that are being passed at the state legislative level where legislators are basically saying were going to take away the certification of E Lection processes from civil servants, secretaries of state, people counting ballots and put it in the hands of partisan legislators that may or may not decide that a state electoral vote should go to one person or another and when thats all done against the backdrop of large numbers of republicans having been convinced wrongly that there was something fishy about the last election, we have a problem and this is part of the reason why i think the conversation about Voting Rights at a national level is important. This is why i think conversations about some of the institutional structural barriers to democracy like the elimination of the filibusterbaT Important for us to figure out how do we start once again being able to tell a common story where this goes. That is not just the job of politicians but elected officials have an im to T Impo role. Thats where the media has to play an important role and companies have to play an important role. All of us as citizens have to recognize that the path forward will not happen in one bang but a series of steps. You look at hungry and poland, that obviously did not have the same traditions democratic traditions they did. They werent as deeply rooted and yet as recently as ten years ago, were functioning democracies and now essentially have become democracies always die in a military coup. Democracy dies at the ballot box. Thats exactly right. Vladimir putin gets elected with the majority of election voters. None of us claim thats the democracy we want. You write about getting exposed to other Peoples Truth and thats how attitudes change. What happens when the only truth that people are willing to expose themselves to is their own . Yeah. Well, look, this is part of the challenge. It part of the challenge for social media. I think there is a lot of conversation about how we are able now to just filter out anything that contradicts our bias, prejudices and predispositions. It not semimeymmetrical. The truth is on what are at least the right would consider liberal media like cnn, you know, you guys will still take democrats to task for things. I think democrats lord knows when i was president i was getting a lot of incoming from my own base and so, you know, its not semimet trickle but what is true for all of us there is a great danger that we just Shutout Anything that contradicts our own sense of righteousness in these big debates. Not only that and we demonize the other side and so that is going to require steady effort. It probably is not going to be done at the federal level. Its probably going to involve communities finding ways to rebuilt that sense of neighborliness working together conversations, you know, one of the things that having been out of office for awhile ive gone back to thinking about is how can we do more work to rebuild communities to rebuild local media to rebuild local conversations because thats where i think there is still the most hope. Disburse the area immediate. It was during tPresident Obamas eight years in the White House he began saying his name E Eric garner and michael brown, a Neighborhood Watch Volunteer when martin was 17 years old. And Trayvon Martin was shot, i said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is tra Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. President obama was both praised and criticized for that statement one of several reminders for The First Black American president that how and when he discussed race was something he and his advisors had to think carefully about. In his book he writes that early on in his president ial campaign his advisors warned him about being boxed in as quote the black candidate. Looking back as president , did you tell the story of race in america enough do you think . Yeah, well, look, i tried. I think i told a lot of stories. You take a look at the speeches i gave in selma and the speech i gave during the campaign about Reverend Wright and that episode and each and every time i tried to describe why it is that we are still not fully reconciled with our history but the fact is that it is a hard thing to hear. Its hard for the majority in this country of White Americans to recognize that look, you can be proud of this country and its traditions and history and our F F forfathers and yet, its also true that this terrible stuff happened and that, you know, that lingers and continues and the truth is when i tried to tell that story, often times my political opponents would deliberately not only block out that story but try to exploit it for their own political gain. I tell the story in the book about the situation where skip gates a Harvard Professor who is trying to get into his own house gets arrested and im asked about it. I dont know not having been there and not seeing all the facts what Role Race played in that but i think its fair to say number one, any of us would be pretty angry. Number two, that the Cambridge Police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof they were in their own home. And not only did that cause a firestorm as you will recall, you were already in the press at that time, but subsequent polling showed that my support among white voters brought more per si per sip thats extraordinary. Gives a sense to the degree which these things are still, you know, theyre deep in us and, you know, sometimes unconscious but i also think that right wing that monetize and capitalize on stoking the Fear And Resentment of a white population that is witnessing a changing america and seeing demographic changes and do everything they can to give people a sense that their way of life is threatened and that people are trying to take advantage of them and were seeing it right now where you would think with all the Public Policy debates that are taking place right now that the Republican Party would be engaged in a significant debate about how are we going to deal with the economy and what are we going to do about Climate Change and what are we going to do about low and behold the single mosT Important issue to them apparently right now is critical lace theory. Who knew that was the threat to our republic . But those debates are powerful because they get at what story do we tell about ourselves . Are you prepared to take the oath, senator . I am. The president who campaigned on Hope And Change sees the continued potential for the change in the next generation. Which includes his own daughters. They came to the White House as children but Sasha Obama is 19 years old now and a student at the university of michigan. Malia is 22 and is at harvard. While his daughters still keep a low public profile, mr. Obama says they took part in the black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd was killed in minneapolis. Im wondering if as a parent you were worried about them doing so and as somebody who has had daughters who were taking part in that, what do you make of those who are now saying the black Lives Matter protesters are e kquating them with the people that attacked the capitol . My daughters are so much wiser and more sophisticated and gifted than i was at their age that, you know, i always worry about their physical safety. Thats just the nature oF Fatherhood. You will discover it when wyatt stops just being iming immobil your house and starts moving around and driving cars i wont allow that. Youre terrified all the time. In terms of them having a good sense of what is right and wrong and their Part And Role to play in making the country better, i dont worry about that. They have both a clear sense of that i see in this generation that what you and i might have tolerated as that is sort of how things are, their attitude is why . Lets change it. Thats among not just my daughters but their white friends. There is a sense of well, of course it not acceptable for a criminal Justice System to be tainted by racism. Of course you cant discriminate against somebody because of their sexual orientation. There are things they take for granted i want them to take for granted but i find interesting is they are also being strategic about how to engage the system and change it. Theyre not just interested in making noise but what works and at least in conversations with my daughter, i think that a lot of the dangers of cancel culture and were just going to be condemning people all the time, at least around my daughters they will acknowledge sometimes among their Peer Group or in College Campuses youll see folks going overboard but they have a pretty good sense of look, we dont want we dont expect everybody to be perfect. We dont expect everybody to be politically correct all the time but we are going to call out institutions or individuals if they are being cruel if they are, you know, discriminating against people, we do want to raise awareness. A great source of my optimism, you know, when people talk about what kind of how do i think about my legacy, part of it is the kids raised during my years of president , there are basic assumptions they make what the country can and should be that i think are still sticking. They still believe it. And theyre willing to work for it. Hands up dont shoot no justice, no peace the black Lives Matter movement brought national attention to police reform, these young men in the Bam Program feel Fear And Distrust of the Police And Fear of Gun Violence on The Streets. Here in chicago this year let face it has been an increase in violence. You know, when we met last time, obviously on the South Side, West Side of chicago there had been Gun Violence for awhile, Gang Activity for awhile. Weve seen an uptick in it and also had to process the fact that the relationship between Police And Mcommunity is not wht we want it to be and so often young black men, you know, experience police not as a positive force to protect but as somebody who is going to see you as a Suspect Or Somebody to be feared. How has that played out for you guys both while youre still in school but also now that youre working . Police in chicago for awhile i was driving lyft. Come home week ends and drive lyft and i was getting pulled over like crazy. Almost every night i was getting pulled over. But the first question they ask and i asked how are you doing, officer . How is it going . The first question any drugs or weapons in the car . Granted im a big black guy, you know, with locks and first thing they see just suspicious but as i was telling the guys, i got to make it home to my family. I cant be another case where some officer have his knee on my neck choking me out. So my biggest think is making it back home regardless. Anything thats going on outside, you know, i love my family. I love my baby more and thats a feeling that you dont feel, mr. Cooper, look get home even when your eyes feel like they are about to pop out, you get home to your baby and that joy and that feeling that you get from that baby, its amazing. It be your little spark of energy. I love the baby smell. I want to bury my face before a diaper change, right . Thats mostly important to me, making it home regardless of the police. They dont know me from a can of paint. How about you guys . Two of the participants in this Bam Circle are in thirteens. Norman is 14 and wants to become a visual artist. Mccarthy is 15 and dreams of being an Actor Or Dancer and say they feel like they risk their lives every time they leave their homes. What do you think about being in school . Is this something you have to worry about . Police just shootings, violence, you know, generally is that something that you think about or something that is not your primary distraction . Well, me, personally, i love like going outside. I love, like, interactions with people and but its like in the neighborhood i live in its very hard to do that. Every night before i go to bed, is it a gunshot im hearing . Is It Fireworks . Also like i love to wear i like wearing hoodies. So its like when i walk down The Street is somebody going to target me . Do they think im up to no good . Thats how i see it. I walk past a Police Car they might mistake me for doing something wrong or going somewhere that i have no business going. Right. James, you worried about this a lot when you were in High School. What about now . Yeah, High School i actually used to have to map out my Bus Route and i actually used to have to wear a Bulletproof Vest so i would wear the vest to school. Once i get here, ill hand the vest over to Principal Ross and after school, put the Vest Back on. Navigate through all the Gang Infested Areas back home to where i felt safe. What have you been saying are you still on 70 . Im no longer in inglewood. Im no marquette park. Thats not park. I dont go to certain gas stations. I dont go to certain restaurants, and i also bought another vest. Its still the same thing. Its not over with just because im out of school. Right. Obviously as a father, it makes you that much more stressed. Yes, yes. As far as shootings, the vest may protect me from that. But encounters with police, whats going free Throw Tech me from that . Whats going to stop me from going to jail, even if i didnt do anything . Right. So you feel like youre getting it from both sides . Yeah. Youre fighting two gangs. You have the Street Gangs and you have the chicago police. Growing up, i mean, being like my age now, you just become so desensitized to it. Its like routine. Overpolicing, gangs, just try to stay out of the way mostly. I dont drive because i get anxiety, right. Because its like i dont i dont want to be another Hash Tag essentially. I want to live my life out until i become at least 80 or something. Not unreasonable. Well, christian says he wants to live until he is 80 years old, james never thought hed make it to be 26 because of all the violence in the neighbor where he grew up. All three young men have had their struggles over the years, and theyre now building lives for themselves and their families. You have a sense of whats going on in the neighborhoods. How do you think we can be most helpful to you guys . Okay, imagine this. Your mover, rob, hes on the scene and needs a plan with a mobile hotspot. We cut to downtown, your Sales Rep Lisa has to send some files, asap so basically i can pick the right plan for each employee. Yeah i shouldve just led with that. With at t business. You can pick the best plan for each employee and only pay for the features they need. Theres a lot of talk about getting back to the way things were. But what does that mean . Does it mean getting back out here to feed the world . Is it about getting back to this commute . This community . Or this ingenuity . For folks who run with us, there is no going back. Because theyve never stopped working towards a better tomorrow. Together, we run forward. [sfx thunder rumbles] [sfx rainstorm] comfort in the extreme. The Lincoln Family of Limu Emu doug oh are you using liberty Mutuals Coverage Customizer tool . Sorry . Well, since you asked. It finds discounts and policy recommendations, so you only pay for what you need. Limu, youre an animal whos got the Bird Legs now . Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Across The Street from the Hyde Park Academy on the South Side of chicago where we met with the former president is jackson park. This is the Future Site for the Obama President ial center, which will break ground later this year. Theres hope that the sprawling campus will revitalize this neighborhood where Michelle Obama was raised and where Barack Obama started his career. Right across The Street, were going to be building the president ial center. A lot of our focus is going to be programing for the young people in the community, boys and girls, young men and the young women. And given that you guys have all gone through this program, youre in the middle of going through it, youve seen some things. You have a sense of whats going on in the neighborhoods. How do you think we can be most helpful to you guys . What are the things that you think would be most helpful in young people being able to navigate their own lives, be successful in school, have a positive future, be confident that they can get to 80 . Give me some sense of what are some gaps that we could fill or some things that are working that we need to build back up . For me, i feel like having someone to communicate or to run to when i having to worried about getting injured or shot. So just having a safe space where you can have conversations, interact with peers. Yes. Talk things out, learn. Maybe learn from people who are a little bit older than you, have different experiences, get exposed to different things. Yes. I believe it should be more opportunities, like more internships, more variety of things to do in our communities. Because hoop or play ball or play football. To trail on to that, i do agree. I feel like there should be more sponsorships and more things within the schools such as like after School Program to keep the kids from off The Streets, or things that they want to do like not everybody wants to fight all the time. People want to express theirselves with art. Like christian said, he got motivated when he saw you. Other neighborhoods, they see people like that all the time. Successful people. All the time. We need people to come into the community. He like art. We need successful that does Visual Arts in front of him, you know. So im saying things like that. People thats my age that never tied a tie in their life, but you go into more gifted communities, you learn how to tie a they know the difference oF Forks for Food And Salad fork, the soup spoon. I didnt learn that until i got to the White House. Right. Thats when i learned it. Visit with you. Remember that . We ate sandwich. I gave you the tip. You do this. And thats the bread and the drink. The b and the d. Thats how i remembered that v so i wasnt eating somebody elses bred and drinking somebody elses drink. Being able to see things positive in front of them, not just the bad, where they can come here, not just a boxing ring, where they can come and let some anger off, do some pushups. Its not everything. Hes not even into that. So we got to put in front of young people that are successful in their field. Thats a great idea. Great thinking. Hearing Each Others stories, seeing Each Other as we are may not be a simple thing, but for President Obama, it is a crucial step to bring this country back from the brink. Im proud you have guys. Great to see you. Proud of you. All right. I like what youre saying about your daughter. I think its right. Good luck, man. Good to see you guys. If we are meeting Facetoface And Hearing Each Others stories, we can bridge our divides. And the question now becomes how do we create those venues, those meeting places for people to do that . Because right now we dont have them. And were seeing the consequences of that. Im chris cuomo, and welcome to prime time. President obama sound an alarm for us as a country tonight, and specifically, an alarm for his democratic party. Is the fate of the democrats really in the hands of one man . No, not president biden, joe manchin, senator from Ruby Red West virginia. He does appear to be the key 50th Vote in the senate, and he has struck a position