Leadership and legacy. After leaving the White House, President Obama mostly stayed out of politics. Though, last year, he did campaign for president biden. The former president , and Formerfirst Lady have signed Production Deals with netflix. They both started podcasts, and mr. Obama has continued his work with the program he launched, while he was in the White House called my Brothers Keeper. Its now part of the Obama Foundation. Its mission is to provide support for what it calls pathways of opportunity to young men of color. Its a deeply personal mission, for President Obama, who grew up hardly knowing his own father. And who, by his own account, didnt find his way until his late teens. He writes about this, as well as how he balanced governing with being a Husband And Dad in his recentlypublished book a Promise Land. We dropped in a High School where he was visiting with a young men who had been part of my Brothers Keeper to talk about their lives and the challenges they face. Are you going back to Community Organizing . Well, you know, i probably, im a little too grayhaired and old to be going Door To door, like i used to be. And plus, secret service, still, follows me around so im pretty disruptive. But i am going back to what inspired me to to get into publiC Life. One of the things that inspires formerpresident Barack Obama, these days, are meetings like this one. Hey, people. Hey, hey. Reporter its called a Bam Circle. Bam stands for becoming a man. A program that 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 their 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, lazerus daniels, and christian champagne. Today, in the same classroom, they sat in eight years ago, at the Hyde Park Academy, High School on the South Side of chicago, mr. Obama is catching up with them, again. James and lazerus are now 26. Christian is 25. He says talking with the president , back then, was lifechanging. It was so crazy. That first period that i went to class. It was like, im fitting to meet the president on my lunch. Like, that was the most in unconceivable thing that you could possibly think of. And then, like, my heart was, like, racing. Like, when we was just sitting down, he just walked in. It was just like im forever grateful. And 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 he announced at the White House, 2014. Christian, lazerus, and james were there. James, that was your first Time Out of chicago, is that right . Yeah. So that was 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 sat 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. Like, okay, that is 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, ah, 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. He hopes sharing his story will inspire other kids to believe they, too, can accomplish great things. I made bad choices. I got high, without always thinking about the harm that it could do. You say you were a lackadaisical student, and an incessantdedicated partier. No Student Government for me, no Eagle Scouts or interning at the local congressmans office. No, look. I i was i i have to be i have to be careful not to overstate. I 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, um, be in an environment, in which you were an outsider. You know, one difference between me and these young men were there werent a lot of black people, generally, at the time. And you also were growing up before that in indonesia as an outsider. And i am also an outsider in indonesia. And so, there was, mixed in with the teenage hormones and just, you know, the usual stuff that teens go through, that Sense Of whats my place . And and how do i raise myself to be a man . And what does that entail . What responsibilities are there . What obligations do i have . And, you know, what i try to record in the book is the sense, in which, in part, the values that my mother and my grandparents had instilled in me. Even if i wasnt always following them, when i was a teenager. Led me to the realization, around 20, little later than some of these guys. That, to be a fullgrown man, meant not acting out. Not being cynical. But taking on some responsibilities. Not just for yourself but, also, for the world around you. Helping boys and young men become fullgrown men is what bam is all act. 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. I you know, when when we came here, three of the guys here, you know, were still in school, at the time. And 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. Right, in hawaii. So, it you know, the violence and drugs and 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 and i think that, you know, one of the things we all learned from the pandemic was that human connection matters. That were not, all, by ourselves. And we dont accomplish most of the things we accomplish by ourselves. You know, it it requires a community. And i think, particularly for boys and young 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 and have Somebody Who, either, is their Peer Or Somebody older, who can say, yeah, man. Thats something that i went through, also. You know . Im struggling with this, too. You know, this is something im confused about. And then, 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 Daughters Sasha and malia gave him the chance to be the kind of father he never had. James and lazarus are now fathers as well. We were talking, before, the three of you guys were in the program. You were in the school. Now, you guys are moved on. Two of you are now fathers. Yes, sir. And both of you have daughters. So, you know, i you know, anderson here, he hes a new father. How old is wyatt now . Just turned 1. Just turned 1. So, hes still in diaperchanging mode. Other than changing diapers, hows that changed your perspective . And and how how do you think about it . Because, look. Meeting the president , you know, 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 that brightens up your day. Anything that you need, you can always come to me. I didnt have that, growing up. I didnt have a father. Like, it was one point in time, i didnt see my father for, like, ten years. Right. So i want to be there for her, through everything. Fantastic. How about you, lazarus . Being a father is is is its 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 was 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. Let him know, like, 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 . Its 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. Yeah, 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 has checked in with him over the years, since they met, more than his own father has. Whats going on, man . You doing all right . Yeah . Things going all right . Okay. Did you finish strong like you were supposed to . I know experience, excellence is is is possible. And i need to strive for that. Although sports are important to me, i focus on my gpa and i will get it back to a 3. 8. Whats your life been like since since that meeting . You went to moore house. Yeah. I went for like a semester and then i realized i couldnt pay for it. So i had to come back home, start over, go to western. Work through that. Got a Couple Internships and Landed A 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 could i pay for it . Could would i be accepted . You know . I think, after the first visit you made here, i worked a little harder on my grades. You know, i stopped playing around. I was like, maybe maybe, i could do something else. Maybe, i could go to college. When you i mean, when you sit in a circle, like that, you know, the the obstacles these kids are facing. And able to overcome is really extraordinary. Yeah. No. 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 i mean, you know, christian, who is 25, he he his single mom i think he had five or six brothers and circ sisters. Family of six. You know, he got into moorehouse. Had to drop out because of money. Now, he is working, hoping to go back to school. I mean, its not a question of not working hard enough. Or, you know, being motivated enough. Right. And and and that is where, Sort Of, for me, my personal Journey Intersected with, i think, this broader question of how are we setting up a society, so that young men, like that, can succeed . Or not succeed . And thats what led me to the southside of chicago. Thats what led me to be a Community Organizer was that sense that, look. When i walk down The Street of the southside of chicago, i see young people, and they look and remind me of me. Or michelle. And a a a combination of circumstance allowed us to succeed. But these kids are just as talented. Theyre just as smart. They they could achieve just as much, if weve got a an education system, a socialsafety net. Job opportunities. That expose them and give them a chance. And, you know, i i think that the the singlemost important thing i learned, as an organizer when i was here in chicago, was that, you know, the the line between success or failure, in this society. So often, is dictated, not by anybodys inherent merits, it has to do with the circumstances in which theyre in. That doesnt mean they dont have individual responsibility. I think, all these young men, you heard them. They recognize, no, ive got to work hard. I have got to do my part. But it, also, means that we, as a society, continue to fail them. But also, how how stacked the deck is against so many people in our society, from even before they are born. Yes. I mean, i i heard i was reading a speech you gave a while back. A figure i had never heard before. That, by the age of 3, if you grow up in a lowincome family, you have heard 30 Million fewer words than a 3yearold child in a welloff family. Which means, by the time you show up in 1st grade, you are, already, significantly, behind. Now, 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 that they catch up. Well, the other thing. I mean, i leave that Room Thinking how many other kids are there who arent even in that room . No, well, one of the things we really liked about this program becoming a man was they they didnt focus on the superstars. Right . That 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 lazarus was expressing there, if they can find words to tell their story. And express themselves and and talk out what theyre feeling. They can succeed, and and Thats Part of what, i think, made this conversation wonderful. Is, you know, these kids arent, like, Sort Of, one in a million. The this is what you just heard was young, black men, all across this country. Thats who they are. Its not the stereotypes we see on television. These werent prodigies or savants. No. No. But they are brimming with potential. Yes. So so, if we have a society that is 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 that 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 beginning of the changes he witnessed firsthand in the Republican Party, when John Mccain selected Sarah Palin to be his running mate. You talk about dark spirits that had long been lurking on the edges of the Republican Party coming center stage. Did you ever think it would get this dark . Aleve it, and see whats possible. Wealth is your first big investment. Worth is a partner to help share the load. Wealth is saving a little extra. Worth is knowing its never too late to start or too early. Wealth helps you retire. Worth is knowing why. Principal. For all its worth. [sfx thunder rumbles] [sfx rainstorm] comfort in the extreme. The Lincoln Family of luxury suvs. Theres a world where every One Of Us is connected. Everyone. Everywhere. Where everyone is included. Where everyone has access to information, education, opportunity. When Everyone And Everything is connected. Thats really beautiful. Anything is possible. Good morning. Cisco. The bridge to possible. We know how much you count on us. And thats why were here 24 7. And On The Road maintaining a fast and reliable network. Were always working to ensure the internet meets your needs. By making access easier for all. With comcast Lift Zones and our Internet Essentials program. Were invested in making our apps easy. To give you personalized assistance around the clock. And were committed to keeping our team and customers safe by working from home. And using precautions in store. See what were up to at xfinity. Com commitment its been more than four years, since the obamas left the White House. It was a moment, the former 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 write about Sarah Palin about her brief ascendancy. And you talk about dark spirits that had long been lurking on the edges of the Republican Party, coming center stage. Did you ever think it would get this dark . No. I it i thought that there were enough guardrails, institutionally. Uhhuh. That, even 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. You know, that thats a little bit 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 rather, be cowed into accepting it and then, finally, culminating in january 6th. Where, what originally was, oh, dont worry, this isnt going anywhere. Were just letting trump and others vent. And then, suddenly, you now have large portions of an elected congress going along with the falsehood. That there were problems with the election. And and the leadership of the gop, briefly, for a, you know, one night when they still had the Sort Of Sense Of fear in them. You know, going against the president. Yeah. And then, poof. Suddenly, everybody was back in line. Now, what that 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 those congressmen started looking around and they said, you know what . Ill lose my job. I will ill get voted ought out of office. Another way of saying this is i didnt expect that there would be sofew people who would say, well, i dont mind losing my office. Because this is too important. Americas too important. Some things are more important than our democracys too important. We didnt see that. Now, you know, im still the hopeandchange guy. And so, my hope is, is that the tides will turn. But that does require each of us to to to understand that this this experiment in democracy is not selfexecuting. It it doesnt happen, just automatically. It happens, because eachsuccessive generation says, these values, these truths, we hold selfevident. This is important. Were going to invest in it, and sacrifice for it, and well stand up for it. Even when its not politically convenient. One of the things you write. We need to explain to Each Other who we are, and where we are going. I i mean, as a Somebody Who has dedicated myself to storytelling. That really resonates with me. But i wonder, we are we, as a country, still, willing to listen to Each Others stories . Well, i think, this is the biggest challenge we have. Is that we dont have the kinds of shared stories, that we used to. Hmm. Theres always been a division, along lines of race, right . It it it you know, we have 400 years of whites and blacks, not being able to have shared experiences because of Slavery And Segregation and so forth. But even within, lets say, the white community, right, the stories of kids who are growing up in manhattan. And the stories of kids who are growing up in abilene, texas. And the stories of kid who is growing up in montana. Those stories no longer meet. Partly, because of the segment you know, 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 then, as an 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, that becomes the basis for a community. But it does seem 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 i have heard, in the pacst you talk about when you were starting out in politics, you go to Southern Illinois to very conservative districts. Yeah. No, and i think thats changed. Part of it is the nationalization of media. The nationalization of politics. You know, the fact is that, you know, you used to have a bunch of local newspapers, localtv stations. People werent having these highly ideological debates but they were kind of more focused on whats happening day to day. And part of it is, also, the structure of our economy and our communities. Look. It used to be, that a High School, the averageHigh School in america, the average publicHigh School, you would have the Bankers Kid and the Janitors Kid in the same school. And theyd interact, and theyd their parents would be, both, going to the same football game. And would have to know Each Other. And if it turned out that 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 he knew that person. Now, we have more economic stratification and segregation. You combine that with racial stratification and the siloing of the media. So, you dont have just Walter Cronkite delivering the news but you have A Thousand different venues. All that, has contributed to that sense that we dont have anything in common. And so, so much of our 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. In Promise Land you write our democracy seems to be teetering on the brink of a crisis. Since you wrote that, there was the attack on the capitol. You have got the Big Lie being pushed, continually, by not only the former president but republicans in congress. Right. Are we, still, just teetering on the brink . Or are we in crisis . Well, i think i think, we have to worry. When one of our majorpolitical parties is willing to embrace a way of thinking about our democracy. That would be unrecognizable and unacceptable, even five years ago or a decade ago. When you look at some of the laws that are being passed, at the statelegislative level. Where legislators are basically saying, were going to take away the certification of election processes from civil servants. You know, secretaries of state. People who are just counting ballots. And were going to put it in the hands of partisan legislatures, who may, or may not, decide that a states electoral votes 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, weve got a problem. And and, you know, this is part of the reason why, i think, the conversation around voting rights, at a national level, is important. This is why, i think, conversations about some of the institutional and structural barriers to our democracy working better, like the elimination of the filibuster. Or the end to partisan gerrymandering is important. But this is why it is, also, important for us to figure out how do we start, once again, being able to tell a common story about where this country goes . And i that is not just the job of politicians. Although, i think elected officials have an important role. Thats where the medias going to have to play an important role. That is where companies have to play an important role. You know, i all of us, as citizens, have to recognize that the path towards an undemocratic america is not gonna happen, in just one bang. It it happens in a series of steps. And when you look at whats happened in places, like hungary, and in poland, that obviously did not have the same traditions democratic traditions that we did. They werent as as deeply rooted. And yet, as recently as ten years ago, were functioning democracy. And now, essentially, have become die in a military coup. Democracy dies at the ballot box. Thats exactly right. And and and, you know, Vladimir Putin gets elected with a majority of russian voters. But nOne Of Us would claim that thats the kind of democracy that we want. You wrote about the importance of getting exposed to other peoples truths. And that is 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. Its part of the challenge with social media. You know, i think, theres been a lot of conversation about how we are able, now, to just filter out anything that contradicts our own biases, prejudices, and predispositions. Its not symmetrical. I have to say this. You know, the truth is, is that on what are what 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 and so, you know, its not symmetrical. But what is true is, for all of us, there is a great danger that we just shut out anything that contradicts our our own Sense Of righteousness. In these big debates. Not only that. But then, we otherize the other. And we demonize the other side. And so, that is going to require a steady effort. It, probably, is not going to be done at the federal level. Its probably gonna involve communities finding ways to rebuild that Sense Of neighborliness, working together, conversations. You know, one one of the things that, having been out of office for a while. Ive gone back to thinking about is, how can we do more bottomup work . To rebuild communities. To rebuild local media. To rebuild local conversations. Because thats where, i think, theres still the most hope. Disperse the area, immediately. It was during President Obamas eight years in the White House, The American Public Began Learning and saying the names, Trayvon Martin, eric garner, and michael brown. Young, black men, killed by police, or in Trayvon Martins case, by a neighborhoodwatch volunteer, when martin was 17 years old. When Trayvon Martin was, first, shot, i said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is that 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 advisers had to think carefully about. In his book, he writes that early on in his president ial campaign, his advisers 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 you take a look at the speeches i gave in selma. And the speech i gave during the campaign about Reverend Wright and and that whole episode. And, you know, 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. It its hard for the majority, in this country, and white americans, to recognize that, look, you you can be proud of this country. And its traditions and its history. And our forefathers. And yet, it is, also, true that this terrible stuff happened. And that, you know, the vestiges of that linger, and continue. And the truth is, is that when i tried to tell that story, oftentimes, my political opponents would deliberately not only block out that story. But try to exploit it for their own, political gain. I you know, 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 reacted. And i am 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 that 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. Yes. But subsequent polling showed that my support among white voters dropped, more precipitously, after that that should have been a minor, trivial incident, than anything else during my presidency. Thats extraordinary. Well, and it gives a Sense Of the degree to which these things are, still you know, theyre theyre deep in us. And, you know, sometimes, im conscious. But i i, also, think that there are certain, rightwing media venues, for example, 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 and do everything they can to give people a sense that, um, their way of life is threatened and that people are trying to take advantage of them. And we are seeing it right now, right . Where, you would think, with all the publicpolicy debates that are taking place right now, that, you know, 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 singlemost important issue to them, apparently, right now, is criticalrace theory. Who knew . That, 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 that change in the next jep ragz. 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. And while his daughters still keep a lowpublic profile, mr. Obama says they took part in the black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd was killed in minneapolis. Im wondering, if, just as a parent, you were worried about them doing so . And, as Somebody Whos had daughters, who were taking part in that, what do you make of those who are now saying the black Lives Matter protestors, they are equating them with the people who attacked the capitol . Well, my daughters are so much wiser, more sophisticated, and gifted than i was, at their age. That, you know, i i always worry about their physical safety. Thats just the nature of fatherhood. You will discover, when wyatt stops just being immobilized in your house and can start wandering around. And im not going to allow that. Thats not going to be allowed. You are terrified, all the time. But in terms of them having a good Sense Of whats right and wrong. And their Part And Role to play in making the country better. I i 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, yeah, thats Sort Of how things are. Their attitude is why . Lets C L lets change it and thats among not just my daughters but its among their white friends, right . There is this Sense Of, well, of course, its not acceptable for a criminaljustice system to be tainted by racism. Of course, you cant discriminate against somebody because of their sexual orientation, right . There are things they take for granted, that i want them to take for granted. But what i find interesting is they are also starting to be very strategic. You know, about how to engage the system and change it. Theyre not just interested in making noise. Theyre interested in what works. And and and at least in conversations with my daughter, i think that a lot of the dangers of cancel culture. And, you know, were just going to be condemning people all the time. At least among my daughters, that theyll acknowledge that, sometimes, among their Peer Group or in college campuses. You know, youll see folks going overboard. But they have a pretty good Sense Of 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 . You know, part of it is the kids who were raised during the eight years that i was president. Theyre a bunch of basic assumptions they make what the country can and should be that, i think, are still sticking. They they still believe it. And theyre willing to work for it. No justice, no peace. While the black Lives Matter movement has brought national attention to the issue of police reform. These young men, in the bam program, say they feel a dual threat every time they go outside. Theres fear and distrust of the police, and fear of Gun Violence on The Streets. Here, in chicago, has been an increase in violence. You know, when we met last time, obviously, on the southside, west sides of chicago, some of the surrounding suburbs. There had been Gun Violence for a while. Gang activity for a while. Weve seen an uptick in it. And then, weve, also, had to process the fact that the relationship between Police And Community is not what we want it to be. And so often, youngblack men, you know, experience police, not as a positive force to protect but, as Somebody Who is gonna see you as as a suspect or or some somebody to be feared. I hows that played out, for you guys . Both, while you are still in school but also now that youre working. Police in chicago, for a while, i was driving lyft. While i was still in college. Id come home weekends, drive lyft. Uhhuh. And i was getting pulled over, like crazy. Almost every night, i was getting pulled over. But the first question they asked and i asked how you doing, officer . Hows it going . They first question, any drugs or weapons in the car . Granted, im a big, black guy. You know, with locks. And, you know, first thing they see, im 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 thing is making it back home, regardless. Of anything thats going on outside. You know . I love my family. Love my baby more and thats a feeling that you gonna feel, mr. Cooper. Like, get home. Even when your eyes feel like theyre, like, about to pop out. You get home to your baby. And that joy and that feeling that you get from that baby. Its its amazing. Give you a little spark of energy. I just love that baby smell. I just want to like bury my face. For sure. Before a diaper change, right . Yeah. Thats thats mostly important, to me. Making it home, regardless. Regardless of the the police. They dont know me from a can of paint. Yeah. How about you guys . Two of the participants in this Bam Circle are still in their teens. Arman mormon is 14. He wants to become a visual artist when he grows up. Kingsley mccarthy is 15 and dreams of being an actor or a dancer. They both say they feel like they risked their lives every time they leave their homes. When you think about being in school, is this something you have to worry about . Just not necessarily, the police. But just, shootings, violence, you know, generally, is that something that you think about . Or is it 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, its like, before i go to bed, is it a gunshot that im hearing . Is It Fireworks . And also, like, i love to wear i like wearing hoodies. So, its like, when i walk down The Street. Like, is somebody going to come and target me because im wearing a hoodie . Do they think im up to no good . So, thats how i see it. Yes. Id like to add on to arman, i walk past a police car. They might, you know, 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 . So, 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 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 ganginfested areas back home. To where i felt safe. What have you been seeing . Are you guys are you, still, on on 70 . So im no longer in englewood. Right now, im in marquette park. I know thats not a big difference. But now, i dont go to certain gas stations. I dont go to certain restaurants. And i, also, bought another vest. So its still the same thing. Its not over with, just because im out of school. Right. And obviously, as a father, you it makes you that much more stressed. Yes. Yes. But as far as shootings, like, the vest may protect me from that. As far as shootings, the vest may protect me from that. But encounters with police, 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 . . Im cold before, we couldnt take in the Sweet Sounds of nature. Seriously. Before it can change the world, it has to change yours. The allnew, allelectric volkswagen id. 4. Hey lily, i need a new Wireless Plan for my business, but all my employees need something different. Oh, we can help with that. 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. Before we talk about taxsmart investing, whats new . Audreys expecting. Twins wed be closer to the twins. Change in plans. At fidelity, a change in plans is always part of the plan. You need an ecolab scientific clean here. And you need it here. And here. And here. Which is why the scientific expertise that helps Operating Rooms stay clean is now helping the places you go every day too. Seek a commitment to clean. Look for the Ecolab Science certified seal. 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 Bread 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 that is praised by trump, not his own party. Manchin most recently said i believe that partisan Voting Legislation will destroy the weakened binds of our democracy. And for that reason, he will vote against the for the people act. Furthermore, he will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster