>> WELL BE WATCHING THAT.
NBCS STEFRNY GOSK WITH THAT
REPORT.
JOINING US NOW NBC SPORTS SOCCER
ANALYST AND COHOST OF "MEN IN
BLAZERS" ROGER BENNETT.
HIS BOOK "REBORN IN THE USA" IS
OUT NOW.
ROGER, CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ROGER, I HAVE BEEN WANTING
YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK FOR A
LONG TIME.
WE HAVE DISCUSSED ON THE AIR, I
THINK PEOPLE KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN
WATCHING FOR OVER A DECADE
FOOTBALL MATCHES TOGETHER.
WHEN YOU AND JOEY SCARBOROUGH
AND I AND OTHERS GET TOGETHER
YOU WOULD TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS
LIKE LIVING IN AMERICA AND YOU
LOVE BRITT TIN AND THE COUNTRY
OF YOUR BIRTH BUT YOU SAY THAT
EVERY TIME YOU TOUCHDOWN AT JFK
YOU JUST -- YOU FEEL SOMETHING
MAGICAL.
YOU STILL AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
FEEL THE ENERGY AND THE BELIEF
THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> I GREW UP IN LIVERPOOL, THE
MOST MAGICAL CITY WHEN THE CITY
WAS ROTTING AWAY.
THE COAL MINES SHUT DOWN.
AND THIS ONCE GREAT PORT TO TAKE
PRODUCTS OUT WITH AN EMPIRE LIKE
BALTIMORE BUT WITHOUT THE CRAB
CAKE UPSIDE AND THE CITY FALLING
APPARENT.
UNEMPLOYMENT.
I SURVIVED THIS LIFE LIVED IN
BLACK AND WHITE BY INHALING
EVERYTHING AMERICAN.
THE MUSICS, BOOKS, THE
TELEVISION SHOWS, THE MIGHTY
CHICAGO BEARS SUPER BOWL WINNING
TEAM AND SHOWS A POSSIBILITY TO
LIVE A LIFE DIFFERENT WHERE LIFE
IS LIVED IN COLOR.
WITH JOY.
AND I PERSUADED MYSELF AND NEVER
BEEN TO AMERICA AND PERSUADED
MYSELF AS AN AMERICAN TRAPPED IN
AN ENGLISHMANS BODY AND MY BOOK
IS ABOUT THAT JOURNEY FROM BEING
A KID WITH THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
ON THE BEDROOM WALL AND THE
MANHATTAN SKYLINE TO ACTUALLY
LIVING HERE, HAVING AN AMERICAN
FAMILY AND ENDED UP IN A
COURTROOM SAYING THE OATH OF
ALLEGIANCE AND BECOMING AN
AMERICAN WHICH IS THE GREATEST
DAY OF MY LIFE.
>> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT
MOMENT?
YOU DESCRIBE IT SO MOVINGLY IN
THE BOOK WHERE EVERYBODY THATS
IN THERE TO BE SWORN IN AS
AMERICAN CITIZENS THAT DAY
HAPPENED TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO
WENT UP AND AFTER IT WAS DONE
PEOPLE STARTED APPLAUDING AND
TEARS STARTED TO ROLL DON THE
FACES OF ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD
UNDERSTANDING THAT SOMETHING
REMARKABLE HAD JUST HAPPENED.
>> I WROTE THE BOOK AT A TIME OF
CHALLENGE.
SPORTS HAD STOPPED.
LOCKDOWN HAD BEGUN.
THE CITY OF MY DREAMS NEW YORK
WAS THE PANDEMIC CAPITAL AND
WHEN THE CHALLENGE OF THE
PRESENT IS DARK OR WORSE BLACK
LIVES MATTER SUMMER, THE
ELECTION, WHEN THE PRESENT IS
FULL OF CHARGE YOU RETREAT TO
TIMES YOU DREW STRENGTH AND I
DID WRITE THIS BOOK ABOUT THE
IDEA THAT IS MY LIFE, THE
AMERICAN IDEA AND THAT IDEA IN A
COURTROOM AS I WAS IN THE
SOUTHERN TIP OF MANHATTAN WITH
62 -- 162 PEOPLE FROM 42 NATIONS
AND MANY OF WHOM THROUGH CIVIL
WAR, HAD ESCAPED FAMINES,
TERRIBLE JOURNEYS TO GET HERE
MAKING MINE JUST E SCALING FEW
LATE NIGHT BEATINGS ON A
SATURDAY NIGHT IN LIVERPOOL SEEM
TAME BUT WHEN YOU SAY THE PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE IN THAT COMPANY
YOU LOOK LEFT AND RIGHT AND SEE
THE IDEA OF AMERICA IS WHAT DREW
EACH ONE OF US AND TEARS
THROUGHOUT THE ROOM AND THE
REALITY OF AMERICA IS FULL OF
CHALLENGE BUT THAT IDEA OF
AMERICA, OF HOPE, OF COURAGE, OF
TENACITY, BELIEF OF A LIFE
DIFFERENT THAN YOURS AND A
MOTIVATION TO TRY TO EXPRESS
THAT FEELING AND FEELING OF DEEP GRATITUDE THAT I FEEL TO THIS
GRATITUDE THAT I FEEL TO THIS
DAY AND ALSO TO -- THE 2017 A
PUGH FOUNDATION REPORT THAT WIRN
EUROPE 47% OF AMERICANS HAD A
POSITIVE CONNECTION TO AMERICA.
I FOUND THAT DEVASTATING AS A
GENTLEMAN BORN, REARED AND
RAISED ON AMERICAN SOFT POWER.
>> YOU TALK TO IMMIGRANTS THAT
HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS
YOU WENT THROUGH.
IF YOU WANT TO BE INSPIRED AS AN
AMERICAN THATS A GREAT PLACE TO
START.
BECAUSE THEY DO BELIEVE IN THE
DREAM OF AMERICA.
FOR THE MOST PART.
AND I HAVE HEARD IT TIME AND
AGAIN.
WE GROW UP AND READ ABOUT
AMERICAN SOFT POWER.
WESTERN SOFT POWER.
WHETHER BEACH BOY ALBUMS OR
BEATLES ALBUMS, BOOTLEGS
SMUGGLED BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN
AND ACTUALLY THAT AND BLUE JEANS
HAVING AN IMPACT.
YOU TALK ABOUT HOW AMERICAN SOFT
POWER DREW YOU TO THIS COUNTRY
AND THE LIST IS GREAT.
FANTASY ISLAND.
MIAMI VICE.
ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE.
CHICAGO BEARS.
RUN DMC.
BEASTII
BEASTIE BOYS AND OF COURSE THE
INCREDIBLE -- HAD AN IMPACT ON
THE LIFE AND PULLED YOU TO
AMERICA.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IN EVERY WAY.
I WAS IN LIVERPOOL.
A DARK AND TWISTED TIME.
TRACY CHAPMAN TOOK THE STAGE.
I REMEMBER WATCHING AT HOME.
FLUNG ON THIS UNKNOWN BY THE
ORGANIZERS OF THE CONCERT.
ARMED WITH AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR.
72,000 DRUNK ENGLISH PEOPLE.
STEVIE WONDER DOING THE SOUND
CHECK.
LENT INTO THE MICROPHONE AND
DREW MYSTICAL STRENGTH FROM
"FAST CAR" AND WATCHING THAT SHE
SILENCED 72,000 DRUNK ENGLISH
PEOPLE WHICH IS NOT EASY TO DO.
DREW STRENGTH AND TURNED WOMEN
BRING STADIUM INTO THE MOST
INTIMATE SETTING POSSIBLE.
WHEN YOU HEARD THE MESSAGE WHICH
WAS DO NOT STAND FOR WHAT YOU
CURRENTLY ARE GRAPPLING WITH.
MAKE BOLD CHANGES AND GET OUT
WHILE YOU CAN, WHEN YOU ARE A
16-YEAR-OLD AND HEAR THAT
MESSAGE, IT IS BECAUSE OF TRACY
CHAPMAN, THE CHICAGO BEERS SUPER
BOWL WINNING TEAM AND SAID WE
HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE FOR 20 YEARS
AND DONT HAVE TO BE WHAT WE
ARE.
WE CAN FLIP THE SCRIPT.
WE CAN CREATE A NEW NARRATIVE.
EACH OF THESE THINGS SEEM FUNNY
ON THE SURFACE.
MIAMI VICE.
ONLY ABOUT COPS AND DRUGS ON THE
SURFACE.
AN ANIMAL FARM IS ONLY ABOUT
HORSES AND PIGGING ON THE
SURFACE BUT A SINGULAR HUMAN
BEING.
NO SOCKS.
ESPADRILLES.
BEING YOURSELF.
YOU WATCH THAT AS A KID AND LIKE
ALL THE LESSONS OF LIFE ARE IN
THERE AND SOUNDS FLIP AND
RIDICULOUS BUT WHEN YOU WATCH
THIS FROM A PLACE OF
HOPELESSNESS IT TEACHES YOU THE
LESSONS OF LIFE.
THEY ARE BREAD CRUMBS THAT LED
ME TO LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY AND
TO A PLACE WHERE THEY ALLOW BALD
MEN ON TELEVISION WHICH IS THE
ULTIMATE LIBERATING FREEDOM.
>> CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BOOK.
IT IS SO REFRESHING TO HEAR THIS
IN THIS PARTICULAR NEWS CYCLE
AND REMINDED OF A POET AND AN
IDEA GRAFTED TO A SHADOW.
YOUVE LIVED IN THIS PLACE.
IN A VERY DARK MOMENT.
HOW DO YOU SQUARE THIS
UNDERSTANDING, THIS RENDERING OF
AMERICA IN LIGHT OF WHAT YOU
HAVE SEEN IN THIS PLACE OVER THE
LAST FIVE, SIX YEARS?
>> MY IDEA, THE CENTRAL IDEA OF
AMERICA IS ONE I HAD AS A CHILD.
IM NOW AN ADULT AND THE IDEA IS
NOT THE REALITY.
YOUR LINES OF POETRY ARE UTTERLY
BEAUTIFUL AND THE BOOK -- IT IS
ABOUT CHOOSING A LINE THAT COULD
ABSOLUTELY DESTROY EVERYTHING
ELSE I WROTE AND ITS FROM
LANGSTON HUGHES WHO CH ARE LET
AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN.
THE LAND THAT NEVER WAS AND YET
MUST BE AND IN THAT THATS WHAT
WE ARE.
I RELEASED THIS BOOK AHEAD OF INDEPENDENCE DAY AND I THINK
INDEPENDENCE DAY AND I THINK
ABOUT THE LINES THAT THIS
ULTIMATELY DEDICATE MYSELF AND I
THINK MILLIONS OF VIEWERS DO OF
CLOSING THE GAP.
>> SO ROGER, SAME QUESTION PUT
DIFFERENTLY.
FOR THOSE WHO -- WE MENTIONED A
POLL OF PEOPLE NOT NECESSARILY
SEEING THE AMERICAN DREAM RIGHT
NOW.
IN THIS PRESENT MOMENT IN TIME
AND THIS TIME IN OUR HISTORY
DOING THROUGH OUR, DEMOCRACY IS
GOING THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF A
CHALLENGE, THAT COULD BE AN
UNDERSTATEMENT, WHAT DO YOU
THINK YOU ARE SEEING THAT THOSE
WHO POLLED DIFFERENTLY ARE NOT
SEEING RIGHT NOW?
WHAT CAN YOU SHARE?
IS IT THE HOPE OF AMERICA?
>> YEAH.
I CAN ONLY SAY BEING IN THAT
COURTROOM AND THEN VOTING FOR
THE FIRST TIME AS AN AMERICAN ON
THE UPPER WEST SIDE OF MAPT THAT
PANDEMIC ELECTION, 5:30 IN THE
MORNING.
GETTING INTO THE LINE TO VOTE.
THIS IS THE END OF THE BOOK.
THE EPILOGUE.
I NEVER VOTED BEFORE.
ID NEVER HAD THAT INCREDIBLE
JOY AND RESPONSIBILITY.
I TONED UP AT 5:30.
MASKS ON TO VOTE IN THE DARKNESS
OF A FRIGID MANHATTAN EARLY
MORNING AND IT WAS A LINE
JUST -- A LINE THAT VERY MUCH
LIKE THE SECURITY LINE TO MY
NATURALIZATION CEREMONY AND I
STOOD IN LINE BEHIND A
93-YEAR-OLD AFRICAN-AMERICAN
WOMAN IN A WHEELCHAIR COVERED IN
AMERICAN FLAGS.
SHED NEVER VOTED BEFORE BUT SHE
WANTED TO GET UP EARLY TO MAKE
SURE THAT SHE WAS FIRST IN LINE
TO VOTE AND THE EXCITEMENT AND
THE POSSIBILITY IN THAT LINE, I
DRAW STRENGTH FROM THAT AND THE
FACT THAT I CALL MY FRIENDS IN
ENGLAND WHO I USED TO SHARE THE
DREAM OF AMERICA WITH.
I FELT DEVASTATED WHY WHAT WAS
THIS DREAM?
WHAT WAS THIS DREAM IF THIS IS
THE CURRENT REALITY?
THERE WERE FIREWORKS GOING OFF
IN LONDON THE NIGHT THE ELECTION
WAS CALLED.
I SAID WHAT ARE YOU CELEBRATING?
THE DREAM WE HAD AS KIDS.
WHAT WERE WE BELIEVING IN?
MY BEST FRIEND WHO IS THE
THROUGH LINE IN THE BOOK HE SAID
PARTIES IN LONDON.
BERLIN.
ACROSS ASIA.
PARTIES IN PARIS WHICH WAS HEART
FOR ANY ENGLISHMAN TO BELIEVE.
I SAID WHAT ARE YOU CELEBRATING?
HE SAID WE KNOW LIKE ANY DREAM
IT IS NOT PERFECT BUT WE CAN
DREAM AGAIN ABOUT AMERICA AND
THE LAST LINE OF THE BOOK IS THE