>>> WE ARE NOW SEEING SOME OF
THE FIRST OBSERVANCES OF
JUNETEENTH NOW THAT ITS A
NATIONAL HOLIDAY.
FEDERAL OFFICES CLOSED.
MANY CITIES HOLDING EVENTS TO
BEGIN THE MARKING OF THIS FIRST
TIME THAT THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT IS ACTUALLY
COMMEMORATING THAT END OF
SLAVERY.
IT IS REMARKABLE BECAUSE WE ARE
A NATION THAT GRAPPLES WITH SO
MANY PROBLEMS IN OUR RACE, IN
OUR HISTORY AND OUR ABILITY TO
FACE FACTS ABOUT THE LEGACY OF
THIS COUNTRY, HOW IT WAS BUILT.
IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST SIX YEARS
AGO THAT SOUTH CAROLINA TOOK
DOWN ITS CONFEDERATE FLAG FROM
THE STATE CAPITOL, WHICH
ANTICIPATED SO MANY DEBATES WE
LIVE THROUGH NOW.
>> A HISTORIC DAY IN SOUTH
CAROLINA AS GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY
SIGNS A BILL TO REMOVE THE CON
FEDERAL BATTLE FLAG FROM STATE
HOUSE GROUNDS.
>> HISTORIC DAY IN SOUTH
CAROLINA.
THE CONFEDERATE FLAG IS DOWN,
BUT THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER.
>> FOR ALL OF US WHO HAD GROWN
UP IN THE SHADOW OF THIS CON
FEDERAL BATTLE FLAG HERE IN
COLUMBIA, IT WILL BE AN
EMOTIONAL DAY.
AFTER MORE THAN 50 YEARS, THE
FLAG WILL BE TACKKEN DOWN IN A
SHORT BUT SOLEMN CEREMONY.
>>> JOINING ME NOW IS THE MAN
YOU SAW THERE.
HE WAS REPORTING THERE FOR THE
TODAY SHOW.
HES ALSO THE HOST OF CRAIG
MELVIN REPORTS AT 11:00.
HE HAS A NEW BOOK OUT, AND I
RECOMMEND YOU GET IT.
"POPS: LEARNING TO BE A SON AND
A FATHER."
ITS OUT IN TIME FOR FATHERS
DAY.
WE WILL GET INTO THAT.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE, SIR.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, MYMELBE
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
WE LOOKED AT THAT FOOTAGE AND
FELT LIKE, WOW, DOES IT FEEL
LIKE LONGER THAN SIX YEARS AGO
OR LESS?
YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> YOU KNOW, IT FEELS LIKE, TO
ME AT LEAST, IT FEELS LIKE EONS
AGO EVEN THOUGH IT WAS JUST SIX
YEARS AGO.
I WILL NEVER FORGET BEING THERE
AT THE CAPITOL THAT DAY BECAUSE
MY GODSONS WERE THERE, ALL OF MY
FOLKS THERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SOME OF MY OTHER FAMILY HAD COME
DOWN TO THE STATE HOUSE TO VISIT
WITH ME BUT TO ALSO WITNESS
HISTORY.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO
OVERSTATE HOW MUCH OF A SYMBOL
THAT FLAG WAS TO FOLKS WHO GREW
UP IN COLUMBIA.
I GREW UP JUST 15 MINUTES FROM
WHERE THAT CON FEDERALFEDERATE B
FLAG THAT WAS RAISED ABOVE THE
STATE HOUSE.
NOT IN THE WAKE OF THE SEVERAL
WAR, BUT IN THE 1960s WHEN A
MAJORITY OF THE CON FEDFEDERATE
MONUMENTS WERE ERECTED AROUND
THE COUNTRY.
TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE AND HAVE
THAT FRONT ROW TO HISTORY SIX
YEARS AGO, IN FACT, I HAVENT
SEEN THAT FOOTAGE BEFORE, SO
KUDOS TO YOUR TEAM FOR DIGGING
THAT UP.
>> THE TEAM DUG IT UP.
THATS NOT ALL THE TEAM DUG UP
BEFORE.
WE HAVE A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING
HERE.
I HOPE YOURE READY.
>> UH-OH.
WHAT?
>> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS
AS SOMEONE WHO IS AN ATTORNEY
WHO CAME INTO THE NEWS, I HAD TO
LEARN FROM PEOPLE.
I LEARNED A LOT JUST WATCHING
YOU AND SOMETIMES BEING AROUND
YOU.
OUR TEAM NOTICED AND WE GOT SOME
FOOTAGE FOR YOU TO WELCOME AT IT
THAT SEEMS A LITTLE ONE WAY
ADMIRATION.
LIKE IM LEARNING FROM YOU AND
LOVING YOU AND YOU DO YOUR
THING.
WHICH I RESPECT.
LETS ROLL THE TAPE OF SOME
TIMES WE SPENT TOGETHER.
>> IT IS SOMETHING OFTEN CALLED
THE JAY-Z TEST WHO FAYEMOUSLY
SAID, IM NOT A BUSINESSMAN.
IM A BUSINESS, MAN.
>> ONLY ARI MELBER COULD WORK
THAT IN. >> YOU ALMOST WONDER IF ITS
>> YOU ALMOST WONDER IF ITS
LEADING TO AN AWKWARD SILENCE.MA
PEOPLE WATCH THIS SHOW.
>> TALK ABOUT ROASTING IN THE
NEWS ROOM.
>> MILLIONS STILL WATCH, ARI
MELBER, SO CLEARLY YOU GOT THE
LAST LAUGH.
I WAS WRONG FIVE YEARS AGO.
>> YOU ARE NEVER WRONG.
THATS WHAT WE LEARN.
AND YOU DO IT WELL.
THATS OUR REEL.
LETS GET INTO THIS BOOK, WHICH
I RECOMMEND.
I WANT TO READ A QUOTE FOR YOU
TO EXPOUND ON.
YOU SAY, POPS GAVE YOU THE
ADVICE, DONT WORK TOO MUCH.
DONT MISS OUT.
HE HAD A HARD TIME LETTING GO OF
HIS GUILT OVER ALL THAT HE
MISSED OUT ON AS A DAD.
DOZENS OF TIMES WE TOLD HIM,
HEY, WE FORGIVE YOU.
THE PROBLEM IS HE HASNT BEEN
ABLE TO FORGIVE HIMSELF.
SOMETIMES THESE TRUTHS ARE
RELATABLE BECAUSE YOU READ THAT
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE COULD IN
THEIR OWN WAYS RELATE TO THAT.
TELL US ABOUT THAT STORY IN THIS
BOOK.
>> YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REASON
I WROTE THIS BOOK, ARI, WAS TO
CELEBRATE FATHERHOOD, TO
CELEBRATE MY DAD, TO GIVE HIM
HIS ROSES WHILE HE WAS STILL
ALIVE.
BUT I WROTE IT IN PART SO THAT
HE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE FORGIVE
HIM.
HE WAS ABSENT.
HE WAS PHYSICALLY PRESENT, BUT
HE WASNT ALWAYS THERE
EMOTIONALLY.
CERTAINLY NOT SPIRITUALLY.
IT WAS BECAUSE HE STRUGGLED
MIGHTILY WITH AN ADDICTION FOR
NEARLY MY ENTIRE LIFE AND MOST
OF HIS LIFE.
HE WAS ADDICTED TO ALCOHOL.
HE WAS ADDICTED TO THE MGAMBLING
AT THE AGE OF 67, HE DECIDED TO
START LIFE ANEW.
HE CHECKED INTO AN IN-HOUSE
REHAB FACILITY, RESIDENTIAL
REHAB FACILEITY AND HE CAME OUT
NEW MAN, AND WE HAVE BEEN
TALKING OVER THE YEARS AND HE
AND I BOTH DECIDED THAT SHARING
HIS STORY WOULD DO A LOT OF
GOOD.
THE BOOK CAME OUT ON TUESDAY.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, MAN, I HAVE
BEEN OVERWHELMED BY THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE REACHED OUT
OVER DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS
STORY, WHETHER IT WAS THE
RESILIENCY, WHETHER IT WAS THIS
IDEA THAT FAMILY HAD GIVEN UP ON
HIM TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THREE
YEARS AGO, WE DECIDED WERE
GOING TO GET HIM SOME HELP.
WE ENLISTED A PROFESSIONAL, AND
HES JUST BEEN A DIFFERENT
GRANDFATHER.
HE HAS SIX GRANDKIDS NOW, AND
THE GRANDKIDS GET A SIDE OF MY
DAD THAT WE DIDNT GET, AND
WERE SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR IT.
>> DOES IT MEAN SOMETHING TO YOU
TO BRING IT INTO THE LIGHT?
THATS WHAT YOU DO AS A
JOURNALIST, BUT HERE IT IS
DIFFERENT WHEN IT IS YOUR OWN
STORY.
AND SO MANY PROBLEMS WE FACE
INTERPERSONALLY IN AMERICA AND
AROUND THE WORLD ARE NOT ON THE
NEWS EVERY NIGHT, WHETHER IT IS
ADDICTION OR MENTAL HEALTH AND
OTHER ISSUES.
THEY GET STIGMATIZED WHEN WHAT
THEY NEED TO GET WITH IS DEALT
WITH.
>> THATS ONE OF THE CHIEF
REASONS I WROTE IT.
YOU KNOW ME.
IM NOT A PUBLIC PERSON.
I HAVE A PUBLIC JOB.
I DONT LIKE TO GO TALKING A LOT
ABOUT MY LIFE, MY FAMILY.
I TAKE IT AS A SOCIETY IN
GENERAL WE OVERSHARE.
BUT I REALLY THOUGHT LONG AND
HARD ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND AFTER CONVERSATIONS WITH MY
YOUNGEST BROTHER AND MY DAD AND
MY MOM, WE THOUGHT THERE WAS
POWER IN MY FATHERS STORY
BECAUSE COME TO FIND OUT MY
FATHERS STORY IS THE STORY OF
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY, PEOPLE WHO ARE
STRUGGLING WITH MYRIAD
ADDICTIONS.
THEIR LOVED ONES WHO DONT
REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO IN A LOT
OF INSTANCES.
AND, SO, ITS -- IT WAS -- IT
WAS KIND OF A NO BRAINER, I WILL
TELL YOU.
IT IS -- IT WAS THE MOST
CATHARTIC THING I HAVE EVER
DONE.
IT WAS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY
DURING THE PANDEMIC, PUTTING PEN
TO PAPER AND FOR MY FATHER AS
WELL.
IT WAS AS MANY MY FATHER HAD
BEEN WAITING 67 YEARS FOR