>>> WELCOME BACK.
TA-NEHISI COATES IS A RENOWNED
AUTHOR, JOURNALIST, AND HIS
WRITINGS ON RACE IN AMERICA
EARNED HIM A GENIUS GRANT.
THIS WEEK, HE IS SHARING HIS
GENIUS IN A WHOLE NEW WAY, TUSH
TURNING HIS AWARD-WINNING BOOK
"BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME" INTO
A POWERFUL FILM.
I HAD THE CHANCE TO SIT DOWN
WITH HIM AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT
THAT AND HIS HOPE FOR ANYONE WHO
WATCHES IT.
>> SO FAR, IT’S FASCINATING.
>> Reporter: FOR A WRITER WHO
SPENDS HIS TIME STUDYING THE
SCARS ON AMERICA’S SOUL, A YEAR
BURDENED BY A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, A
HEATED PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN,
AND A RACIAL RECKONING HAS
PROVIDED ALMOST TOO MUCH
MATERIAL.
WHAT HAS ALL OF THIS, ALL THAT’S
HAPPENED THIS YEAR, WHAT HAS IT
DONE FOR YOUR WRITING?
>> OH, I’M PROBABLY OVERFLOWING.
YOU KNOW?
>> Reporter: PUBLISHED IN 2015,
"BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME" IS A
LETTER TO COATES’ 15-YEAR-OLD
SON ABOUT GROWING UP BLACK IN
AMERICA.
THE BOOK HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED BY
PRESIDENT OBAMA AND NOBEL PRIZE
WINNER TONY MORRISON CALLED IT
REQUIRED READING.
>> STRUGGLE FOR THE MEMORY OF
YOUR ANCESTORS.
>> Reporter: NOW, THE MOVIE
VERSION IS SET TO PREMIERE ON
HBO.
>>
IT’S BEAUTIFUL, IF NOT
MASTERFUL.
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE WHO
WATCH IT TO TAKE AWAY FROM IT?
>> I WANT THEM TO BE HAUNTED BY
THE WORK.
BY WHICH I MEAN, I DON’T WANT
THEM TO SAY, WOW, THAT WAS
REALLY COOL AND THEN FORGET
ABOUT IT.
I WANT THEM TO WATCH IT, THINK
ABOUT IT, GO TO SLEEP THINKING
ABOUT IT, WAKE UP THINKING ABOUT
IT.
>> Reporter: WHAT ABOUT ITS
IMPACT NOW?
DO YOU THINK THAT, COLLECTIVELY,
WE ARE PERHAPS AT LEAST MORE
AWARE OF A LOT OF THE THINGS YOU
WROTE ABOUT?
>> I’D LIKE TO THINK SO.
BUT THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY
IS THAT THERE ARE MOMENTS OF
OPENING
OPENING, WITH A LARGER GROUP IS
MORE AWARE, AND THERE IS A
BACKLASH AND THE OPENING QUICKLY
SHUTS.
>> Reporter: COATES HAS STRONG
OPINIONS BUT AVOIDS VOICING THEM
ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WHY ARE YOU NOT VISIBLE ON
SOCIAL MEDIA?
>> WHAT I HAVE TO GIVE ARE
IDEAS, NOTIONS THAT TAKE A LOT
OF TIME TO COOK.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO MARINATE.
SOMETHING LIKE TWITTER IS DEATH
FOR ME.
>> Reporter: THERE’S NO SPACE
FOR NUANCE.
>> I THINK IT’S THE EPITOME OF
IT.
I SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO
AUTOMATICALLY BROADCAST
EVERYTHING I’M THINKING.
I SHOULDN’T HAVE THE POWER TO DO
THAT.
>> Reporter: THE ROLE OF HOWARD
IN YOUR LIFE IS ONE OF THE
CENTRAL THEMES, AND HOW IT’S
SHAPED AND MOLDED YOU.
NOT JUST AS A WRITER AND
THINKER, BUT AS A MAN.
>> RIGHT.
>> Reporter: NOW, WE HAVE A VICE
PRESIDENT-ELECT WHO GRADUATED
FROM AN HBCU.
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE, THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT TO YOU?
>> WHEN YOU LIVE IN A COUNTRY
THAT IS, PERHAPS, CONSTANTLY
SENDING YOU MESSAGES THAT ARE
NOT POSITIVE, ABOUT YOUR
INTELLECT, ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK,
ABOUT HOW YOU TALK, FOUR YEARS
OF SOMEBODY TELLING YOU, "YOU’RE
OKAY.
AND NOT ONLY ARE YOU OKAY,
YOU’RE ACTUALLY KIND OF GREAT,"
LIKE, YOU NEED THAT.
I NEEDED THAT.
I’M NOT SURPRISED THAT, YOU
KNOW, YOUR FIRST VICE
PRESIDENT -- TO SAY NOTHING
OF -- NOT EVEN JUST THE FIRST
VICE PRESIDENT BUT THE FIRST
WOMAN WHO IS A VICE PRESIDENT --
COMING FROM HOWARD, THAT DOESN’T
SURPRISE ME AT ALL.
>> Reporter: WE TALKED ABOUT THE
SUDDEN DEATH OF HIS FRIEND AND
HOWARD ALUM CHADWICK BOSEMAN.
>> CHAD WAS AN INCREDIBLE ACTOR.
IT WAS THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR
BLACK PANTHER.
COULDN’T HAVE BEEN ANYBODY BUT
HIM.
IT’S NOT A MISTAKE HE PLAYED
THESE ICONIC ROLES.
BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT, HE HAD SO
MUCH MORE TO GIVE.
YOU KNOW, BEYOND BEING AN ACTOR.
AS AN ARTIST.
I’M MOSTLY SAD FOR THE REST OF
THE WORLD.
FOLKS PUBLICLY DIDN’T GET TO SEE
THAT.
>> Reporter: COATES HAS SHOWN
HIS OWN RANGE.
PROFESSOR, JOURNALIST, FICTION
WRITER, SCREENPLAY WRITER.
WHAT HAVEN’T YOU DONE THAT YOU
WANT TO DO NOW?
WHAT’S LEFT?
>> ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NAMED,
IT’S ALL WRITING.
I MEAN, EVEN TEACHING IS
WRITING.
THERE’S ONLY ONE THING,
ACTUALLY, IN ALL OF THAT.
IT’S JUST ONE THING.
I’M NOT AN ACTOR.
I’M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
>> Reporter: I MEAN, I SAW
YOU --
>> NO, BROTHER.
YOU HAVE TO STAY IN YOUR LANE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, I’M A
WRITER.
THAT’S WHAT I DO.
>> SEEMS SO HUMBLE.
>> HE IS.
>> YET HAS SUCH AN IMPACT ON
ANYONE WHO HAS READ HIM.
>> HE IS COMPLETELY SELF-AWARE.
HE DOESN’T BUY INTO HIS OWN
HYPE.
HE IS A WRITER, BUT ONE OF THE
GREATEST WRITERS OF OUR TIME
RIGHT NOW.
"BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME"
PREMIERES SATURDAY, 8:00 P.M.
EASTERN ON HBO AND HBO MAX.
COATES’ "THE WATER DANCER" IS
OUT IN PAPERBACK THIS WEEK.
HE IS GOING TO TURN THAT INTO A
MOVEIE
MOVIE, AS WELL.