MetroFocus: January 26, 2023

> EIGHT LUCKY PEOPLE HAVE WON THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, A TRIP TO ORBIT THE MOON.

TONIGHT, ONE OF THE CONTEST WINNERS AND NEW YORK FILMMAKER JOINS US AS WE PREPARED TO RECORD HIS EXPERIENCE AND GO WHERE NO CIVILIAN HAS GONE BEFORE.

'METROFOCUS' STARTS RIGHT NOW.

♪♪

> THIS IS 'METROFOCUS,' WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD, AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

> 'METROFOCUS' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, FILOMEN M. D'AGOSTINO FOUNDATION, THE PETER G.

PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND, BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, AND BY --

> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO 'METROFOCUS.'

I'M RAFAEL PI ROMAN.

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A GROUP OF EVERYDAY CIVILIANS WILL BE GOING TO SPACE TO ORBIT THE MOON.

THE SPACEX EXPEDITION KNOWN AS DEAR MOON IS BEING PAID FOR BY JAPANESE BILLIONAIRE ENTREPRENEUR YUSAKU MAEZAWA, WHO HAS SELECTED EIGHT DARING INDIVIDUALS TO JOIN HIM IN THIS INTREPID FLIGHT FREE OF CHARGE.

OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE APPLIED FOR THE SIX-DAY JOURNEY, ALL ARTISTS WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN OUTER SPACE.

THE EIGHT LUCKY WINNERS WERE THOSE WHO MAEZAWA BELIEVED WOULD PUSH THE BOUNDARIES AS A RESULT AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THIS UNIQUE POSITION.

AMONG THE EIGHT ARTISTS CHOSEN IS BRENDAN HALL, BORN IN CONNECTICUT AND NOW BASED HERE IN NEW YORK CITY IS A DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKER, AND HE JOINS US NOW.

WELCOME.

GOOD TO BE HERE.

I DON'T KNOW IF I ENVY YOU OR IF I'M SO GLAD I'M NOT YOU, BUT IN ANY EVENT, THE AUDIENCE WILL DECIDE.

LET ME START WITH THIS, BRENDAN -- WOULD YOU ELABORATE ON WHAT THIS PROJECT IS SNABT COULD YOU TELL US HOW IT CAME TO BE AND A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT ITS POSITION IS?

ABSOLUTELY.

IT COMES FROM YUSAKU MAEZAWA AND HIS VISION FOR THIS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT HE -- I CAN'T SPEAK FOR HIM, BUT HE, BASED ON WHAT HE'S DONE IN HIS LIFE, WANTS TO KIND OF PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF CULTURE, THE BOUNDARIES OF ART, HIS OWN PERSONAL COMFORT ZONES.

HE'S ALSO BEEN TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AT THIS POINT AS A PRIVATE SPACE TOURIST, AND SO I THINK THAT HE JUST HAD A VISION THAT WE HAVEN'T YET SEEN ARTISTS AND CREATIVES GO UP INTO OUTER SPACE.

YOU KNOW, SOME OF HIS KIND OF ORIGINAL LANGUAGE BEHIND THIS WAS, WHAT IF BEETHOVEN, WHAT IF MOZART THAT GONE UP?

WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE CREATED?

I DON'T THINK I'M MOZART, BUT FOR US TO BRING OUR OWN WALK OF LIFE TO THIS IS THRILLING AND UNIQUE.

IT IS THE FIRST CIVILIAN MISSION TO DEEP SPACE.

WE ARE GOING AROUND THE MOON, AND KIND OF THE MISSION IS TO CREATE WORK IN OUR RESPECTIVE FIELDS FROM MUSIC TO PHOTOGRAPHY TO FILM TO KIND OF BRING THIS EXPERIENCE BACK TO PEOPLE AND HOPEFULLY IMPACT OUR PLANET IN A POSITIVE WAY.

SO, TAKE US BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF ALL THIS FOR YOU.

FIRST OF ALL, HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THIS PROJECT, AND WHY DID YOU WANT TO GO?

WERE YOU ONE OF THOSE KIDS THAT ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT AND GO TO OUTER SPACE?

YEAH, SO WHAT KIND OF SHOCKS ME IS I WASN'T.

I ALWAYS LOVED THE NIGHT SKY.

AND PERSONALLY AS A FILMMAKER, AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, BEING UNDER THE STARS AND FILMING TIME LAPSES AND SEEING THE MILKY WAY WERE SOME OF THE MOST PROFOUND EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE.

DO I LIKE THE NIGHT SKY, AM I FILLED WITH WONDER?

ABSOLUTELY.

I DIDN'T DREAM OF GOING TO SPACE, BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ME.

I WAS JUST ONLINE ONE DAY AND SAW IT IN AN ARTICLE.

SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT I BARELY REMEMBER STUMBLING UPON IT AND I JUST APPLIED ON A WHIM, THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS.

IS THIS REAL?

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN.

BUT MY LIFE IN GENERAL I TRIED TO TAKE THE PHILOSOPHY OF GO FOR A BETTER STORY AND PUSH MY COMFORT ZONE.

SOY APPLIED ON A WHIM, AND I SAID, I COULD HAVE GOTTEN A COFFEE OR DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAT DAY AND I MIGHT NEVER HAVE SEEN THIS, AND TO THINK OF WHERE IT'S LED NOW, IT GIVES ME SHIVERS JUST THINK ABOUT IT.

HOW DID YOU BECOME ONE OF THE CHOSEN ONES?

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU WERE PICKED AMONG THE OVER MILLION APPLICANTS?

IT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND PEOPLE ASKED ME THIS -- WHY YOU?

NOT TO OFFEND YOU, BUT, WHY YOU?

DOESN'T OFFEND ME AT ALL.

IT'S THE FAIREST QUESTION YOU COULD ASK, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY.

I THINK PART OF IT IS THE WORK I CREATE.

I'M A DIRECTOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER AND EDITOR.

I MAKE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, FAME FILMS OF NATURE AND ESPECIALLY THE HUMAN CONNECTION TO NATURE.

I THINK WE LEARN PLACES AND FEEL THEM THROUGH EXPERIENCING THEM, SO THAT WAS THE SPIRIT I WANTED TO BRING TO THE MISSION.

I FILM NIGHT SKIES, FILM NATIONAL PARKS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND I HAVE BEEN ALL AROUND THE WORLD IN SOME REALLY REMOTE EXPEDITIONS AS WELL, AND I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT HUMAN STORY TO THIS.

WE'VE SEEN IMAGERY OF THE MOON AND WE'VE SEEN IMAGERY OF THE EARTH, AND THIS AMAZING LEGACY OF ASTRONAUTS GOING UP THERE, BUT THIS NEW GROUP OF CIVILIANS EXPERIENCING THIS, THE TRANSFORMATION WE HAVE, BEFORE AND AFTER, I THINK IS JUST GOING TO BE A REALLY POWERFUL STORY AND MOMENT.

AND SO I THINK PART OF IT WAS MY WORK AND PART OF IT WAS THAT IDEA.

I SAID, WHETHER IT'S ME OR SOMEONE ELSE, THIS IS A HUMAN STORY, AND I REALLY HOPE WE CAN CAPTURE IT LIKE THAT.

IT'S PART OF YOUR MISSION TO DOCUMENT THE JOURNEY, THE BEFORE BE AFTER OF IT AS WELL MANY.

EXACTLY.

SO WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING KIND OF WHAT PRODUCT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT THAT'S MY GOAL IS TO GIVE AN INSIDE PERSPECTIVE FOR PEOPLE AND BRING THEM ALONG FOR THE RIDE AND SEE WAYS THAT THIS CHANGES ALL OF US -- BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER.

TELL US ABOUT THE OTHER SEVEN PARTICIPANTS, THE SEVEN OTHER ARTISTS CHOSEN FOR THIS TRIP.

WHAT IS THEIR ART, AND WHERE DO THEY HAIL FROM?

YEAH, SO THEY HAIL FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD.

REPRESENTATION FROM JAPAN, INDIA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND NIGERIA.

YOU HAVE EVERYONE FROM RIHANNAN ADAM, PHOTOGRAPHER, ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER, A MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST ALL THE WAY UP TO AN AMERICAN DEEJAY STEVE AOKI.

TOGETHER IT'S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE WE COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALL DIFFERENT AGE RANGES.

I THINK THE YOUNGEST IS DEV, AND THEN THE OLDER CANDIDATES ARE CLOSER TO THEIR 40s OR 50s.

YEAH, IT'S JUST -- I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE WAY THAT EVERYONE BRINGS THEIR PERSPECTIVES TO THE MISSION.

HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TOGETHER IN PERSON ALREADY, OR NOT YET?

I'VE MET MOST OF THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS, YEAH, BOTH DURING THE SELECTION PROCESS -- WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME EXPERIENCES TOGETHER, AND I THINK THIS NEXT PHASE IS ABOUT ALL OF US GOING TO DIFFERENT EVENTS AND EVENTUALLY TRAINING, WHICH THERE'S NO TIME LINE FOR, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE SO INTERESTING HAVING US ALL IN THE SAME PLACE GOING THROUGH THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER.

YEAH, YEAH.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE TRAINING IN A SECOND.

BUT FIRST OF ALL, AS WE HAVE BEEN SAYING, YOU'RE ALL CIVILIANS.

IN FACT, THE PRESS RELEASE REFERS TO YOU GUYS AS THE ALL-CIVILIAN CREW.

SO THAT BEING SAID, WHO'S FLYING THE SHIP?

.

[ LAUGHTER ] YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, TOO.

I DON'T THINK WE HAVE EXACT INFORMATION ON THAT JUST YET, BECAUSE STARSHIP IS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DEVELOPED BY SPACEX.

BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS I FULLY TRUST IN SPACEX'S PROCESS.

IT'S GOING TO BE AN AUTONOMOUS SHIP AND CONTROL IN THE SO MANY WAYS FROM THE GROUND HERE.

I JUST HAVE MY FULL TRUST IN THAT PROCESS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO UPDAING YOU DOWN THE LINE.

SO THERE WILL BE A NAVIGATOR AND PILOT AND ALL THAT, WE SHOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT THAT, THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF FLYING BACK --

YEAH, YEAH, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS WE'RE NOT CHOSEN BECAUSE OF OUR AVIATION SKILLS.

WE LEAVE A LOT OF THAT IN THE HANDS OF SPACEX.

I COULDN'T IMAGINE A MORE TRUSTWORTHY ORGANIZATION TO WORK WITH.

BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT THE SPACECRAFT YET?

HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SEE HOW COMFY THE ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE?

SO THEY'RE STILL DEVELOPING IT, SO NOT YET, BUT WHAT'S AMAZING IS IT'S THE LARGEST ROCKET IN HISTORY, AND THEY'RE ABOUT TO DID THEIR FIRST ORBITAL TEST FLIGHT.

IT'S CALLED STARSHIP, AND STARSHIP IS BEING DEVELOPED ALSO TO WORK WITH NASA'S ARTEMIS PROGRAMS, SO IT WILL BE THE SPACECRAFT THAT DOES NASA'S NEXT MOON LANDING.

IT'S AN EXCITING PART OF THIS NEW SPACE LEGACY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO AN ORBITAL FLIGHT AT SPACEX.

SO THEY'RE WAITING UNTIL THEY LAUNCH STARSHIP WITHOUT A CREW, ORBIT IT AROUND THE EARTH, AND THEN LAND.

ONCE THAT GOES THROUGH SUCCESSFULLY, THAT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE STEP TOWARDS THE REST OF ALL THIS.

SO WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED.

BRENDAN, I KNOW THAT WILLIAM SHATNER WENT TO SPACE WITH JEFF BEZOS, BUT COMPARED TO THE MISSION THAT YOU WILL BE UNDERTAKING, THAT WAS LIKE A LITTLE WALK AROUND THE BLOCK.

I'M SORRY TO BRING THIS UP, BUT I HAVE TO SAY, IT'S THE FIRST THING THAT I THOUGHT OF, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGER SPACE SHUTTLE TRAGEDY.

I MEAN, I ACTUALLY SAW IT LIVE ON TV WHEN IT HAPPENED, AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AND I THOUGHT ABOUT CHRISTY McAULIFFE, I BELIEVE, THE CIVILIAN OF THE CREW.

I THINK OUR VIEWERS KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, THE WHOLE SAD THING.

DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

ARE YOU AFRAID?

IS YOUR FAMILY AFRAID FOR YOU IN.

YEAH.

SO I TOOK THIS DECISION VERY SERIOUSLY, AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE TRAINING AND MONTHS LEADING UP TO IT.

NOT THE TRAINING, BUT THE SELECTION PROCESS.

YOU KNOW, I HAD TO REALLY THINK DEEPLY ABOUT THIS AND PAST THE EXCITEMENT, PAST THE OPPORTUNITY IT WOULD BRING.

AND I REMEMBER BEING AT CAPE CANAVERAL, THE TOURIST CENTER THERE, JUST TOURING AND WALKING AROUND AND GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION I CAN FROM MUSEUMS.

I WALKED THROUGH THE HALLS OF THE CHALLENGER EXPLOSION, OF THE DIFFERENT KIND OF MEMENTOS.

I FELT THAT.

THAT'S HEAVY.

AND I THINK THAT THAT LEGACY HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT AND THEY GAVE SO MUCH FOR US TO HELP TELL THESE STORIES, BECAUSE WE ALL BELIEVED IN THIS GREATER THING OF SPACE FLIGHT.

AND I REALLY BELIEVE IN THAT, TOO.

AND IT WASN'T AN EASY DECISION TO MAKE, BUT I MADE IT WITH MY FAMILY, WITH MY PARTNER, GABBY, AND IT WAS A LOT OF DEEP THINKING AND EXISTENTIAL THINKING.

BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS IT FEELS LIKE THE MOST MEANINGFUL THING I COULD DO WITH MY LIFE, AND I REALLY HOPE TO TAKE ALL THAT ENERGY OF FEAR AND NERVOUSNESS AND PUT IT BOTH INTO THE TRUST OF SPACEX AND JUST THE HARD WORK TO CREATE THE BEST PROJECT I CAN AND TELL THE BEST STORY.

SO, YEAH, THERE'S FEAR AND THERE'S NERVES, BUT, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, I'VE TAKEN THE LEAP AND SIGNED ON, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS.

IT'S GOING TO BE A SAFE AND AMAZING JOURNEY.

I'M EXCITED.

THAT'S THE CONCERN THAT IS OF COURSE INEVITABLE, THAT WILL COME UP, THAT SOMETHING COULD GO WRONG.

BUT AS WE HAVE BEEN SAYING, IT'S SUCH AN EXCITING TRIP WITH SO MANY POSSIBILITIES.

WHAT'S THE MOST EXCITING ASPECT OF THIS TRIP FOR YOU, THE ONE THING?

I THINK IT'S JUST SEEING OUR REACTIONS ONCE WE'RE UP THERE.

BECAUSE THAT'S THE PART THAT'S THE MOST UNKNOWN, YOU KNOW?

THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE CAN'T PREDICT.

THERE'S SO MUCH WE'RE GOING THE GO THROUGH PERSONALLY, AND A LOT OF THE MOST FULFILLING MOMENTS OF IT SO FAR ARE MOMENTS I COULD HAVE NEVER EXPECTED.

BUT I THINK THAT AS A FILMMAKER, WHAT I REALLY LOVE IS PROJECTS WHERE I'M CHASING SOME IDEA OR SOME MOMENT, AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT'S GOING TO UNFOLD, BUT SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHERE YOU SEE SOMEONE SO IMPACTED BY AN EXPERIENCE.

I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PART OF THE TRIP WE CAN'T PREDICT HOW WE'RE GOING TO FEEL OR PREDICT HOW IT ALL HITS US.

YEAH, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY LIVING IN THOSE UNKNOWNS, BUT I KIND OF HAVE THE FAITH IT'S GOING TO BE A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE.

BRENDAN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO END IT THERE.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

CONGRATULATIONS.

I HOPE TO TALK TO YOU WHEN YOU GET BACK.

AND IT'S GOING TO BE SOME TIME THIS YEAR.

SO LISTEN -- SO, THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY.

IT WAS A REALLY PLEASURE TALKING TO YOU.

MY PLEASURE, TOO.

THANK YOU.

> SO, HOW DOES A -- BROUGHT UP IN SOME OF THE TOUGHEST AND MOST IMPOVERISHED URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE COUNTRY RISE THROUGH ACADEMIA TO BECOME A LEADING ASTROPHYSICIST?

THAT'S THE REAL LIFE STORY OF DR. HAKEEM OLUSEYI, A WORLD RENOWNED SCIENTIST AND PROFESSOR WHO OVERCAME SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE AT ODDS TO BE WHERE HE IS TODAY.

IT'S A STORY OF DREAMING BIG BE THE MAGIC OF SCIENCE.

HE DESCRIBES THAT JOURNEY IN HIS FANTASTIC MEMOIR ENTITLED 'A QUANTUM LIFE: MY UNLIKELY JOURNEY FROM THE STREET TO THE STARS.'

HE JOINS US NOW TO SHARE THAT STORY AS PART OF OUR CHASING THE DREAM INITIATIVE ON POVERTY, JUSTICE, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA.

DOCTOR, WELCOME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

SO LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THAT JOURNEY, AND THEN I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE MESSAGES IN THE BOOK.

AND AGAIN, IT'S A MARVELOUS BOOK.

TO A WONDERFUL, COMPELLING READ.

AN INSPIRATION, CERTAINLY.

SO OFTENTIMES, SPEAKING OF INSPIRATIONAL, WE'LL HEAR ADVICE GIVEN TO YOUNG PEOPLE THAT SAYS, YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE IF YOU REALLY WANT TO.

BUT YOU LOOK AT YOUR STORY AND LOOK AT WHERE YOU GOT TO, AND AGAIN, THE HIGHEST LEVEL, WORLD RENOWNED SCIENTIST, BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE YOU GAME FROM, AND YOUR FIRST REACTION HAS TO BE, HOW UNLIKELY IS THAT JOURNEY.

GIVE US A SENSE OF CONTEXT, GIVE US A SYNOPSIS OF WHERE YOU CAME FROM AS A CHILD AND ADOLESCENT.

I GUESS WHAT'S SO UNUSUAL AND I MADE IT THROUGH ACADEMIA, AND THERE WAS ZERO ACADEMIC HISTORY IN MY FAMILY.

MY FATHER DROP OUT OF SCHOOL WHEN HE WAS 9 YEARS OLD.

HE WAS BORN IN RURAL MISSISSIPPI IN 1933.

MY MOTHER DROPPED OUT WHEN SHE WAS 16 YEARS OLD.

SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH MY OLDER SISTER.

JUST TO GIVE MORE CONTEXT, MY MOTHER'S MOTHER ALSO DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL AT 16, PREGNANT, AND SO DID MY OLDER SISTER, BRIDGET.

NOT ONLY WAS I THE FIRST PERSON TO GET AN ADVANCED DEGREE, I WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN MY IMMEDIATE LINAGE TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL.

IN PREVIOUS GENERATIONS IT DIDN'T HAPPEN EITHER.

ON TOP OF THAT, MY FAMILY WAS SOMEWHAT INVOLVE IN THE CRIME.

ON MY MOTHER'S SIDE, HER FAMILY IMMIGRATED FROM NEW ORLEANS TO LOS ANGELES.

I WAS ONE OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION.

MY COUSINS WERE PART OF A NEWLY A MERGING SOCIAL CLUB IN LOS ANGELES CALLED THE CRIPS.

AND MY FATHER'S SIDE, THEY WERE FARMERS, HUNTERS AND BOOTLEGGERS AND MY FATHER TOOK THE BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL BY BECOMING A LARGE IMPORTER AND WHOLESALER OF MARIJUANA, AND MY FATHER INCORPORATED ME INTO HIS BUSINESSES FROM THE AGE OF 9.

YOU TALK ABOUT HOW OFTEN YOU MOVED.

RIGHT.

CONSTANTLY.

PACKING UP, GETTING INTO THE RED MAVERICK YOU DESCRIBE.

AND DIFFERENT PLACES AND STARTING AGAIN.

YOU MENTIONED THE INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME.

THE TERM YOU USE IN THE BOOK IS GANGSTER NERD, WHICH IS FASCINATING.

I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE EVER SEEN THOSE WORDS JUXTAPOSED.

TELL US --

I LOOK ADD MY LIFE WITH MY FAMILY AND COMMUNITY, I CALLED IT CRIME SCHOOL.

EVERY FAMILY WASN'T LIKE MY FAMILY.

WE WERE SORT OF OUTLIERS IN THAT WAY.

BUT THEN I ALSO FELL IN LOVE WITH BOOKS.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME, I DID MOVE EVERY YEAR FROM THE AGE OF 4 TO RIGHT BEFORE I TURNED 14, AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIVE WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

MY MOTHER WOULD LEAVE ME WITH OTHER PEOPLE TO LIVE, SO IN THE LAST 16 MONTHS OF THAT TIME PERIOD FROM THE AGE OF 11 TO 13, I LIVED WITH NINE DIFFERENT FAMILIES ATTENDED FIVE SCHOOLS ACROSS THREE STATES.

THE COMMUNITIES I LIVED IN FOR SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES, HOUSTON THIRD WARD, NEW ORLEANS EAST, NINETY WARD, AND ULTIMATELY RURAL MISSISSIPPI.

AND I LEARNED THAT, YOU KNOW, HUMANS ARE DANGEROUS.

SO INSTEAD OF BONDING WITH HUMANS, I BONDED WITH BOOKS.

MY MOTHER WAS AN AVID READER, AND AS A CHILD, YOU DO WHAT YOUR PARENTS DO, NOT WHAT THEY SAY.

SO MY MOM ALWAYS HAD A BOOK, SO I ENDED UP ALWAYS HAVING A BOOK.

I FOUND MYSELF IN BOOKS.

THERE'S A MOMENT, A STORY YOU TELL IN THE BOOK -- AND SO MANY OF THEM ARE SO GRIPPING BUT THIS ONE IS ESPECIALLY GRIPPING TO ME.

IT'S YOUR EMERGENCE AS SOMEONE WHO'S FINDING A LIFE IN BOOKS, BUT IS ALSO LIVING A LIFE ON THE MARGINS, AND MAYBE OVER THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MARGINS.

YOU TELL THE STORY ABOUT BEING IN HIGH SCHOOL AND YOUR HIGH SCHOOL GETS A NEW COMPUTER, AND YOU'RE MEETING WITH A BUNCH OF SCIENCE TEACHERS THAT THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO WORK THIS.

YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAS TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE BOX AND START IT TO WORK.

YOU'RE TALKING TO ONE OF THEM ABOUT THE SCIENCE FAIR THAT YOU WANT TO DO.

AND THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE PROJECT IS -- I'M A HISTORY MAJOR/LAWYER/JOURNALIST AND I'M READING THIS SAYING, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE'S SAYING.

NEITHER DID THEY, WHICH I THINK IS FASCINATING.

THE ONE TEACHER SAYS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THIS GUY TAKE THE COMPUTER HOME.

HE'S SELLING WEED ON THE HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT AND HOW THAT IS SYMBOLIC OF THAT PERIOD OF YOUR LIFE.

I WAS REALLY LUCKY.

I THINK WHAT'S REALLY SYMBOLIC IN MY LIFE, TOO -- I ALWAYS SAY I GOT BY BASED ON HOPE, HUSTLE, AND HELP.

THE HELP SIDE DIDN'T ALWAYS LOOK LIKE HELP.

IT WAS SORT OF A COINCIDENCE WHERE SOMEONE POPS INTO MY LIFE AND LEADS ME TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

SO BACK WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD A GIRLFRIEND NAMED ANITA PAGE.

HER MOTHER WAS A TEACHER AND THEY BOUGHT HER A TRS 80 COLOR COMPUTER FOR CHRISTMAS WHEN WE WERE 16.

IN THE COUNTRY YOU DO WHAT'S CALLED COURTING.

YOU DON'T DATE.

YOU GO TO THE GIRL'S HOUSE ON SUNDAY, YOU SIT THERE ON THE COUCH, OPPOSITE ENDS.

THE FAMILY WATCHES YOU FOR THREE OR FOUR HOURS AND THEN YOU GO HOME.

I THINK, WHY AM I SITTING WITH YOU WHEN YOU HAVE THAT NEW COMPUTER OVER THERE?

LET ME LEARN HOW TO COMPUTER.

LET'S COURT THE COMPUTER.

THAT'S RIGHT.

IT CAME WITH A BOOKLET THAT TAUGHT YOU ABOUT THE PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE BASIC.

I TAUGHT MYSELF THE PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE.

LO AND BEHOLD, WHAT HAPPENS?

OUR SCHOOL GETS A GIFT OF THESE IBM COMPUTERS, 5150, AND NOBODY HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH THEM.

I WAS LIKE, LET ME HAVE A CRACK AT IT.

I WAS ALSO A HIGH SCHOOL MUSICIAN, AND LUCKILY THE BAND DIRECTOR IDENTIFIED ME AS A TALENTED STUDENT.

I WOULD GO TO COMPETITIONS AND HE WOULD ALLOW ME TO TAKE THE EXPENSIVE UPRIGHT BASE HOME WITH ME.

I WOULD CONVINCE THE SCIENCE TEACHERS SAY, LOOK, MR. CROSS LET ME TAKE THE BASS HOME.

GIVE ME THIS COMPUTER AND I'M GOING PUT US ON THE MAP.

IT TOOK CONVINCING BUT I HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL, THE VICE PRINCIPAL, AND OUR LEADING SCIENCE TEACHER MR. BARBER, AND THEY ALLOWED ME TO DO IT.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IS AGAIN, IT'S A HUGE COINCIDENCE.

THESE PROFESSORS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI ARE DOING OUTREACH.

THEY WANT TO GO HELP THE KIDS THAT NEED HELP.

I LIVE IN A COMPLETELY SEGREGATED SCHOOL SYSTEM.

THERE WAS HIDELBERG HIGH SCHOOL, MY PUBLIC SCHOOL A MILE AND A HALF DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE PRIVATE ALL WHITE ACADEMY.

AND SO OUR SCHOOL WAS ACADEMICALLY CHALLENGED.

THE AVERAGE A.C.T. TEST IN MY SENIOR CLASS WAS 7.

NATIONALLY IT'S 16 OR 15.

SEVERAL PEOPLE IN MY CLASS BROKE THE RECORD.

COINCIDENTALLY, I HAD THE HIGHEST SCORE UNTIL MY YOUNGER COUSIN BROKE IT A FEW YEARS AGO.

BUT ANY WAY, I HAD THE RECORD AT MY SCHOOL.

THE IDEA HERE IS I'M BEING A SIMULTANEOUSLY GANGSTER AND A NERD, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THAT TIME PERIOD WHEN I'M OUT THERE ON MY OWN, I LEARN IT'S BETTER FOR ME TO PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE THAN YOU PUNCH ME IN THE FACE.

BETTER ME INTIMIDATE YOU THAN YOU INTIMIDATE ME.

BY THE TIME I'M DOING THE SCIENCE FAIR, I'M CARRYING A GUN EVERY DAY.

I GOT MY OWN BUSINESS LIKE THE TEACHER POINTED OUT.

SO I HAD MY FEET IN THESE TWO WORLDS I WAS BEING PULLED IN TWO DIRECTIONS.

YOU TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS IN THIS THAT ARE SO VERY MOVING AND COMPELLING.

YOU MENTION THE COINCIDENCE OF PEOPLE.

AND YOU HAD A MARVELOUS PROFESSOR WHEN YOU GOT TO STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL.

YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RESILIENCE.

OH, YEAH.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO YOUR STORY AND SAY, OH, MY, AND YOU SAY, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT RESILIENCE?

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?

THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE REASONS I WROTE THIS BOOK.

I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU THINK YOUR LIFE IS MESSED UP, LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT IT TOOK FOR ME TO GET HERE.

I HAVE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS EQUATION.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE PEOPLE WITH -- LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I WAS COMPLETING HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT COLLEGE WAS ABOUT.

I KNEW YOU WENT TO COLLEGE TO BECOME A DOCTOR, LAWYER, TEACHER OF ENGINEER.

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT AN ENGINEER WAS.

BEING AN ATTORNEY SOUNDED AWFUL, RIGHT, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH NEGATIVE PRESS ABOUT LAWYERS, AND IT SOUNDS KIND OF BORING TO MY SCIENTIFIC MIND.

BEING A MEDICAL DOCTOR FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AT THE TIME IT WAS LIKE BECOMING PRESIDENT.

IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT HIGHLY UNLIKELY FOR ME, AND BEING A TEACHER SOUNDED LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

I SEE THE TEACHERS AROUND ME.

NOT WHAT I WANT TO DO.

SO I DIDN'T SEE A PLACE FOR MYSELF.

I THINK THAT'S THE THING -- IDENTITY IS SUCH A FACTOR IN PEOPLE DETERMINING WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND WHAT THEY WANT TO BECOME.

SO THE FIRST THING IS TO LET YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RICH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FROM A CERTAIN COMMUNITY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN HISTORY IN YOUR FAMILY, AND CHANCES ARE YOU HAVE BEEN PSYCHED OUT THINKING THIS AIN'T FOR YOU WHEN IT REALLY IS.

SO WHEN I TALK TO STUDENTS, I ATTACK IDENTITY, BECAUSE THAT IS THE REALLY INSIDIOUS THING.

BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT MY STORY, A LOT OF WHAT I DID THAT WAS NEGATIVE FOR ME, I WAS ACTING OUT WHAT I THOUGHT THE WORLD WAS TELLING ME.

THIS IS WHO YOU ARE.

THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

IN THE SENSE OF, HERE'S WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.

YOU TALK ABOUT, AND HERE'S THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN.

ABSOLUTELY, PART OF IT, ABSOLUTELY.

I'VE GOT ABOUT THREE MINUTES LEFT SO I WANT TO GET TWO THINGS QUICKLY TO YOU, AND ONE IS THE POWER OF MENTORS, PEOPLE WHO SAY, I SEE SOMETHING IN YOU.

ABSOLUTELY.

AT EVERY STAGE IT HAPPENED FOR ME.

MY NAVY RECRUITER, TO MY PEOPLE IN HIGH SCHOOL, TO PROFESSOR McGINN EASY AND BRUNO AT COLLEGE.

YOU WANT TO HEAR HARD CORE MENTORING?

MY FIRST TWO SUMMERS AT COLLEGE I WAS HOMELESS.

SECOND SUMMER I'M SLEEPING IN A DORM ON A BARE MATTRESS.

I WOULD BREAK IN TO SLEEP THERE.

MY CLASSMATE WAKES ME UP AND TELLS ME I HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA I DID NOT APPLY FOR.

I CONTACT MY CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR, AND HE SAID, YEAH, I RECOMMENDED YOU FOR THIS PROGRAM.

THEY GOT THEIR GRANT LATE IN THE YEAR AND DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO RECRUIT.

I SAID, THANKS, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO GET THERE.

HE WENT IN HIS POCKET BE PURCHASED TICKETS TO UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA WHERE I WAS INTRODUCED TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, AND THERE THE PROFESSOR BLEW ME AWAY AGAIN.

BECAUSE I WAS JUDGED BASE ON THE MERIT OF MY WORK.

THEY TREATED ME WITH TRUST.

THESE WERE THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE.

SO I WAS LIKE, RESEARCH IS THE PLACE FOR ME.

THEN I GO TO STANFORD UNIVERSITY, AND LO AND BEHOLD, THERE'S A PERCENTAGE OF THE FACULTY THAT WAS LIKE, WHO LET THIS GUY IN HERE?

WE GOT TO GET HIM OUT.

YOU WOULD THINK A KID WHO RAISED HIMSELF UP THE WAY I DID AND COMMITTED HIS LIFE TO SCIENCE AND PHYSICS, THEY'D BE LIKE, LET'S DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, BUT NO.

SOME PEOPLE -- THERE'S HIERARCHY.

THEY'RE LIKE, HE'S NOT ONE OF US.

I WAS ROUGH.

I WAS ROUGH, I WAS UNDEREDUCATED, BUT I ALSO HAD THIS STRONG WILL.

I COULDN'T BE STOPPED AND I HAD A STRONG MENTOR.

YOU AND I COULD TALK FOR A DAY ABOUT THAT IS ALL, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY, IT'S 'A QUANTUM LIFE: MY UNLIKELY JOURNEY FROM THE STREET TO THE STARS,' DR. HAKEEM OLUSEYI, YOU ARE PROOF THAT YOU CAN INDEED GET THERE FROM HERE.

WITH HELP.

WITH HELP.

WITH HELP.

AND THE RIGHT ATTITUDE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU ONCE MORE.

THANK YOU, SIR.

YOU BE WELL.

TAKE CARE NOW.

YOU AS WELL.

> 'METROFOCUS' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, FILOMEN M. D'AGOSTINO FOUNDATION, THE PETER G.

PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND, BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE