>>> TONIGHT, INSIDE REEL ABILITIES, THE NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL ALL ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT'S LEADING THE NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT TO GET THEIR STORIES INTO THE SPOTLIGHT.

"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, THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND, BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION.

AND BY -- >>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS," I'M JACK FORD.

1 IN 4 AMERICAN ADULTS LIVES WITH A DISABILITY.

WHEN IT COMES TO REPRESENTATION ON SCREEN, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE STILL LARGELY UNSEEN AND UNHEARD.

WE COULD, HOWEVER, BE AT A REAL TURNING POINT FOLLOWING THE RECEPTION AND SUCCESS OF "CODA," THE FILM STARRING THREE DEAF ACTORS AND FOCUSSING ON A HEARING MEMBER OF A MASSACHUSETTS FAMILY.

HERE IN NEW YORK, THE JCC MANHATTAN'S REEL ABILITIES FILM FESTIVAL IS DRIVING THE NATIONWIDE PUSH FOR DEEPER INCLUSION.

THE FESTIVAL IS BACK THIS APRIL 7th THROUGH APRIL 13th, IN PERSON AND ONLINE.

TO SHARE THE STORIES AND THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

HERE'S A LOOK AT ONE OF THE FEATURED DOCUMENTARIES TITLED "ANY GIVEN DAY," WHICH FOCUSES ON THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN CHICAGO.

>> DO YOU KNOW HOW I THOUGHT ABOUT STARTING THIS MOVIE?

I WAS HOSPITALIZED DURING THE MAKING OF THIS MOVIE.

JUST TO START IT WITH THAT.

WHEN HALF THE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS IN CHICAGO CLOSED, THE JAIL POPULATION EXPLODED.

>> I GOT DOCUMENTED SCHIZOPHRENIA.

BUT I'VE BEEN HEARING VOICES SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID.

>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

>> HOW CAN I BE MENTALLY ILL AND AT THE SAME TIME BE A CRIMINAL?

>> WHEN I GOT TO JAIL, I WOUND UP LOSING CUSTODY OF BOTH OF MY CHILDREN.

I DON'T KNOW HOW HIS MEMORY IS GOING TO BE OF ME.

HI, ANTHONY!

>> I'VE STRUGGLED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS FOR MOST OF MY LIFE.

♪ RAIN RAIN GO AWAY >> THERE'S GOOD PERIODS AND THEN IT COMES BACK.

>> WHEN YOU'RE DEPRESSED, TIME MOVES BY VERY SLOW.

VERY, VERY SLOW.

>> YOU CAN RETREAT INTO A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN'T COME BACK FROM.

>> IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOU'RE IN A MAZE AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET OUT OF IT BUT YOU'RE STILL WALKING THROUGH IT LIKE EVERYTHING'S A-OKAY.

>> WHEN THOSE TIMES COME -- >> I AM THAT LIGHT.

>> -- IT'S NOT PRETTY.

>> ARE YOU SCARED OF ME?

>> I SHOULD CALL THE POLICE.

I DO NOT WANT TO FIND MY BROTHER DEAD.

SOMETHING'S WRONG.

>> I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU.

>> THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME.

I FEEL FREE.

>> DO YOU THINK WE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH?

>> YES.

>> I DON'T THINK WE CAN LOOK AWAY FROM WHAT'S BAD.

>> LIFE SOMETIMES IS SAD.

AND SOMETIMES IT'S CHAOTIC.

BUT SOMETIMES LIFE IS PEACHY.

>> I'M JUST TRYING TO TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME.

>> YOU DON'T NEVER KNOW WHAT THE NEXT DAY HOLDS.

>> AND JOINING US NOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE REEL ABILITIES FILM FESTIVAL, WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE WITH US ITS DIRECTOR, ISAAC ZABLOCKI, ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF FILM PROGRAMS AT THE JCC MANHATTAN.

ISAAC, WELCOME TO YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO, I TALKED IN THE INTRODUCTION A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FESTIVAL, BUT LET ME START WITH ASKING YOU THE BEGINNING -- THE ORIGIN QUESTION, IF YOU WILL.

WHY AND HOW DID THE FILM FESTIVAL GET STARTED?

>> WELL, DISABILITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN APART OF MY LIFE AND I CONSIDER MYSELF PART OF THAT COMMUNITY AND VERY MUCH CONNECTED TO THIS COMMUNITY.

BUT I REALLY CAME TO IT FROM THE FILM PERSPECTIVE, AND WHEN I WAS -- RUNNING THE FILM PROGRAM AT THE MARLENE MEYERSON JCC MANHATTAN, I SEE FILM AS A WAY TO CHANGE PEOPLE.

AND IT WAS CLEAR THAT THERE WAS, AS YOU MENTIONED, A LACK OF REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN FILM, AND MORE SO, EVEN THE FILMS THAT DID EXIST, THEY WEREN'T BEING SHOWN.

AND WE WERE ONE OF THE FEW PLACES THAT WOULD TAKE THOSE CHANCES AND SHOW THESE KINDS OF FILMS AND IT WAS CLEAR THAT THIS TOPIC NEEDED A FESTIVAL AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO MEET MY COFOUNDER, ANITA ALTMAN, WHO HELPED GET THIS OFF THE GROUND AND TURNED THIS INTO A COMMUNITY PROJECT.

>> YOU SAY FILM, NOT JUST ENTERTAINING, BUT CAN BE A MARVELOUS TEACHING TOOL FOR US WHEN USED DIRECTLY, OBVIOUSLY, AND THE FESTIVAL DOES DO THAT.

I JUST GIVE US A SENSE OF SOME OF THE TYPES OF THEMES IN FILMS THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR FOR THIS YEAR.

>> FOR THIS YEAR, WE WERE REALLY LOOKING FOR, I'D SAY, BEYOND JUST GOOD FILMS WITH GOOD STORY TELLING, ALSO FIRST-PERSON STORIES.

WE REALLY WANTED TO HEAR FROM THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF THAT, THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, BUT RATHER -- RATHER FROM THE COMMUNITY IN ALL SENSES, AND THAT MEANS HAVING AUTHENTIC REPRESENTATION AND ACTUALLY BEING TOLD FROM WITHIN, FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR AS MUCH DIVERSITY AS POSSIBLE, BOTH WITHIN THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF DISABILITY, BUT ALSO IN ALL SENSES OF THE WORD.

>> ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, NOW YOU AS OUR INTRODUCTION HERE, GIVE US A LIST AND MAYBE A LITTLE CAPSULIZATION -- I KNOW YOU GOT SO MANY OF THEM, SO, THIS IS LIKE ASKING A PARENT WHO'S THEIR FAVORITE CHILD, I REALIZE THAT, BUT GIVE US A SUM HIGHLIGHT, FEATURE FILMS FIRST AND THEN SOME OF THE SHORTS THAT WILL BE PRESENTED.

>> SO, OF COURSE OUR OPENING NIGHT FILM IS A FILM CALLED "THE SPECIALS."

AND IT WAS A HUGE FILM IN EUROPE AND IT'S FINALLY MAKING ITS WAY TO THE U.S. AND WE'RE EXCITED TO PRESENT THAT AND IT IS ON THE TOPIC OF AUTISM AND NE NEURODIVERSITY.

THE CLOSING NIGHT FILM IS A FILM CALLED "IMPERFECT" AND TELLS THE STORY OF REGAN LINTON, WHO IS GOING TO BE AT THE FESTIVAL WITH US AND A THEATER GROUP OF ACTORS WITH ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF DISABILITIES.

SO, THERE'S REALLY SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE THERE.

AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FEATURE FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES, I'LL HIGHLIGHT, OF COURSE, "AMAZING GRACE" IS JUST A GREAT DOCUMENT LITTLE ABOUT A MUSICIAN WHO HAS A DISABILITY AND HER JOURNEY AND CONNECTION TO ART.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S A FEATURE FILM CALLED "POPPY," WHICH IS A NARRATIVE ABOUT A YOUNG WOMAN WITH DOWN SYNDROME WHO IS LOOKING TO BECOME A MOTOR MECHANIC AND KIND OF DEALS WITH THE TOPIC OF EMPLOYMENT AND DISABILITY, WHICH IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.

AND JUST TELLS A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF BEING YOUNG AND LOVE AND LIFE.

>> I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THIS QUESTION, THIS FLOWS FROM THE FACT THAT I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE AND THE HONOR TO BE HONORARY CHAIR OF THE GARDEN STATE FILM FESTIVAL A FEW YEARS BACK, AND WHAT I LEARNED IS THE INTRICACIES OF THE SELECTION PROCESS.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THEN YOU GO ABOUT DETERMINING WHICH FILMS, WHICH SHORTS, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE USED FOR THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL?

>> WOW, THERE'S A LOT THERE.

SO, WE HAVE COMMITTEES AND WE HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTS THAT WE CONSULT WITH AND WE TRY TO HAVE AS DIVERSE A PROGRAM AS PROGRAM.

WE WANT TO INCLUDE AS MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF DISABILITY.

HIGH QUALITY FILMS AT ALL TIME.

THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS SHOW A LOW QUALITY FILM JUST BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS A NEW DISABILITY.

WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT THIS IS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY, EVERYTHING WE PRESENT.

WE FIGHT A LOT.

IT'S AMAZING.

THERE'S NO FILM THAT EVERYONE AGREES ON.

I HAVE NEVER -- >> THAT'S FASCINATING.

>> 14 YEARS OF THE FESTIVAL.

JUST SHOWS SOMETHING ABOUT HUMANITY, HOW WE ARE ALL SO DIFFERENT.

NINE OUT OF TEN PEOPLE CAN LOVE A CERTAIN FILM AND ONE PERSON JUST WON'T OR VICE VERSA.

AND WE TRY TO HEAR ALL THE VOICES AND TRY TO LISTEN TO ALSO HOW TO BE AS PROGRESSIVE AS POSSIBLE AND INCLUDE VOICES IN THE MOST RESPONSIBLE WAY.

JUST RESPONSIBLE REPRESENTATION IS, I THINK, A KEY ELEMENT FOR US.

AND WE LIKE TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE AND REALLY BRING STUFF OUT THERE THAT'S A LITTLE EDGIER AND A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING FOR THE COMMUNITY AND BE THE FIRST TO HAVE DONE IT AND WE'RE PROUD TO -- TO OFTEN HAVE BEEN THE FIRST IN MANY OF THESE AREAS.

I FORGOT TO MENTION BEFORE THE SHORT FILMS WHICH, YOU KNOW, SHOULD NEVER BE OVERLOOKED.

THERE'S REALLY SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.

COVERING RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILY SHORTS, SHORTS JUST ON THE TOPIC OF AUTISM, THEY WERE DOING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MARVELS OF MEDIA PROJECT AND DEAF SHORTS, SHORTS THAT ARE ALL ON THE TOPIC OF DEAFNESS AND MUCH, MUCH MORE.

SO THEY ARE REALLY SOME OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES EVERY YEAR AND I'D SAY, I MENTIONED PUSHING THE ENV ENVELOPE, THE SHORT FILMS, WHEN YOU ARE A SHORT FILMMAKER, YOU CAN DO THAT BEST AND A LOT OF THESE SHORT FILMS ARE REALLY TOUCHING ON NEW GROUND.

>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.

IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO REALIZE SHORT FILM DOESN'T MEAN NOT AS GOOD FILM.

IT MEANS A COMPELLING, POWERFUL FILM, IT'S JUST TOLD IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

LET ME JUST GET -- REAL QUICKLY, IF YOU COULD, I MENTIONED IN THE INTRODUCTION THAT THE RECEPTION, THE SUCCESS OF THE FILM "CODA."

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT HAS BEEN RECEIVED SO WONDERFULLY THIS YEAR?

>> LISTEN, WE'RE AMIDST A REVOLUTION, HONESTLY.

WE'RE AT A TIPPING POINT AND AS FAR AS DISABILITY ACCESSIBILITY AND DISABILITY INCLUSION, I THINK THAT GOES FOR, IN GENERAL DIVERSITY EFFORTS AND THIS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, THE -- THE ADA, THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT PASSED 31 YEARS AGO AND THE CULTURAL CHANGE HAS NOT HAPPENED YET AND THIS HAS BEEN AN UPHILL BATTLE.

AND WE ARE PART OF THAT MOVEMENT.

WE'RE PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT MOVEMENT AND WE'VE BEEN WATCHING THIS CHANGE OVER THE 14 YEARS OF THE FESTIVAL.

WE'VE SEEN DRAMATIC CHANGE.

WE'RE SEEING IT AT THE OSCARS MORE AND MORE EVERY YEAR, AND, OF COURSE, THIS YEAR, "CODA" BEING THAT LEAD VOICE THERE.

THERE'S A GREAT FILM "AUDIBLE" THAT'S A NOMINEE THAT'S FANTASTIC.

AND WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE REPRESENTATION.

IT'S -- WE'VE GOT A LONG WAIL TO GO, WE ARE NOT THERE YET, BUT I'M PROUD AND HONORED TO SEE THAT WE'RE SEEING CHANGE AND WE'RE SEEING MORE FILMS THAT WE CAN INCLUDE EVERY YEAR AND THAT MAKES US, YOU KNOW, MAKES OUR JOB EVEN BETTER.

>> YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING AND THIS WILL BE MY LAST QUESTION TO YOU, GOT LITTLE BIT LESS THAN A MINUTE AND A HALF HERE, AND YOU'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, THAT ONE OF YOUR GREAT HOPES, AS SUCCESSFUL AS THIS FESTIVAL HAS BEEN, ONE OF YOUR GREAT HOPES IS THAT AT SOME POINT IN TIME IT MIGHT BE SORT OF RENDERED OBSOLETE.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

>> I MEAN, SOME DAY I HOPE THE PLAYING FIELD IS COMPLETELY LEVELED AND THERE'S ROOM FOR ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE TO HAVE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO GET ROLES, TO HAVE THEIR STORY TOLD, TO BE PRESENTED, TO BE APART OF THE NARRATIVE, AND IN FIRST PERSON.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THEN WE WON'T NEED TO NECESSARILY HAVE TO CHANGE THINGS WITH THESE -- WITH THIS KIND OF FESTIVAL.

AND PREVENT THESE FILMS, BECAUSE THEY'LL JUST BE PART OF EVERY -- EVERY FILM THAT WE SEE OUT THERE.

AND TRUTHFULLY, THAT'S OUR GOAL.

>> REAL QUICK, FOLKS WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE FESTIVAL, WHERE DO THEY GO?

>> REELABILITIES.COM/NEW YORK, BECAUSE WE ARE IN CITIES ALL ACROSS THE WORLD.

BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE NEW YORK CITY ONE.

AND YOU CAN FIND ALL THE INFORMATION.

WE'RE GOING TO BE IN PERSON AND FULLY VIRTUAL AND FULLY ACCESSIBLE IN BOTH RAISING THE BAR ON ACCESSIBILITY.

>> GREAT TO HEAR, ISAAC.

ONCE AGAIN, ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR, GOOD LUCK WITH IT ALL.

YOU'VE DON WONDERFUL WORK.

AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO IT ALL THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YOU TAKE CARE NOW.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>>> WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS," I'M JACK FORD.

FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, JOURNALIST MARIA HIN HOSSA MADE IT HER LIFE'S WORK TO REPORT ON THE LIVES AND STRUGGLES OF SOME OF AMERICA'S MOST MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.

HER RIGOROUS JOURNALISTIC EYE ALONG WITH HER GIFT OF ILLUMINATING THE HUMANITY OF HER SUBJECTS HAS EARNED HER A NUMBER OF AWARDS INCLUDING A PEABODY AND MULTIPLE EMMYS.

NOW, HOWEVER, SHE'S TURNING THAT JOURNALISTIC EYE ON HER HERSELF.

HER NEW BOOK IS TITLED "ONCE I WAS YOU: A MEMOIR OF LOVE AND HATE IN A TORN AMERICA," THAT TELLS THE STORY OF HER OWN EXPERIENCES AS A AMEMEXICAN AMERICAN WOMAN.

AND HOW THE RHETORIC OVER IMMIGRATION POLL SIICY HAS SHAP AMERICAN POLITICS.

MARIA -- >> HEY, JACK, IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

SO, THIS IS, I'M GOING TO SAY, IT'S A MARVELOUS BOOK.

>> THANK YOU.

>> IT'S JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL INTERWEAVING OF YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AND OBSTACLES AND STRUGGLES.

AND THE BIGGER PICTURE OF HISTORY AND IMMIGRATION.

LET ME START WITH, IF I CAN, THE -- I'M ALWAYS FASCINATED BY THE TITLES OF BOOKS.

AND I LOOKED AT YOURS AND I SAID, OKAY, "ONCE I WAS YOU."

I'M GOING TO ASK MARIA ABOUT WHERE THAT CAME FROM AND THEN I READ THE ANECDOTE THAT YOU START THE BOOK WITH.

GIVE ME A LITTLE SENSE OF THAT ANECDOTE AND HOW THAT BROUGHT YOU TO THIS TITLE.

>> YEAH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, JACK, I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE FASCINATING WITH TITLES SO THAT I KNOW TO CALL YOU NEXT TIME -- >> IT'S THE HARDEST THING TO DO.

>> WE DIDN'T HAVE A TITLE.

WE WERE STRUGGLING.

AND THEN WE HAD A FRESH TAKE AND SOMEBODY WROTE THE INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK, WHICH I WROTE -- I WROTE THE INTRODUCTION AFTER THE BOOK WAS DONE AND IT WAS A MOMENT.

AND A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE TOLD ME, YOU KNOW DON'T ALWAYS WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU REMEMBER, WRITE ABOUT THE THINGS YOU WISH YOU COULD FORGET.

>> I THOUGHT THAT WAS A FABULOUS LINE.

I SAW THAT, I SAID, WHAT GREAT ADVICE TO A JOURNALIST AND A WRITER.

>> RIGHT?

AND SO THEN I THOUGHT, WHAT DO I WISH I COULD FORGET, WHAT IS THAT THING?

AND I REMEMBER THIS SCENED IN THE McALLEN AIRPORT RIGHT AROUND THE TIME WHEN SOMEBODY WAS BECOMING AWARE OF THE FACT THAT CHILDREN WERE BEING RIPPED OUT OF THE ARMS OF THEIR PARENTS AS A FORM OF POLICY AND PUNISHMENT FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE BASICALLY REFUGEES AND SO I -- I SEE THIS LITTLE GIRL IN THE AIRPORT AND, YOU KNOW, JACK, BACK WHEN WE WERE FLYING AROUND, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TIME, I HAVE A LOT OF GOOD AIR PORT -- I KNOW HOW TO JUDGE AIRPORT VIBE.

LITTLE KIDS IN AIRPORTS ARE ALWAYS HAPPY.

PERIOD.

THIS LITTLE GIRL WAS NOT.

SHE WAS SITTING THERE ALMOST CATATONIC BUT GORGEOUS AND THEN I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A GROUP OF KIDS THE SAME.

ALL JUST, LIKE, BLANK FACE.

AND THEN I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

I WAS WITNESSING A GROUP OF THESE CHILDREN WHO HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM THEIR PARENTS AND WAS NOW BEING TAKEN SOME PLACE ELSE ON A FLIGHT IN McALLEN.

AND SO AS A JOURNALIST, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST, LIKE, OH, MY GOD, THIS IS MY MOMENT, AND SO I WENT AND I SAT NEXT TO HER AND I STARTED SPEAKING WITH HER AND THEN, OF COURSE, SOON AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO WERE TRANSPORTING THESE CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, GOT THEM INTO LINE, I COULDN'T SPEAK TO THEM, I WAS TOLD I COULD NOT SPEAK TO THEM AND THEN I WAS SPEAKING, AS WE SAY IN SPANISH, I STARTED SPEAKING OUT LOUD IN SPANISH TO THESE PEOPLE WHO WERE TRANSPORTING THE CHILDREN AND I SAID, IN SPANISH, "I WANT THESE CHILDREN TO HEAR ME, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO CARE ABOUT THEM, WHO CARE ABOUT THEIR WHEREABOUTS, WHO DON'T SEE THEM AS A THREAT OR THE ENEMY."

AND THEN AS I WAS WRITING, I SAID, I WANTED THIS LITTLE GIRL TO HEAR ME, BECAUSE I WANTED HER TO KNOW THAT, I SEE YOU, BECAUSE ONCE I WAS YOU.

AND THEN THE THING THAT HAPPENED, JACK, IN THE WRITING OF THIS BOOK, AND FRANKLY IN THE POLICIES UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, IS THAT I REALIZED SOMETHING THAT I -- I JUST DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF IT, BUT WHEN I ARRIVED IN THIS COUNTRY WITH PRIVILEGE, WITH A GREEN CARD, WITH MY MOTHER, BY PLANE, TO MEET MY FATHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, SO WE'RE TALKING PRIVILEGE, NOT WEALTH, BUT PRIVILEGE, IMMIGRATION AGENTS IN TEXAS AT THE DALLAS AIRPORT TRIED TO TAKE ME.

AND THAT -- THAT IS PART OF THE STORY AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT.

AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THIS PARTICULAR ADMINISTRATION, IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO KIND OF SEE THAT TRAUMA.

>> IS THAT THE WHY?

BECAUSE NEXT QUESTION I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU WAS THIS, AND BY THE WAY, THAT FIRST -- THAT ANECDOTE MAKES YOU -- I READ IT AND I SAT BACK AND I SAID, OH, OKAY YOU NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY FOR HER, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.

>> YEAH.

>> WHY NOW?

WHY THIS BOOK?

BECAUSE THIS IS -- YOU COULD HAVE WRITTEN THIS TEN YEARS AGO, YOU COULD WRITE IT TEN YEARS FROM NOW.

WHY NOW?

>> SO, JACK, YOU AND I ARE JOURNALISTS, WE ARE VERY USED TO DAILY DEADLINES, WEEKLY DEADLINE, YOU KNOW, WE -- WE WRITE LIKE THIS.

WELL, BUT YOU'RE A BOOK WRITER, SO YOU KNOW.

TO ME, BOOK WRITING IS LIKE, OH, MY GOD, NO, THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS WRITE A BOOK, BECAUSE IT TAKES SO MUCH OUT OF YOU.

AND SUCH A COMMITMENT.

I DIDN'T WANT TO WRITE A BOOK, ACTUALLY, I WAS AFRAID.

AS YOU KNOW, I'M VERY HONEST ABOUT THESE THINGS, SO, I ADMIT THAT I WAS REALLY SCARED OF WRIFING ANOTHER BOOK, BUT IT WAS 2016 AND I HAD THIS VIRAL MOMENT ON MSNBC WHERE I SAID TO STEVE CORTEZ, A TRUMP SURROGATE, I SAID, ILLEGAL IS NOT A NOUN.

HE WAS USING THE TERM, OH, THOSE ILLEGALS OVER THERE.

THE FIRST THING THE NAZIS DID WAS DECLARE THE JEWS AS ILLEGAL PEOPLE.

A COLLEAGUE SAID, OH, THAT'S THE BOOK.

I SAID, OH, I CAN WRITE A LITTLE POCKETBOOK, YOU KNOW, THE KIND THAT WE USED TO PICK UP WHEN WE WERE AT THE AIRPORT AND YOU JUST PICK IT UP AND READ IT IN ONE SITTING?

I WAS GOING TO WRITE THAT.

BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, I CAN WRITE THAT BOOK, THAT'S A SMALL BOOK.

MY PUBLISHER, WHEN I ENDED UP GETTING AN AGENT, ET CETERA, THEY WERE LIKE, WE ACTUALLY DON'T WANT A SMALL BOOK, WE WANT A BIG BOOK FROM YOU.

AND THAT'S WHEN I WAS LIKE, OH, MY GOLD.

>> WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO?

>> AND YOU KNOW WHAT, ALSO, WHEN I WAS -- I HAD JUST FINISHES IT AT THE END OF 2019, I WAS LIKE, NOBODY'S GOING TO CARE ABOUT THIS BOOK, THE BOOK IS ALREADY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING NEW TO SAY, AND SO I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY IT FEELS SO PERFECT FOR THIS MOMENT, BECAUSE IT -- YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST LIFE THAT LEAD ITSELF TO BE THIS WAY AND I DON'T KNOW -- IT'S WEIRD, I NEVER SAID THIS BFSH, BUT IT HA BEEN FOR THIS PARTICULAR ADMINISTRATION, MAYBE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FORCED IN A WAY TO WRITE THIS BOOK.

>> IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME FOR IT.

LET ME ASK YOU, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S THIS INTERESTING WORK AND YOU'VE DESCRIBED IT AS A HISTORICAL MEMOIR AND SO THE MEMOIR PART IS FASCINATING AND IT'S AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE HISTORY, YOUR HISTORY, OUR HISTORY.

I WAS STRUCK BY THE FACT THAT WITH THE GREAT SUCCESSES YOU'VE H HAD, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FIRST DAY YOU WALK INTO THE NPR NEWSROOM AND YOU DESCRIBED HERSELF AS BEING TERRIFIED.

WHY TERRIFIED?

>> OH, MY GOD.

WELL, LOOK, JACK, THERE WAS JUST NO WAY TO GET AROUND IT.

IT WAS THE FIRST LATINA HIRED TO WORK IN THE NEWSROOM AT NPR.

THE FIRST, IT WAS 1985.

SO, OF COURSE, YES, I HAD GRADUATED FROM BARNARD, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I WHRITE ABOUT IN THE BOOK A LOT IS THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME.

ALWAYS FEELING LIKE, AM I SUPPOSED TO BE HERE?

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FIND OUT THAT I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

THAT'S ONE OF THE THEMES THROUGHOUT THE BOOK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY CONNECTED TO.

SO, I -- I WAS TERRIFIED.

I HAD A TREMENDOUS POSSIBILITY.

TO ME, IT WASN'T JUST LIKE, OH, YOU GOD A JOB AS A JOURNALIST.

IT WAS, TO ME, YOU GOT A JOB AS A JOURNALIST AT NPR BECAUSE OF THE KIND OF JOURNALIST ALREADY, BECAUSE I WAS A BUDDING JOURNALIST THAT BARNARD, THAT YOU BECOME.

AND THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO JAY WHO HIRED ME, THE CREATOR OF "MORNING EDITION" AND FORMER PRODUCER AT "60 MINUTES" AND IS NOW AT CBS SUNDAY MORNING.

HE HIRED ME BECAUSE OF THE PERSON I WAS, TO BRING THAT INTO HIS NEWSROOM, BECAUSE HE SAW THAT.

SO, IT WASN'T ADDED WEIGHT.

IT WASN'T JUST, IT'S THE FIRST DAY ON MY JOB, IT'S THE FIRST DAY ON THE JOB AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO ABSOLUTELY SAW ME AS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION HIRE.

BUT THE WAY I DEALT WITH IT WAS, I'M IN THIS ROOM, I'M IN THIS PLACE, I HAVE PRIVILEGE, I'VE GOT RESPONSIBILITY, I'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING NOTE JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR ALL OF THESE STORIES THAT NEED TO BE TOLD.

>> YOU THINK -- YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 1985, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED BY HEARING THAT YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON AND IT WAS 1985.

DO YOU THINK OF THAT OUR NEWSROOMS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BROAD, CABLE, DIGITAL, ONLINE, DO YOU THINK WE ARE -- WE ARE WHERE WE SHOULD BE IN TERMS OF RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK LIKE US OR SOUND LIKE US?

OR ARE WE STILL WAY BEHIND ON THAT?

>> WE'RE STILL WAY BEHIND.

AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT, JACK, IS BECAUSE THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING JOURNALISTS OF COLOR AND OF CONSCIENCE AND, BY THE WAY, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A JOUSHLIST OF COLOR TO BE A JOURNALIST OF CONSCIENCE, BUT THE TRAJECTORY WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY IS SO ESSENTIAL.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU READ THIS BOOK, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT, IT'S CALLED "NEWS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE" WRITTEN BY JUAN GONZALEZ, AND WHAT IT DOES IS, IT TALKS ABOUT THE ROLE PARTICULARLY OF JOURNALISTS OF COLOR AND WHEN I UNDERSTOOD THAT, I WAS LIKE, NOW I UNDERSTAND MY ROLE.

I'M TIED TO FREDERICK DOUGLASS, WHO WAS BORN INTO SLAVERY AND LAUNCHES THE FIRST BLACK-OWNED, BLACK-EDITED NEWSPAPER IN OUR COUNTRY.

AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS ACTUALLY DOING THE BEST JOURNALISM THAT WE CAN DO.

IMAGINE IF FREDERICK DOUGLASS HAD BEEN EDITOR IN CHIEF OF "THE WASHINGTON POST" FOR EXAMPLE.

IMAGINE HOW WE WOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OR COVERING THE ISSUE OF SLAVERY IF HE HAD BEEN THE EDITOR IN CHIEF?

NOW, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN EDITORS IN CHIEF HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE PEOPLE, THEY'RE GREAT JOURNALISTS, BUT YOU ONLY SEE -- THAT'S WHY I LOVE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BEING RAISED BY A SINGLE MOTHER, YOU HAD TO -- YOU WERE NOT A CHILD OF PRIVILEGE, YOU HAD TO FIGHT TO GET INTO THIS BUSINESS.

BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU BRING INTO THE NEWSROOM THAT EFFECT HOW YOU SEE THE STORIES.

AND THE TRUTH IS IS THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS INCREDIBLY DIVERSE, WE ALL KNOW IT, HAS BEEN SINCE FOREVER.

THE MORE DIVERSE OUR NEWSROOMS ARE, THE BETTER JOURNALISM WE DO.

PERIOD.

IT'S NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.

AND IT'S ACTUALLY BETTER BECAUSE THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MARKETS TO SELL TO OR IN THE CASE OF PUBLIC MEDIA, MARKETS THAT WILL WANT TO DONATE TO PUBLIC MEDIA.

>> IT'S A QUESTION OF THE QUALITY OF THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE.

I COULD TALK FOREVER WITH YOU ABOUT THIS.

IT'S SUCH A MARVELOUS BOOK.

SO MANY MESSAGES, AS YOU SAID, HISTORICAL MEMOIR, ONE OF THE GREAT MESSAGES, I WISH I COULD TALK MORE, I'M OUT OF TIME.

MESSAGES DON'T GIVE UP.

WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

ONCE AGAIN, THE BOOK IS TITLED "ONCE I WAS YOU: A MEMOIR OF LOVE AND HATE IN A TORN AMERICA."

MARIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

IT'S A PLEASURE.

LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU AGAIN REAL SOON HOPEFULLY.

>> THANK YOU, JACK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> YOU BE WELL.

>>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND, BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION.

AND BY --