[ latin music plays ] >> "here and now," the program featuring the news and interests of the african-american community. here's your host, sandra bookman. >> coming up, a look at the genetic connection to breast cancer. one woman shares her life-changing decision. later, the ywca's new campaign to help women and girls form positive relationships and break down barriers. plus, music mogul mathew knowles, father of beyonc\, reveals his formula for success in a new book, "the dna of achievers." but first, yet another nypd police officer was killed in the line of duty this week. 33-year-old officer randolph holder was a five-year veteran of the department. "eyewitness news" has been following this story. >> limping, thanks to a police officer's bullet that pierced his leg, tyrone howard said nothing and studiously avoided eye contact with a pack of

reporters as detectives placed him into the back of a police car for the beginning of a very long legal journey, facing a charge of first-degree murder for the execution of one of new york's finest -- a department, an entire city now in mourning.... [ sirens wailing ] ...after last night's mayhem. the chaos across east harlem started with a running gun battle between gang members at 102nd and 101st, witnessed by two cops on a public-housing rooftop. police say the 30-year-old howard was one of the shooters and ran north from 102nd up the fdr drive promenade, stopping to steal someone's bike and pedaling for freedom. but that's when officer randolph holder and his partner were making their way south, looking for howard, and they all crossed paths. >> when he approaches them on a bicycle, he puts the bike down, he pulls out his weapon, and he fires one time, striking the

officer in the front of the head. >> his partner shot howard in the leg, and cops took him down a few blocks away. this video obtained by "eyewitness news" shows the massive police response. today, city leaders expressed outrage the alleged cop killer was on the street in the first place. a career criminal with 18 prior arrests and wanted for a different shooting this past september, it turns out he'd been released from prison last year, thanks to a court-mandated drug-diversion program. >> he would've been the last person in new york city i would've wanted to see in the diversion program. he has shown no propensity with the number of arrests over many his ways. >> if i'd known that was the last time i'd -- i would've told him not to go out for duty if i'd known. "stay at home." >> but randolph holder jr. was all in, chasing down the bad guys with gun in east harlem tuesday night. it's what he did.

>> he was a good, fun-loving citizen. very proud to be a member of the police force. >> his father last spoke to him tuesday afternoon around 2:30, right before his tour. >> we were speaking about music equipment. >> mayor bill de blasio and commissioner bill bratton delivered hugs and support to the family home wednesday afternoon. holder's father and grandfather were both police officers back in guyana, but the 33-year-old, the only one slain in the line of duty. >> and this gentleman, this well. he served this nation. he came here from guyana with a mission to follow in his father's footsteps and his grandfather's footsteps to serve in the police department. >> off the job, holder loved reading, socializing with his friends and family, and soca. >> his record was so impeccable, i mean, you hear from the police department. he was on the force for about

five years, but his record reflected more arrests than some people who've been on the force for 15 years. so this was a man who loved what he did, he took it serious, and he lost his life because of it, unfortunately. >> now, when we come back, an encore presentation, as we take a look at one of the little-known chapters in the history of the nypd. it's the larger-than-life story of samuel battle,

>> "one righteous man: samuel battle and the shattering of the color line in new york" is a new book that tells the courageous story of the first black new york city police officer. now, samuel battle broke the color barrier on the police force, enduring hostility on the job and on city streets. joining us today -- pulitzer prize-winning journalist and the author of "one righteous man," arthur browne. thank you so much for being with us this afternoon. >> thank you for having me, sandra. i appreciate it. >> this book really is a walk-through history, through new york city history, in a lot of ways -- and even the country's to a smaller extent. what drew you to sam battle's story? >> okay. in 2009, an amateur historian had known about sam battle and known that he'd been the first cop on the new york city police force, that he'd broken in in 1911. he persuaded new york city to place a sign up on the intersection of lenox avenue and 135th street. the daily news did a little

story. they called him the jackie robinson of the police department. i'd worked with the daily news for 35 years as a journalist and never thought about the concept, never wondered, "how did all this start?" so i went back to find out and research, and that's what led to the book. >> and when you started digging, man, did you find out some interesting things -- i think one of them that this man realized, to a certain extent, what place he held in history, and he commissioned langston hughes to write a biography. >> correct. around 1949, as he was ending his public career, he knew that he had done great things, that he'd overcome enormous obstacles, and he also knew that it would be forgotten. so he did hire hughes, paid him $1,500 to write his first-person biography. >> mm-hmm. >> it was never published. there are a number of reasons for it, but the overriding reason why that book was never

published was that the mainstream publishers of the time were not in any way interested in a biography of a strong black hero who challenged the prevailing racism of the time, including of the nypd. so the manuscript was simply put away until i happened to cross it when i called sam battle's grandson, who took my breath away in the course of the conversation by saying did i know that he had hired langston hughes in 1949 to do the biography. >> so you worked with that material, your own research, and put together this book that, as i said, really is not only samuel battle's history, but a history of new york city with, i mean, every colorful character you could name from that period that he was part of the police department. >> i hope so because samuel battle was both a super-intelligent person, and he had this large outgoing personality that, from the time he arrived in new york city,

around the turn of the 20th century, he engaged with every major black figure of the time, whether it was jack johnson the boxer or entertainers or gangsters or politicians -- whoever it was, sam battle got involved, and he got involved in the civil rights struggle. and, really, what he was part of was an american civil rights movement before america knew that it had a civil rights movement. and so, because he was so engaged, his life story became a natural vehicle for telling the history of black new york from around 1900 to 1950. and i believe all the big events and all the big characters are in there. >> yeah, he saw new york city change. he saw the position of black people in the city change. it's interesting to learn about where the center of black new york was in one decade versus -- you know, how it shifted to harlem. he lived on striver's row.

he bought one of the first houses. >> he does follow the migration of blacks in new york city from around columbus circle, which was the heart of black life early in the 20th century. he becomes one of the founding citizens of black harlem in 1906, well before it was a black community, when there was still enormous white racial hostility. and along the way, personally, he becomes the first black cop, suffers threats, suffers ostracism, suffers every attempt to push him off the job -- decides that, if the white men on the force won't talk to him, he's gonna study. and what he's gonna do is -- "you won't talk to me? one day, i will give you orders." >> and that's what happened. >> and that's what happened. he became a sergeant, he became a lieutenant, he became a close friend of fiorello laguardia, and at the end of his life, he was by then a close friend of first lady eleanor roosevelt. so he had this remarkable rise

in new york city history that covered an enormous amount of material. >> were you surprised -- as i read it, one of the things that struck me was how, you know, some of the relationships, cultural relationships, at that time, mirror what's going on on the streets today. i mean, yes, there's been an enormous amount of change, but some of the attitudes and idea-- it's the same. >> correct. you can draw lines, and you're right. many things have changed for the better, but right now we are in a period of tension between the police department -- and police departments across the country -- and the black community. if you go through the book, from 1900 to 1910, there were incredible white police riots against blacks. that's when it's at its worst. over time, it diminishes, but there is always a sense that the

the rights of black citizens and overly enforcing the law with far too much strength. and so you can -- for example, in the '30s, the police felt perfectly free to break into almost any home in harlem to search for gambling slips, right -- no warrant, just a tip, break in, search the drawer, search everything. now, you can draw a line, if you'd like to, between that and stop-and-frisk. >> mm-hmm. >> at least the feeling of intrusiveness is the same, and you can argue about the merits of it, but the feeling that it's overly done is the same. >> i'm gonna -- they're telling me i'm running out of time, so i want to ask you one last question. why do you think it is so important that people know this story, particularly at this time? >> i think it's important to know this because the roots of so many of our problems today started back then in the police department. and it also talks about what

happened in the fire department. and i also think it's important to recognize samuel battle as one of the true civil rights icons of new york, if not america, who was simply written out of history because he was black. >> all right. arthur browne. "one righteous man: samuel battle and the shattering of the color line in new york." really fascinating reading. >> thank you so much, sandra. i appreciate it. >> next on "here and now," what you need to know about the genetic connection when it comes to breast cancer.

"here and now." this is national breast cancer awareness month, and we're turning our attention to the direct connection between breast cancer and genetic defects of mutations. erika stallings joins us today to talk about how her family history of breast cancer led her to a life-changing decision. also joining us, dr. kathie-ann joseph, chief of breast surgery and associate professor of surgery at nyu langone medical center and bellevue hospital center. welcome to both of you. >> thank you. >> erika, i'm gonna start with you, 'cause you have an interesting backstory, and i'm gonna try to shorten it, 'cause it really is interesting, but i really want to hear your experience here. your mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, initially, at 28. 14 years later, the breast

cancer returned, reoccured. >> right. >> she then learned that she had the brca2 mutation. am i saying that correctly? >> yeah, you're saying it correctly. >> which meant you probably should get tested. >> correct. >> so we pick up your story. you kind of put of getting tested, right? >> yeah. so my mom found out that she was a brca2 carrier my senior year of college. i was getting ready to go to law school in d.c. you know, i had the school-sponsored health insurance. i didn't really know if it was gonna cover genetic testing. then i moved to new york in the middle of the recession. you know, my first year of working as an attorney, i didn't have health insurance. and then, you know, when you're an attorney, a lot of it is billing hours, billing hours, billing hours, and so i was like, "let me get really established in my career, you know, before i decide to do something that might require me having to take some time off of work and, you know, deal with all that kind of health stuff." >> and you weren't sick. let's make that clear. >> right. >> so you were making decisions like a lot of people do, based

the time, based on, "well, i'm okay now. and wait." that's what you did. >> right, and i think for me, you know, i saw my mom go through chemotherapy. i saw her go through chemotherapy twice. and i also saw, like, the psychological aspect of it. you know, in those 14 years in between, you know, she was in a survivor group, and she'd always see other people in her survivor group pass away. and so i think she was always king of living under the fear of getting breast cancer. so for me, i was like, "well, if i get tested," i knew there was a very high chance i would want to have the preventative surgery. so i wanted to wait till i had met someone that i at least thought that i had a chance of getting married to before i underwent the testing. and in the summer of 2014, that had kind of happened. like, my job was stable. i had been dating someone for about a year. so i finally said, "let me pick up this card and make the phone call." >> and you found out that you did have the gene mutation. >> right. so, you know, it's a blood test. so i got the test done in june, and then i got the results in july.

>> and tell us about the decision that led you to make and why you decided to do this. >> yeah, so if you are brca positive, there's three different options that you can undergo. one is to enroll in high-risk surveillance, which means that you get a mammogram and mri every six months. you know, for me, though, just 'cause you do that, it doesn't mean that you don't get breast cancer. it just means that they catch it very early, and there's not a guarantee that you don't have to go through chemotherapy. and, you know, what chemo does to your body, you know, my mom's actually in a study at unc hospitals now about whether chemotherapy has long-term impacts on short-term memory and concentration. and also, too, you know, being an attorney, i didn't want to live my life in a way, like, every six months, it's like, "are you sick? are you sick? are you not sick?" the second option is to take chemopreventative drugs, which is tamoxifen. that impacts your fertility, and, you know, i don't have kids yet, and so that wasn't really an option. and then the final option is to have a preventative mastectomy.

so that cuts your risk down from about, you know, 70-80% down to less than 5%. and they've made a lot of advancements in the reconstruction process. so you can now keep your -- you know, you can do a nipple-sparing mastectomy. you can keep your nipples. you know, they have a lot of other technologies to make the breasts feel really natural. >> mm-hmm. >> you know, for me, i remember when my mom called me and told me that she had breast cancer again, and i knew how hard that was for her and i knew how hard that was for me, and it feels like, if there's anything i can do to not have to make that phone call to my loved ones, i wanted to do it. >> and so you did the double mastectomy. >> right. >> okay. how are you doing now? good. you know, i had the mastectomy in december of 2014. it's about a two-to-three-week recovery period. councilor. right now, i still see her every six months, 'cause if you're brca positive, you also have a higher level of risk of getting

ovarian cancer, and you also have a slightly elevated risk for getting melanoma. so she kind of makes sure that i get all those other screenings that need to be done. but, you know, for the most part, every day, as time goes on, the breasts feel more and more like my breasts. >> mm-hmm. well, they are yours. >> i mean, yes, yes. >> [ laughs ] >> i guess i feel like they've been with me forever. >> yeah, so, hey, they're yours. >> yeah, so i'm doing really well. i mean, my job was very supportive of me needing to take time off. and just ever since then, you know, it's become really important to me. >> there's a lot of studies, and i'm sure kathie-ann can talk about it, that, you know, black women are less likely to be recommended by their doctors to get genetic testing, even though it's a population that may really need it. >> well, let me bring the doctor in now. why is that? >> well, i think that there is this perception in the public eye, and even among the medical field, that the brca gene was, first of all, identified in the ashkenazi jewish population, and it is more common in the

ashkenazi jewish population. so we just don't think of african-american women having the brca mutation. but in reality, the brca gene has been identified in every ethnic population. and, in fact, with brca2, which is what erika has, it's actually a little bit more prevalent in african-americans than white women. it's about 2.6% prevalence versus 2.1%. so slightly higher. and that's something that most people don't appreciate. so it's really important that african-american women and our doctors understand that the brca gene can occur in african-american women, and we have to pay attention to our family history. >> and i know you don't have all day to tell us, but it's a mutation, essentially. instead of doing what it's supposed to do, it turns cancerous? >> so, basically, it's a tumor-suppressor gene, and so what happens is that with that

so what happens is, then you're at a higher risk of developing cancer, and it's a very increased risk. it's up to 85-86% lifetime. so that's why it's so important to identify women before they get cancer. so, like erika, you have options as to what you can do to help prevent getting breast cancer or being more proactive -- taking medication, having surgery, or having close surveillance. >> and as erika pointed out, you may have a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer, as well. >> so there's a lot of focus on breast cancer, but there's also an increased risk, somewhere around 15-40% lifetime risk of getting ovarian cancer, and it's a little bit harder to screen for ovarian cancer. so we do transvaginal ultrasounds as well as ca 125, but they're not great screening tests. we do recommend that, you know,

by 40, you know, if you're done having children, that you should think about having your ovaries and your tubes remove. >> breast cancer caught early is the best option. so what is the takeaway message here for women? you look at erika, who looks 12, to be perfectly honest. >> thanks. >> she does. >> you know, what's the best age to start either think about gene testing? we know that if you've got a direct relative, if a mother or i guess if an aunt or a sister has the gene mutation, it's a good chance you should. so you should definitely get tested. there's so much conflicting information about what age women should get tested, should you get your mammograms? >> right. well, first thing is, talk to your family, and that's on both sides -- mother or father -- 'cause the gene can get passed down on either side. and if you do have a family history, we generally recommend starting to screen 10 years prior to the youngest case in

your family. so if, for instance... >> her mother was 28. >> which was quite young. she should've been being screened in her 20s, actually. and with mris -- we don't do mammograms in the 20s, but with mris. so it's not too early. you know, you really can get screened in the 20s. people think, "oh, i can't get screened." you can. so you really have to talk to your doctor and get that information and talk to your family. do not be afraid to talk about cancer. >> and, erika, you made the right decision for you. >> yeah, no, definitely. i mean, one thing i always try to tell people is that, you know, my decision doesn't have to be everyone else's decision. you know, a lot of it is based history is. so, you know, my doctors looked at the file and said, "look, your mom had cancer for the first time when she was 28 and she triple-negative cancers. to us, this indicates that the mutation you all have is much more aggressive." you know, they were like, "if your mom had had cancer when she was 35, 36, or 40, you know, we might tell you, you know, 'get your mammograms, get your mris,

later.'" so, you know, i don't want the takeaway to be like, "if you get tested and it's positive, you have to surgery." it's more, really, just about, like... >> educate yourself. >> right, educate yourself, get a good genetic counselor and find a doctor you feel comfortable with and then make those decisions. >> all right, thank you both for taking the time to talk to us this afternoon. when we come back, a new ywca campaign to change the negative labels attached to girls and

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>> the ywca is on a mission to help women and girls form positive relationships and break down barriers. the ywwomankind campaign focuses on the importance of forming intergenerational relationships. dr. danielle moss lee, president of the ywca of the city of new york is joining us today to talk about this important initiative. so nice to see you again. >> thank you so much for having me again. >> this is really timely and important work. so tell us exactly what ywwomankind is. >> ywwomankind is really about generating conversations around the ways in which women and girls do and don't support each other at home, in communities, and in the workplace. and i know that you have three items that you're really focusing on here to make this focused and most effective.

the first target area -- slut-shaming. >> right. so a couple of years ago, there was a case that got national attention about a young woman, a high school student, who was the victim of a violent sexual assault while she was unconscious. and one of the things that really bubbled up from the story for me was that the most critical shaming came from other girls in her high school. >> mm-hmm. >> even though she was visibly not in a position to consent, visibly impaired during the assault, and i really wanted to start to think about and unpack, "how can we as women guide our young girls in positively supporting each other during times of crisis. >> and not necessarily just during times of crisis.

the issue, social media is an avenue that seems to make this really easy to do these days. >> very easy to do, and it kind of intensifies the bullying experience. >> mm-hmm. >> because we take our technology with us. >> yeah. >> so now you have young people not just being bullied in school, right? you're being bullied in your community, in your home. whereas maybe you could start a rumor and 20 kinds might find out about it, now you can mobilize an entire school against a student based on the availability of technology. and this is all new for all of us as parents, as educators, as community leaders, and also as young people. so making sure that we're continually having those conversations about creating safe, brave spaces for young people, and really making it okay to say, "let me think critically about this issue, this event."

>> and the next one of your target areas -- active workplace mentoring and sponsorship. i mean, you know, that's something you'd like to think is really ongoing, but it sounds like you really want to call people's attention to it and get some people that may think, "oh, it's a good idea," but not necessarily involved in that at this point in time, to actually get involved. >> so, you know, one of the things that kind of spurred my thinking around this was i was at a cocktail party with a group of black, white, asian, latina women, talking about their corporate experiences. and while they all belonged to affinity groups within their firms, one of the things that i heard repeated over and over again was, "when i first got into this business," or, "as i have moved around within my company, when i see a woman who's more senior, i want to be able to assume that she's there to help me, to be a resource, to be a guide, to be a sponsor,"

and really not being able to count on that experience. >> and you want to get women to start thinking about that and >> right. we can't really move the needle on sexism in the workplace if we are not willing to verbalize how women are experiencing work/life balance, the lack of opportunity and mobility. you do see more women in a lot of firms in law, in finance, but when you look at the upper echelons, when you look at the decision makers, at the ceos, when you look at corporate boards of directors, you're not really seeing women. >> as many women. okay. and the third area is replacing privilege with understanding. >> right, so we have this interesting mission, right, that really comes from the work and life of dr. dorothy height, who got her first job at the ywca of the city of new york, and it's eliminating racism and empowering women. and i've had a lot of folks say,

"oh, are people gonna be offended if we say we want to eliminate racism?" >> [ laughs ] >> but really, there is... if you look at any aspect of a woman's life, whether it's her health, whether it's economic mobility, whether it's housing, and you account for race, there are disproportionalities across the board that uniquely affect the lives of women of color and black and latina women in particular. and so if you can't name that and you can't talk about it and you can't get comfortable talking about the intersection of race and gender and how we are disproportionately disadvantaged in every single aspect of our existence, then you can't really make progress. >> now, they're telling me i'm running out of time here. you're asking people to sign on for pledge? >> right, so we have this pledge at ywcanyc.org.

and we want women to really make a commitment to themselves, to their communities, to the women in their lives, to be more conscious about the ways in which they support each other. and if they are able to share a story, either written or via video on your phone about a woman who has really had a remarkable difference in your life. because i think so much of what we see out there says that women are not really good at supporting each other, and i think that all of us have a woman who has touched our lives in a meaningful way. >> let them know, and then you touch somebody else's life. and that's ywcanyc.org. and also #ywwomankind. >> absolutely. >> thank you so much for being with us again. >> thank you so much for having

>> what does it take to become a music mogul with nearly 25 years of creating superstar careers in the industry?

award-winning executive producer and father of superstar beyonc\ reveals his formula for success in a new book, "the dna of achievers: 10 traits of highly successful professionals." mathew knowles is here in the studio with us today. thanks so much for being here. >> thank you, sandra, and, you know, i just heard you're from houston area. >> yes, i am. >> so that makes you h-town proud. >> yes, a fellow texan. >> yes, very much so. >> okay. today, huh? you're gonna answer all my questions. >> you're gonna be nice to me, because we're both texans. >> [ chuckling ] okay. all right. i'll remember that when i have something really hard to ask you. what made you decide to sort of put all the things that you've learned over the years into this book? >> well, i'm an educator, and i teach at texas southern university. and i've always wanted to write, and part of being a professor is you do have to write. for me, it was, what was going

>> i pondered, was it gonna be about destiny's child, was it gonna be about my life, but i chose a different path. i chose to motivate and to educate, and that's my passion. and when you travel as much as i do -- you can relate to this. you're on the plane or at a restaurant, and you start a dialogue conversation to the neighbor, and i found out that everybody, most of the time, would light up when they start talking about what they did. >> mm-hmm. if they're lucky. >> yes, if you're lucky. and they would talk about these different things about their job and about themselves, and i began to hear consistently reoccuring traits. and i started thinking about my friends, and i started thinking about myself, and i said, you know, like a light bulb, "this is what that first book should be." >> mm-hmm. the keys to being a success and achieving. and you list the 10 things. i mean, one of them, you said

important, at least to start out -- the passion. >> it is. you can't go to the other nine without that first one. you know, passion is that fire, that thing that gives us joy, the excitement. the thing when we go to bed at night and wake up in the morning -- that's passion. and without that, you can't do the other thing. and the second thing is work ethics. and you can't have work ethics unless you have a passion, because when you live your passion, you never work a day in your life. >> yeah, and you don't mind getting out there and doing the work. in the book, you use the stories from other successful people. was it difficult to get some of those people to sign on, to tell you what you think? roy willis, b. smith, colin cowie, the head of nike, reggie saunders, elsa garc^a. was it difficult to get them to share their secrets with you? >> not one person, sandra, said

no. and i was concerned about that. not one person even hesitated. they all were excited about doing it, and i have so much respect for these men and women -- so much respect. >> and, you know, why is it that you don't want to keep your secrets secret? what is that? i mean, what is that thing that makes you and these other people so willing to share what it is that helped them to become that success? >> well, one of the traits is giving back... >> mm-hmm. >> ...you know, when you have the opportunity to give back. and for me, it's a special meaning, because i grew up in gadsden, alabama, on a dirt road with an outside bathroom. my parents were very, very poor. i never knew we were poor. and then have the opportunity -- i'm the first to go to college in my family. and then to see my kids be successful and have joy in their life, you know, it has a special meaning for me to give back.

and i give back in a number of ways, and people give back. it's not always money. sometimes it can just be a hug and say, "i love you." >> now, i have you here, so i have to ask you -- i can't have beyonc\'s dad sitting on the set and not talk to you about that. you mentioned work ethic. you know, a lot of people talk about how pretty she is and that talented, but you think that work ethic that she learned from you is one of the biggest keys to why she is arguably the biggest start on the planet today? >> well, i go back to the book. i think it's passion. i think it's her passion, the joy. and i was telling to someone -- you know, i've had a number of interviews this morning. and i was talking about -- i've never, ever seen beyonc\ that i had to say, "hey, beyonc\, it's time for rehearsal. she's like, "hey, dad, i don't want to miss my rehearsal." i mean, she's always been that person that you have to say, "hey, that's enough." and then, she'll say, "i want to do it again."

and that's why i spend so much time on that first trade of passion. and, oh, by the way, i'm fortunate. i have two very successful daughters. >> yes, you do. >> solange, in my mind, in my eyes is equally successful, and she chose to do it another way. and that's why i really love what she's done because she thinks outside of the box. she's not a box-in thinker like most people are. >> yeah, she is something of an artist. she's certainly a fashion icon. >> oh, absolutely. >> and she's a wonderful photographer, as well. >> yeah, she's been gifted. and a songwriter -- most of those destiny's child songs and some of beyonc\'s first and second albums -- solange wrote those songs. >> now, you talked about this being your first book, and you talked about possibly considering writing about destiny's child. any of those things in the works? >> yeah, well, i'm almost completed with the destiny's child book. >> mm-hmm. >> and destiny's child, the true story, you know, the

destiny's child, a true story -- my third book, i've kind of did a sketch, and it's called "racism from the eyes of a child." and it talks about growing up in the '50s in gadsden, alabama, and my mother going to high school with coretta king in marion, alabama, and myself being the first -- being one of the first in elementary, one of the first in junior high, one of the first in gadsden high, one of the first at the university of tennessee at chattanooga and even in my professional life being one of the first to sell c.t. and m.r.i. scanners in america. and i'll talk about that. >> so that achiever is always there. >> yes. >> and i have to ask you before you go -- look, you know, you've talked about having two successful children, and we know how successful beyonc\ is. but when you have that sort of success, it almost -- look, it's wonderful. everybody says they want it, but there's a lot of craziness that comes with it, too. it changes the trajectory of all

how difficult or easy has been dealing with all of that and still being able to go out and be mathew knowles, teach for eight years at a university, watch your children be even more successful than you are but still navigate that living in the public eye? >> well, i don't know if they're more successful than i am. >> [ laughing ] okay. >> you know, being the first and going through being the first at something is a different measure of success. being -- doing something that's been done before, that's a little different. i'm proud of what everyone's accomplished, so i'm just proud. you know, you asked the question -- you know, social media is our way of life, but you just stay grounded. you stay grounded. you stay focused. you know, my passion is, every -- my day -- five hours straight, i teach at texas southern university. and i just had my midterms. that's my passion -- educating and motivating. >> okay. mathew knowles. >> thank you very much, sandra.

>> a pleasure to meet you. i don't even know if i need to say "best of luck" to you. >> well, no, you do, and we have to tell people to go buy that book... >> yes. >> ...tomorrow. >> "the dna of achieving -- of achievers." >> "of achievers." thank you. >> thank you. next on "here and now," a new picture-book biography that takes readers on a young boy's inspiring life journey from leg braces to juilliard to the

>> the inspiring new children's picture book "my story, my dance" is based on the lift of robert battle, the artistic director of the world-renowned alvin ailey american dance theater. it tells the story of how the young robert's passion for movement, to dance helped him overcome physical and personal challenges. joining us today, mr. robert battle. so nice to have you back on the show. >> thank you. great to be here. >> this is my new favorite picture book. >> oh, well, thank you. >> it is absolutely lovely. are you happy with the finished product? >> i am overjoyed really. >> did you know you were such a fascinating little boy? >> i -- no. [ both laugh ] i'm gonna say no because i should. >> that was a trick question, robert.

>> [ chuckling ] yes. >> and it wasn't quite fair. >> yeah. >> what made you believe that your life, you know, would make a good story for young audiences? >> i think, just as -- i always felt i had this sort of, you know, guardian angel, you know? i always felt that there was someone walking through this life with me -- and certainly, my great uncle, willie horn, who adopted me from my mother when i was 3 weeks old, or, as he would say, "no bigger than a loaf of bread." >> [ chuckling ] yes. >> the stories that he told me, you know, just sort of the life i was leading -- i felt it would mean something to someone someday. i definitely always had that sense of destiny. >> and, in a lot of ways, it is so magical. >> yeah. >> you know, this little boy -- you get adopted by these relatives. you move to miami. >> yeah. >> and the thing i didn't know about you -- i'm reading the story, and i'm like, "how did i

braces on as a child because you were very bowlegged when you were born. >> yes, and they said they had to put the braces on my legs at night, usually while i slept. >> mm-hmm. >> and sometimes, i would try to get up and fall down because i didn't know they were on and trying to adjust to that. so, it's interesting that i chose dance and dance chose me. it was almost -- there was something about the restriction that created the dance of my life. >> i think it was -- honestly, if you don't believe in destiny -- i think it was your destiny. >> absolutely. >> and i think that's one of the remarkable. >> yes. >> and it's a lesson in perseverance for children with sort of a magical edge, but it's all, you know, very realistic. >> yes. >> it could be their lives. >> yes, yeah, growing up in liberty city, one of the poorest neighborhoods in miami, florida,

hopelessness about what one could be. and then, seeing the alvin ailey american dance theater when i was very young, that really gave me that sense of hope. so, for me, my hope is that people reading this children's book will see something reflective of their own lives, you know? we all have a story to tell. and maybe they will see that, "i can do something with this story. i can transform my life." >> how does it feel to be able to show this story to your family and, in a sense -- 'cause i'm sure you've said "thank you" in so many ways. >> yes. >> but, in a sense, seeing it in words and pictures, they get a chance to see into your heart, you know, how that life and what they were able to give you meant to you. >> yes, and there's something about -- i know nowadays, you know, people look at the kindle and do all of that stuff online, but there's something about a book.

>> yes, there's nothing like a real book and turning a page. >> right? yeah, and turning the page and having this record, this history that, i think, is wonderful for the family, because they know that they're a part of this book, even if they're not mentioned by name. it takes a village. and certainly, with me, that is true and so much reflective of the alvin ailey american dance theater and of alvin ailey himself. and i think that's why i have this sort of kindred connection with a man i never knew. >> yeah, one of the things you do in the book, too, is that you name all of those people along the way from the music teacher to the kara-- am i saying it right? the martial-arts instructor to the woman that when you said, "i don't think i'm going there," she said basically, "come on, get in this car. you're going." >> yeah, ms. muniz, yes, yes. >> you know, and we all have those people in our lives at some point. >> yeah. well, juanita heard -- if i can tell a quick story -- my piano teacher, who, i mean -- they found out i had an ear for music. my mother played piano for the

church. we went to wactor temple a.m.e zion church. and so, they got me piano lessons. they were $6 a half hour once a week. and this piano teacher, juanita heard, she scared me, you know? she was very extravagant and wore scarves and smoked little, tiny cigarettes... [laughs] and, you know, would yell at me and all of this stuff. and so, i would cry every lesson until i got used to her. years later, i'd stopped taking piano. and she was sick with cancer. she met up with me, and she took me to the store, even when she was ill, and bought me all of these suits. and so, then, my mother called her and said, "it's nice, but why did you buy him all these suits?" and she said, "someday, he's gonna meet presidents and kings and queens, and that boy is gonna need a suit." and that's what this is all about. >> yeah, and i think, reading this story -- to hear a parent read it to their children... >> yeah. of it. and i think that you're right.

your story, then whatever their >> yes. it. >> absolutely, absolutely. >> now, the book is available now. >> yes, you can preorder online, but officially it comes out october 27th. >> yes. >> now, and, of course, the alvin ailey -- the big season is about to start. >> oh, my goodness. >> what are we, a month away or so, a month and a half away? >> yeah, yeah, we start december 2nd, yeah. >> in the last minute here, you know, i'm gonna ask you what do you have special for us this >> oh, my goodness. it's gonna be fabulous. >> [ laughs ] i would expect you to say no less. >> yes, i will be making my first world premier on the company since i took over in 2011. >> mm-hmm. >> also, ron brown, ronald k. brown, who's amazing, is doing a world premier. also, we're bringing back one of mr. ailey's -- a couple of mr. ailey's beloved works, the first one he created for the company in 1958, "blues suite." also the iconic solo made on the great judith jamison -- "cry" will be coming back into the

repertory, as well. so, there is a lot. and we're celebrating judith jamison's 50th anniversary with the organization on new year's eve. so, lots, lots to celebrate. >> a whole lot to celebrate, and we have to tell people, again, "my story, my dance" -- perfect, perfect, perfect for a gift for some young person you love. congratulations... >> thank you so much. >> ...on the book and your fabulous life you've managed to put together for yourself. >> well, thank you. >> thank you. and thank you for joining us on "here and now." if you missed any portion of today's show, you can watch at abc7ny. and if you'd like to comment or share your story, e-mail us at abc7ny or follow us on facebook and twitter. i'm sandra bookman.