'A Fighting Optimism': Bruce Springsteen And Barack Obama On Politics In 2021 | NPR

Barack and Bruce. Obama and Springsteen. The Boss and Mr. President. Or maybe you can just call them renegades.

Launched in February, the 'Renegades' podcast consisted of a series of candid conversations between iconic musician Bruce Springsteen and former President Barack Obama, recorded in the summer of 2020 during the height of the pandemic.

As they discuss their lives and careers, the recurring thread of their conversations is one that's a shared passion: the love of their country, despite its flaws and troubled history (and present struggles).

Now, their podcast has been turned into a book. 'Renegades: Born In The USA.' Ahead of the Oct. 26 release, Obama and Springsteen sat down in their studio at Springsteen's New Jersey farm — where they recorded the podcast — for an interview with Audie Cornish, co-host of NPR's 'All Things Considered.'

Among the topics discussed in the interview was critical race theory. That part of the conversation is excerpted here.

• Read or listen to"In a new book, Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen envision a more unified America" at

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