Barack Obama Narrates Growing Up without His Kenyan Dad: "Troubled"
- During a candid conversation with Michelle, Barack Obama addressed divorce rumours before veering into vulnerable territory about his childhood without a present father
- He opened up about being raised by a mix of figures: his mum, grandparents, and a kind stepfather, each shaping his understanding of manhood in different ways
- Barack revealed the emotional toll of piecing together male role models, painting a picture of a young boy learning how to be a man with no idea of how to do it
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Former United States president Barack Obama has shared insight into his unique upbringing as a black man.
Source: Getty Images
Barack recently made an appearance on his wife Michelle’s In My Opinion podcast, where the couple addressed speculation that they were heading for divorce and facing challenges in their marriage.
Was Barack's Kenyan father involved in his life?
As the conversation broadened into raising a family, particularly young black men, Obama opened up about not being raised by his biological father, Barack Hussein Obama Sr, who was a Kenyan man.
“I did not know my dad. He was in Kenya. By the time I had memories, I had none of him, because he left my mother when I was two, and I met him once. I was really raised by my mum and my grandparents, for about four years, my stepfather when we were in Indonesia, who was a very kind man,” Obama shared, reflecting on his Kenyan father walking out of his life.
Obama noted that even though his biological dad was nowhere to be seen, his stepfather helped groom him without trying to fill the void left behind.
“One of the reasons it worked was because he did not pretend like our relationship was more than it was. He was like, ‘Look, I married your mum, I love you, and I’m going to take care of you, but I understand that we are different.’”
He further reflected on how his grandfather, a white man, was also a decent father figure, despite his flaws.
“He had a good heart but was troubled in a lot of ways and had issues,” Obama explained.
The former president admitted that, with his Kenyan dad having walked out on him, he grew up lacking strong male role models and had to figure things out on his own.
“I did not really have a lot of uncles around or father figures, so I was really just trying to piece it together. I was loved, and the people around me cared about me, but I had to learn that in that situation, you have to adopt role models, piece them together to get a sense of what it means to be a man,” he said.
He also noted that his mother gave birth to him when she was just 18 years old, which was another challenge in itself and even harder when his dad walked away.
Watch the insightful conversation in the video below:
Social media reactions
Here are some reactions from social media users to Obama's insights on raising men:
@lakeithabolton414:
"I am a mother of two boys, 15 and 8. This episode provides such great insight into raising respectable young men. I have shared with my husband as it will make a great discussion to speak about."
@cordellwatkins9274:
"This segment is very helpful for me. I’m 62 years old and came from a broken home as a young kid growing up in Memphis. I am writing a book about my life as a kid, teenager into adulthood. 8 years ago I figured out what it means to be a man not a male but a man in this world."
Bravin5467:
"Wow! This really helped me a lot! I have been struggling with my son and just feeling like I’m doing something wrong and not feeling enough for him as a single parent. The tools that these men gave really empowered me to expose my son to more men, and just have room for him on all levels. Thank you so much."
@SuryaSurya-re3vn:
"As Indonesian, I am so happy to hear that Mr. Obama mentioned Indonesia as part of his childhood growing up with his mother and stepfather, has a special place in his heart about Indonesia. What a man he is, and Michelle is really a great woman too."
Source: Getty Images
What did Barack say about daughter Malia dropping last name?
In a past interview, Barack addressed his daughter Malia’s recent decision to drop the Obama surname.
He shared that he fully supported her choice to carve out her own path without relying on the weight or recognition of their family name.
He praised both his daughters for staying true to themselves and choosing not to capitalise on their high-profile background.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
