Obama admits to breaking childhood friend's nose over racial remarks
- Former US president Barrack Obama remembered an incident in his childhood where he got into a fight with another child who insulted him
- According to him, the psychology behind racial slurs is to give those who say their self-importance while trying to dehumanise others
- He added that such remarks give some people the notion that they can assert power over others to take advantage of them
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Former president Barack Obama recently opened up about a past racial incident to Bruce Springsteen at a podcast with the musician.
Source: UGC
He was speaking on the "Renegades: Born in the USA" podcast which touched on the racial discrimination that has existed for decades.
He said:
"When I was in school, I had a friend. We played basketball together. And one time we got into a fight and he called me a c---"
"And I remember I popped him in the face and broke his nose. And we were in the locker room."
According to the former president, the psychology behind racial slurs is to give those who say their self-importance while trying to dehumanise those who are told.
He added that such remarks give some people the notion that they can assert power over others to take advantage of them.
Obama continued:
"What it comes down to is an assertion of status over the other. The claim is made that, 'No matter what I am - I may be poor. I may be ignorant. I may be mean. I may be ugly. I may not like myself. I may be unhappy. But you know what I'm not? I'm not you."
Obama expressed that apart from punching the friend, he also gave him a stern verbal warning to make sure he never repeats the same.
He said:
"Don't you ever call me something like that."
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In a previous report by Legit.ng, Barack Obama's half brother Malik Obama attacked the former US president.
Malik said his brother became a snob when he became US president and abandoned his Kenyan family when they needed him the most.
In a virtual interview with the New York Post, a bitter Malik said he noticed Barack wanted to be worshipped after he became successful and he, as the elder brother, could not stoop that low.
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Tunde Ososanya, a Legit.ng editor, is a graduate of Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism. He's passionate about what he does and finds fulfillment in informing the people. Ososanya is the author of Later Tonight: a Collection of Short Stories.
You can follow him on Twitter: @TundeOsosanya
Source: Legit.ng
Tunde Ososanya Tunde Ososanya, a former senior editor, is a graduate of Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism. He's passionate about what he does and finds fulfilment in informing the people. Ososanya is the author of Later Tonight: a Collection of Short Stories.
Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com
