Barack Obama Sr. was born in 1936 outside Kendu Bay, British Kenya. He grew up in an extremely strict — at times abusive — household.
Some nights he’d have to recite math equations before receiving any food. This trauma followed him into his adult years, and it would deeply impact his later relationship with his son, the man we’ll always know as “Mr. President.”
In 1959, Obama Sr. studied at the University of Hawaii. There he met Stanley Ann Dunham. Soon Dunham was pregnant — roughly nine months later, Barack Obama Jr. was born. But his namesake would not always bring him comfort.
In his 1995 memoir Dreams from My Father, Obama details his complicated relationship with his father, someone he has few memories of.
But even still, Obama cherishes his Kenyan roots.
Obama’s story is a testament to the power of taking pride in our families, culture, and community, even when family dynamics are complicated.
Are there relationships keeping you from liberation? Which of these need intentional mending, and which need to be let go?
Are you able to distance yourself from the relationship while still honoring what you learned from it? We’re all on our own healing journey — all we can do is lead with integrity and manifest that eventually we’ll all access liberation.