INQUISITR.COM / Politics
By Tavishi
Published on : 00:15 PST, Jun 16, 2024
Shocking Details About Young Barack Obama That You Didn't Know
Barack Obama, the first Black President of the United States, is a renowned figure in American politics. He spent his early childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia and later moved back to the US for college, in California and New York. Young Obama was a charming lad, as reported byBusiness Insider. David Maraniss' biography of Obama, published twelve years back, on June 19, 2012, spills some lesser-known juicy details about the 44th president. Some might surprise you, so dive in.
1. Obama Was a Troublemaker as a Child
Obama would often land in trouble as a child. In the biography, Maraniss writes how he accidentally broke his playmate's arm while riding a bicycle. The neighbors would often tease him with the words, "black berry, Black Barry," given his first name 'Barrack'. Being the tallest in his class he was deemed by his fellow mates as the big eater who loved playing horseplay. Back in Jakarta, his step-cousins recalled being spied on by him as he would look out for opportunities to tease them back while they were naked.
2. Obama Predicted as a Child That He Would Be President
Maraniss writes how Obama was an ambitious individual since childhood and even predicted that he would become the President one day. As a third-grade student, in an introduction of himself, he wrote, "My name is Barry Soetoro. I am a third-grade student at SD Asisi. My mom is my idol. My teacher is Ibu Fer. I have a lot of friends. I live near the school. I usually walk to school with my mom and then go home by myself. Someday I want to be president. I love to visit all the places in Indonesia. Done. The eeeeeeend." Quite a manifestation!
3. Obama Initiated Smoking Trends in School
While studying at Honolulu's Punahou High School, Obama was a member of several groups that were known for smoking marijuana. One such was the 'Choom Gang'. He allegedly started the trend 'Total Absorption', which punished members by skipping them for the next round if they exhaled while smoking pot. Another interesting trend was 'Hotboxing' where the windows of cars were shut as they smoked inside. Obama would often steal the joint before his turn and shout, 'intercepted' which led to the trend of 'Interceptions'.
4. Obama Openly Thanked His Drug Dealer in His School Yearbook
As a teen in Hawaii, things were a roller-coaster for the Democrat politician. Nevertheless, he was happy about the memories he built. Expressing his gratitude, Obama wrote a line dedicated to his drug peddler and the Choom Gang. According to the author, Ray was an older guy who helped Obama and his friends acquire pot. Obama wrote, "Thanks Tut, Gramps, Choom Gang, and Ray for all the good times." The former President was also involved in a car crash during a drag race with the gang.
5. Obama Chose His College to Be Closer to a Girl He Fell For
Obama was not serious about his future and enrolled himself in Occidental College on a whim— for a girl he fell for at the time. The college located in Southern California, helped him stay close to a girl from Los Angeles. The author details that Obama met her while she was out with her family in Honolulu. He applied for a scholarship and enrolled himself soon after, proving we are not alone in the crazy things we do for love.
6. Obama Moved Like Jagger
Obama is secretly a great dancer. The freshman dorm hall of his college deemed him a 'wicked' impersonator of Mick Jagger. "He could do the walk, the strut, the face," Maraniss wrote in the biography. Obama had also mimicked the Rolling Stones live on stage when it famously saw an outbreak of violence at their Altamont Speedway concert in 1969. The act allegedly made him famous among his peers who would always count on him to have a good time.
7. Obama Had Very Bad Flirting Skills
While stoned and drunk, Obama once hit on a girl during his freshman year which turned out to be a disaster. He decided to strike up a conversation by beginning "a riff on nudity, offering his theory that the human race would be better if people did not wear clothes." It didn't end there but the girl was generous enough to let him finish. His friend opined that the statement was "made with the urgency of someone ready to strip then and there."
8. Obama Would Carry a Copy of Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man'
When Obama moved to New York he became serious about his future. Obama's close mate at the time, Mir Mahboob Mahmoud, reflected on how he struggled with various things. As per The Guardian, Mahmoud, a Pakistani student at Columbia University, shared that Obama "was struggling deeply within himself to attain his own racial identity, and 'Invisible Man' became a prism of that reflection." Obama's time in New York was hence deemed as "the lost years." Years later, he launched the Obama Foundation Scholars Program at the university for rising leaders from around the world.
