"You Don’t Have to Have 8 Women around You Twerking,” Barack Obama Gives Advice to Young Men
Barack Obama gives sound advice to young African American men during a speaking engagement where he talks about what it means to be Black and confident.
Barack Obama left a lasting impression on the young men who listened to him speak about being a man and being Black at the “MBK Rising! My Brother’s Keeper Alliance” summit in Oakland, California.
"You are the ones who are going to make a difference and make an impact. This is not going to me, it's going to be you." —President @BarackObama's closing words to the hundreds of boys and young men of color gathered at #MBKRising. pic.twitter.com/Wwv0Q4Vp5M
— My Brother's Keeper Alliance (@MBK_Alliance) February 20, 2019
The former president, who was at one point joined by NBA legend Steph Curry on stage spoke about the negative connotation of Black pop culture and what it really means to be confident in your own skin.
“Let’s face it: A lot of hip-hop and rap music is built around me showing how I got more money than you,” he began. “I can disrespect you and you can’t do nothing about it, I’m going to talk about you and punk you. Ironically, that actually shows the vulnerability that you feel!"
#BarackObama hosted a town hall discussion with #StephCurry for his #MyBrothersKeeper initiative. #POTUS addressed toxic masculinity, Hip Hop culture, and he even cracks jokes on Steph. Soak in the #BlackBoyJoy here: https://t.co/9exncnpTHw or swipe up… https://t.co/bwomQnwkcp pic.twitter.com/30qvNuQOAO
— YBF CHIC (@TheYBF) February 21, 2019
The 57-year-old continued by driving to the point of his message.
“We tend to rise to the expectations that are set for us. If a young boy is taught early on, ‘You are going to be kind to people, not bully people,’ that will have an impact. If you say, ‘You treat young women with respect. They are not objects. They are humans with the same aspirations and desires, and they are just as worthy of respect as you are,’ that has an impact.”
Barack Obama blames pop culture for amplifying toxic messages about masculinity. “Let’s face it: A lot of hip-hop and rap music is built around me showing how I got more money than you, I can disrespect you and you can’t do nothing about it..." https://t.co/eK264vV3de
— James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) February 20, 2019
Earlier in that Q&A discussion, Obama encouraged his audience to defy stereotypes and realize the real nature of self-worth.
"We live in a culture where our worth is measured by how much money we have and how famous we are. I will tell you, at the end of the day, the thing that will give you confidence is not that. I know a lot of rich people that are all messed up!"
Barack Obama tells boys: 'You don't need eight women around you twerking' https://t.co/CW96HXRCBz pic.twitter.com/LYyMBgixz7
— CTV News (@CTVNews) February 21, 2019
He further explains that flaunting material possessions and having women all over you is not the true gauge of a confident man.
"If you are really confident about your financial situation, you probably are not going to be wearing an eight-pound chain around your neck because you know, 'I got bank. I don't have to show you how much I've got because I feel good,'"
"If you are very confident about your sexuality, you don't have to have eight women around you twerking . . . because [you know], 'I've got one woman, who I am very happy with. And she's a strong woman.'"
Barack Obama praises Michelle Obama in discussion about 'being a man' https://t.co/MBDKcHZNIp pic.twitter.com/XU1RXsoLW8
— TIME (@TIME) February 20, 2019
Obama’s latest speaking engagement celebrates the fifth year of My Brother’s Keeper, the foundation he formed in 2012 as a result of the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. The 17-year-old was unarmed when he was deemed a suspicious person by a neighborhood watch captain who eventually shot and killed him. The shooter, George Zimmerman was acquitted after he claimed self-defense.
#TrayvonMartin would have turned 23 years old today. He was 17-years-old at the time when he was fatally shot by George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012. https://t.co/REBMJ3TuJi pic.twitter.com/ub96qfAbh3
— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) February 5, 2018
Martin’s death spawned a movement called #BlackLivesMatter in protest of the killings of Black people due to unfair judgment. A documentary about Martin’s story was released last year and produced by Jay-Z. It became quite controversial after Beyonce was allegedly threatened by Zimmerman during filming. Zimmerman reportedly sent some nasty texts to the singer including one telling her that she and her husband would find themselves “inside a 13-foot alligator.” Read more about that story here.
George Zimmerman pleaded no contest to charges accusing him of stalking and threatening a person who was working on a documentary about Trayvon Martin, the black teenager he shot and killed in 2012. pic.twitter.com/17FNUCNgtQ
— AJ+ (@ajplus) October 11, 2018