Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. – A Brief Biography
I originally posted this on my other site at the time, www.blogginginamerica.com , on October 7th, 2008. It was leading up to the historic 2008 election when there was more controversy than ever stirring about candidate Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.. I posted this to possible help disspell certain rumors and lies. Since then it has regularly gotten comments from those that liked the post and Obama, and those who seem to have a hatred for both the facts and the man.
After the comments I have gotten on the original post over the past week I decided I have to try and share this with even more people.
The most recent comment from this morning was from an anonymous person. It read,
“sorry hate to tell you but the child in the pic could never grow up to look like person he should. hair line , facail structure and skin pigmentation DO NOT match so I dont get it. please help me , since im the pro in this field help me understand?
sincerely baffold!”
I think perhaps baffold or baffled should seek a new line of work, how about you?
The comment prior to that was from another anonymous person who posted a link to a youtube video which I wont share here. It asked if President Obama was a Muslim. Well, you will see my thoughts on that at the end of this post.
Anyway, I hope it helps spread the truth a bit more now two and a half years later as it seemed to back before the election.
Barack Hussein Obama, Sr (1936 - 1982)
Barack Obama, Sr. was born in 1936 in Nyangoma Kogelo village in Kenya. It is located on the shores of Lake Victoria. During his childhood he attended a missionary school, and worked as a goat herder.
In 1956, at the age of 20 he moved to Nairobi, Kenya where he began working as a clerk. At this time while he was on vacation in Kundy Bay, Kenya he met a 16-year-old girl named Kezia at a dance. Kezia was so struck by him that she followed him back to Nairobi. Her father and brothers soon followed to try and force her to come back to Kundy Bay, but she refused. The two married in a tribal ceremony January, 1957. His family sent Kezia’s father 14 cows for her dowry. The following year the couple had their first son, Abongo.
In 1959, he was chosen to take part in an American program offering educational opportunities to Kenyan Students. The leaders of the Kenyan Independence movement that had been essential in him receiving the scholarship hoped he would return to Kenya afterward to help develop his homeland.
After applying to about 30 different colleges he was accepted at the University of Hawaii. Once accepted he left for the United States to study economics. In doing so he left behind his now 18-year-old bride Kezia, and their 1-year-old son. Kezia was also pregnant at the time with their daughter who would be named, Auma.
Obama Sr. working or studying
Obama, Sr. is now 24 years old, and meets fellow student Ann Dunham in a Russian language class. Dunham is an 18-year-old student who just moved to Hawaii from Washington. They began dating, and just a few months later they married. No one was invited to the ceremony. Dunham was three months pregnant at the time, with Barack Obama, Jr. Their son was born on August 4, 1961.
Barack Obama, Jr. with his mom Ann Dunham and his sister
The next year, at 26, Obama, Sr. won a graduate scholarship to Harvard University. He enrolled and left for Boston in September, 1962 to pursue a Ph.D. in economics. He left his now 19-year-old bride Ann and their 1-year-old son, Barack Obama, Jr. behind in Hawaii.
Ann Dunham sought and was granted a divorce in 1964.
Obama, Sr. graduated from Harvard at age 29 with a Master’s degree in economics. At this point he returned to Kenya, but not alone. He was accompanied by American teacher Ruth Nidesand who would go on to become his third wife.
Once back in Kenya he worked as an economist in the Ministry of Economic Planning. He wrote an article criticizing the government approach to economic planning for the East Africa Journal. These views put him at odds with Kenyan president, Jomo Kenyatta which led to his career being ruined.
He and Ruth had two children together, but after a seven year marriage she too divorced him. She has been quoted as saying, “he was a very difficult man, “ . . . “he wasn’t an easy person to be around.” One of his friends described him as being, “excessively fond of scotch,” and went on to say, “in his later years he had fallen into the habit of going home drunk every night.” The same friend pointed to that being a big reason behind Ruth divorcing him.
Barack Obama, Sr. and Jr.
In 1971, Obama, Sr. travels to Hawaii to see his now 10-year-old son, Barack, Jr. It would turn out to be the final time the two would ever see one another.
Barack Obama, Sr. at age 46 was involved in a car accident in 1982 which led to both his legs being amputated. Soon after that accident he was in another car crash in Nairobi, Kenya. He did not survive the second crash.
One final note on Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. – He was born a Muslim, but was never a practicing Muslim. It was his father’s religion, not his. He was an atheist. His son Barack, Jr. was born to two atheist parents and was not brought up in a religious household, regardless of what some people like to make up. As an adult Junior chose to become a member of the Christian religion, and was sworn in with his hand on his family bible, not the Quran.
I will be posting a similar brief biography of Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.’s mother Ann Dunham in the coming days. (I believe I will find the other post and share it on this site also.)
The original post in case you want to read all the comments: Click here
