President Barack Obama's half brother is alleging that their father was physically abusive to family members.
On tour to promote his new semi-autobiographical novel, 'Nairobi to Shenzhen,' Mark Ndesandjo, who like President Obama, was fathered by Kenyan college instructor Barack Obama Sr., said both he and his mother were physically abused by Obama Sr.
Ndesandjo said he revealed the abuse to bring greater awareness to the issue, but one might question Ndesandjo's motives for disclosure.
It's not as if we didn't know that the president's father was less than an ideal role model. In his book, 'Dreams from My Father,' Obama describes his father as an abusive alcoholic who didn't do right by his family.
And it's not as if Ndesandjo's disclosure of the abuse is designed to get his father to repent for his actions; Obama Sr. died in 1982.
But enough with the cynicism.
If telling the world that his father beat him and his mother brings some measure of closure and relief to Ndesandjo, that's good. And if any of the news stories Ndesandjo's will generate while on his book tour somehow stops even one instance of domestic abuse, even better.
But it's funny how since Obama took office, he's gotten the writing juices flowing among those who can claim even the slightest shared blood.
Another of the president's half brothers, George Obama, 27, of Huruma, Kenya, has penned a memoir that will be published by Simon & Schuster in January, according to published reports.
And other Obama relatives working on books include a half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, daughter of Obama's mother and her second husband, Lolo Soetoro, and Craig Robinson, First Lady Michelle Obama's brother.
Comments: (9)
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By: Trudy on 11/09/2009 9:09PM
SO WHAT! WHAT ELSE IS NEW? MOST OF THOSE AFRICAN MEN ARE ABUSIVE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, JUST LIKE AMERICAN MEN! IF YOU PUT ALL OF THEM IN A BAG AND SHAKE IT UP, D' ALL COME OUT JUST ABOUT THE SAME. I JUST HOPE AND PRAY THAT NDESANDJO IS NOT ABUSIVE FROM VIEWING HIS FATHERS' BEHAVIOR. LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING MORE PLEASANT, I'M SURE THIS IS PAST HISTORY, SO LET'S JUST LET IT STAY IN THE PAST OKAY.
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By: Shellfish789 on 11/10/2009 12:25AM
Bill Schrier...you must be a lonely, angry, un-accomplished man....
I say this is you are like the other Azzes that you must keep dragging out and focus on Petty stuff like Obama's Birth certificate.....and other stupid non-progressing Petty things.....you should use your negative energy and focus on helping President OBAMA in re-building this Fallen country....So while you sitting their on your butt on your couch...you could maybe go help out somewhere....because I see you have lots of time on your hand just to focus on President OBAMA Birth certificate......
Honeslty...it's people like you that holds this country back and make this country fall behind in progress......
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By: Mary on 11/10/2009 2:19AM
@shellfish...Thank you. I could not have said it any better.
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By: Linda on 11/10/2009 9:08AM
why don't all of the memoirwriting broke a people let the President be the President for 4 yrs and get out with some kind of dignity. go away. we/us trying to get something done. so tha f what all of us have been afnbused in some form or another.git n where you fit in and shuthafUP. leave your dirty laundry in your closet we don't need to hear no more fndrama. we're trying to heal.
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By: jessica on 11/10/2009 8:31AM
good for him! im glad he's writing the book so that people can know just how abusive african men are. I was married for several years to an abusive afrikan who even beat me when i was carrying one of his chidren.im so glad i finally came to my senses and divorced his butt. So what Obama's brother is using this opportunity to write a book! good for him!
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By: Iseethruit on 11/10/2009 7:28PM
It's so rediculous how black men are so violent I have read a little history and from what I have learnt the beatings and forced submission started a very long time ago thounsands of years ago may seem a little too far to draw reference to , but lets take a look just back about 300-400 years the slave master's mentality had established itself and watching whiping's severe beatings would leave one from those time or era to think what normality is this and proceed to favor the practice years to come for control is the name of the game and unsavory love which was showned by the slave masters sure would evols to what we know today, just a thought I had when reading this we were taught to hate ourselves so look a little deeper the nextime you brand the black male out their because as we have learnt the caveman is said to had club his woman over the head to get her to obey and serve him look into it people it's their history and we still suffer from it in 2009... oh most people want their 15 minutes of fame poor teachings. Good day all.
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By: Sandra on 11/10/2009 11:35PM
Bill Crier, med check. Go to bed, azzhole.
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By: shantrell on 11/15/2009 9:59PM
ACTUALLY WHO GIVES A D##N AS TO WHAT THIS MAN IS WRITING. IT DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA. HAVE SOME OF YOU FORGOTTNE THAT HE WAS RAISED BY HIS MOTHER. OBAMA FATHER HAD VERY LITTLE INTERACTION WITH HIM...SO ALL THE NEGATIVE TALK ABOUT IT WILL STEM OVER TO OBAMA BECAUSE HE IS HALF AFRICAN IS A BUNCH OF BS...REMEMBER IT IS HOW YOU ARE RAISED, NOT FROM WHO YOU CAME FROM OR DERIVED. OH AND BY THE WAY FOR THE LADY WHO THINKS THAT THE MAJORITY OF AFRICAN MEN ARE ABUSIVE, I DO NOT THINK YOU KNOW THE MAJORITY OF AFRICAN MEN. MY NIECE IS MARRIED TO AN AFRICAN MAN AND I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 18 YEARS AND HE NEVER EVER, TOUCHED HER. SHE ABSOLUTELY ADORES HIM...MY FRIEND IS ALSO MARRIED TO AN AFRICAN MAN FOR 9 YEARS AND HE WORSHIPS THE GROUND SHE WALKS ON SO, BE VERY CAREFUL OF YOUR WORDS BECAUSE THEY JUST MIGHT COME BACK TO HUNT YOU...YOUR OWN PERSONAL CHOICE REPRESENTS YOUR TASTE AND CHARACTER IN MEN SO IT IS A REFLECTION OF YOU.
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