By Prince Hakeem
Now we know former President Barack Obama as a dignified individual who, thanks to former First Lady Michelle Obama, chooses to “go high.” However, that always wasn’t the case.
During an episode of a new joint-podcast with rock legend Bruce Springsteen, Obama revealed a moment from his childhood years in Hawaii where he went low and got into a fight. Obama described getting into a fight and breaking a former friend’s nose after calling him a coon.
“Listen, when I was in school, I had a friend. We played basketball together,” Obama said. “And one time, we got in a fight, and he called me a coon. Now, first of all, ain’t no coons in Hawaii, right?”
This story came during a segment in the episode where Obama and Springsteen described their different upbringings and challenging discussions on race in America.
Obama continued, “Yo, it’s one of those things that—where he might not even know what a c**n was what he knew was, ‘I can hurt you by saying this.’ And I remember, I popped him in the face and broke his nose.”
In case you’re wondering how a podcast between a former president and rock icon works, know it’s meant to showcase how two different people from vastly different bonds can find common ground and bond.
