Barack Obama celebrated Father’s Day by calling on black fathers, who he said are “missing from too many lives and too many homes,” to become active in raising their children.
“They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it,” the Democratic presidential candidate said Sunday at a largely black church in his hometown.
“Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father,” he said. “It’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.”
He compared helping children succeed to his own presidential campaign and early comments from black voters who said they liked him but didn’t think a black man could ever be elected president. He said they were admitting defeat before the competition had even begun.
“That was when I wasn’t black enough. Now I’m too black,” he said in a joking aside.
He said parents who proudly tell him their child gets great grades, all B’s, should encourage them even more.
“All B’s? Is that the highest grade?” Obama said. “It’s great that you can get a B, but you can get a better grade. It’s great that you’ve got a job, but you can get a better job.”
More. In other news, a lot of prominent black conservatives are feeling conflicted over the Obama nomination. That’s not so surprising. If Obama keeps giving speeches like this, I’d imagine lots of white conservatives will start feeling a little conflicted too.
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