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Barry's Father |
| Young man, there's a place you can go . when you're short on your dough.- Village People |
| This website is updated continuously. Please check again soon. (December 17, 2008) |
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Where it all Began |
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Barrack Obama Sr. arrived in Honolulu in early September of 1959, as a potential University of Hawaii undergraduate. Upon arrival, he moved into the Atherton YMCA just across the street from U.H. Back then, many foreign students stayed at the "Y". It was safe, convenient and cheap. This made both the students and the as university happy.
Surprisingly, this young man from Kenya, a country that straddles the equator, found Honolulu’s late summer heat to be too warm for his liking.
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The late summer of 1969 was a heady time for the State of Hawaii. On Friday, August 21st, President Eisenhower had issued the Official Proclamation making Hawaii the 50th State. The whole country was talking about Hawaii. Some did more than just talk. One, Stanley Dunham of Mercer Island Washington, thought there may be gold beneath those palm trees and felt it was a wise time to heed Horace Greeley's 95 year old advice about Heading West. He had to delay the trip for a year, until his daughter Stanley Ann could finish High School.
One man, who didn't wait, was a 30-year-old religious leader who had gained national recognition just a few years earlier in Montgomery Alabama. He came to Honolulu to speak to various groups just a few days after young Barack arrived. Perhaps, the two even met. It is quite feasible the first African student at University of Hawaii would have chosen to go to one of this man's lectures. For, this man's name was Dr. Martin Luther King. Even if young Barack did not go to here Dr. King speak, we know the students at Punahou School did hear him. Punahou School, just a 10-minute walk from young Barack's room at the YMCA. The same Punahou School, the young Barack's yet to be born son, would attend and then go on to become its most famous Alumni.
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Barak Obama Sr. came to the USA thanks to a program developed by the young Kenyan leader Thomas Mboya. Mboya realized Kenya, which was in the process of establishing its independence from Britain would need a large base of educated leaders. To achieve this goal, Mboya came to the US and solicited funds to pay for the US education of more than 80 young Kenyans. Barack Obama Sr. was among this group of scholars. Many Black American celebrities contributed to the educational fund for these scholars. Included among these donors were the retired baseball hero, Jackie Robinson; the singer, Harry Belafonte; and actor, Sidney Poitier.
Four years later, in 1963, just 3 weeks after young Barry's 2nd birthday, all three of these gentlemen joined Dr. Martin Luther King’s in his famous (I have a Dream Speech) March on Washington. This march was viewed as a pivotal point in the Civil Rights Movement in America.
Interestingly, eight years later, in 1967, the actor, Sidney Poitier starred in the movie, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. In it, he played a young black doctor involved with African medical interests who becomes engaged to a white woman from a liberal family background. The movie went on to win a couple Academy Awards (Best Actress and Original Screen Play.) More curiously, that Academy Award ceremony was delay a few days, until April 10, 1968, because of the assassination of Dr Martin Luther on April 4, 1968. |
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Barack Obama Sr. came to Hawaii with little money. He stated this in several interviews and it sounds very plausible.
He was picked out of Kenya with a group of other young intellectuals and given a scholarship. He was sought after and eager to give speeches at local churches based on his status of being the first African student at the University of Hawaii. He was prone to mention his shortness of funds may result in his inability to complete his education. Doing this it is probable he found a few kind hearted doners willing to help him fulfill his educational dreams. |
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Updated 081216 |
