Former President Barack Obama discussed his pride in daughters Malia and Sasha’s activism in Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests during his interview with Anderson Cooper.
What We Know:
- Barack mentioned that he worries more about Malia and Sasha’s physical safety than their protesting. He trusts that they know the difference between right and wrong and that they understand their role in making the country better.
- The former president also indicated his daughters are wiser, more sophisticated, and gifted than he was at their ages. While he and Cooper would have just accepted the way things were in terms of systemic racism, his daughters question it, Barack states.
“There’s this sense of, well of course it’s not acceptable for a criminal justice system to be tainted by racism. Of course, you can’t discriminate against somebody because of their sexual orientation. They’re things they take for granted, that I want them to take for granted,” said Barack.
- Furthermore, Barack announced that his daughters want to make real change. Malia and Sasha don’t want to “just make noise,” so they became very strategic about engaging in and changing the system.
- An example of this includes Malia and Sasha mistrusting cancel culture. Barack says that they don’t expect perfection from people, but they will call out institutions or individuals for their wrongdoings or discriminations against others.
- Barack also explained how he feels his daughters and the generation of children who grew up during his presidency will continue his legacy. In fact, the younger people working to enact justice for people of color are a “great source of optimism” for the 44th President.
Barack has previously spoken about Malia and Sasha’s participation in BLM rallies. Last November, he told People that neither he nor his wife Michelle urged the girls to engage in any events. In fact, they went out, “very much in organizer mode,” and found ways to help out without attracting attention.
