Politics | 12/24/2008 9:00 am

Obama Says Last Good-byes to Grandmother 'Toot'

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

Obama with his grandparents © AP

Barack Obama said one last good-bye to his grandmother Tuesday, as he joined friends and family to pay tribute to the woman he called his "rock."

Madelyn Dunham — who affectionately called Obama "Bear" — died of cancer just two days before the presidential election, before the grandson that she raised made history in becoming the first black man elected an American president. She is credited by Obama as being the driving force behind the man he grew to be. The Obamas, who are on vacation in Hawaii, attended a private memorial service for her there, at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu. No media was allowed into the service.

Family and some friends later joined the president-elect as he scattered Dunham’s ashes at an ocean overlook locals call Lanai Lookout.

Obama suspended his White House campaign in late October to visit Dunham — who he called "Toot" — who he didn’t think would make it until Election Day. After she died, Obama and his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, issued a statement that said: "She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility … She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances."

Read more about: Barack Obama, Grandmother, Hawaii, Madelyn Dunham, News, Politics, U.S.

46 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Gee whiz, that is so sad his Grandmother could not live long enough to see Barack Obama become the President of the United States. I respect our President Elect and his devotion to her. He is a good Grandson. One more thing that does not pertain to this topic. The press refers to Barack Obama as Black. He is 1/2 Brown and 1/2 Beige. I sure hope someday all peoples can just accept others and accept themselves for the person God created just as they are.

By Tenacious Tenacious on 12/24/2008 9:18 am

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How touching for Barack. It is clear he loved her deeply. I need to state something. (just my opinion) In America, there is the “one drop” rule. It is rooted in racism and ignorance and wasn’t until recent history that it was overturn. However in America to be labeled Black , you must be a person with any known African black ancestry. I have a niece that has a White father. In my eyes I consider her bi-racial. I say that because in simply labeling those who have parents of different races, to simply label yourself as one or the other, you are essentially dismissing a half of who you are. For her to label herself as Black in my mind ignores all the wonderful aspects of her Irish ancestry. And yet the reality in our country, as is the case with Barack Obama, they are Black by legal definition. I wish everyone can accept that for what it is and stop attempting to label him something he is not. America is what it is. I’ve learned to accept in the case of my niece, it is a label, but she still respects both sides of her being. And Barack has said he feels the same in his own situation. He is Black and guess what? That’s okay, it’s not a bad thing. He considers himself and labels himself as Black. Why are so many people fixated on trying to pick him apart and change that?

By Belinda Joy on 12/24/2008 9:53 am

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Belinda, your comments on race made me thoughtful. Being white I never thought about how other people look at race. But then again I always believed you are what you are. However, I am originally from the Midwest and they can be a stodgy bunch. When I moved to the West Coast it opened up a whole new vista of wonderment at the different cultures. Food was the one area that everyone can relate to and the other day I noticed that the Mexican restaurant I where I was having lunch had more blacks than Mexicans. As for Obama, I just liked his view on how he would handle things if he got elected and didn’t even think about his color. What I wish now is that everyone give him a chance based on his ability and choices and leave his ethnicity out of it. Merry Christmas everyone.

By Judy K. on 12/24/2008 10:17 am

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I am glad that Obama had a chance to visit Hawaii again before his life is really turned upside down come January. I too wish that we could drop all labels and just call ourselves Americans. Why do we have to legally have a race? I mean I am bi-racial and I feel that most Americans are so why do we have to have races at all? Why can’t we just be Americans? Why do we have to fill out forms and tell people what race we are if they can’t discriminate against it?

By C Hardy on 12/24/2008 10:46 am

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I too wish his grandma had lived to see him elected. As far as races issue. I feel it goes back to the age old question of “Where is your family from?” I say America. Nobody likes that answer they are always saying well all Americans came form another country so where is your family from. This creating a break up. You see even it your white your suppose to say something like England. I say no I was born in America, my parents were born in America, my grandparents were born in America, and so on. Of course, no one like that answer either. LOL

By Grande Camper on 12/24/2008 11:08 am

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Debra, you My Dear have it right. You are answering the “where is your family from” question just as you should. Don’t you find it curious that if you travel outside the U.S. to any other country, Americans (whether Black, White, Asian or Latino) are labeled “Americans” But the moment we step one foot back in the U.S. a label is added to our identity. White American, Black American…..truly amazing how backward we are. But we are making progress and that’s a good thing.

By Belinda Joy on 12/24/2008 9:40 pm

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Through all this sentimentality, let us not forget that this is the woman he slandered at the beginning of his campaign. I hope he was able to apologize to her before she died. Paying his last respects in a private ceremony is befitting and returns to his grandmother the dignity she deserved.

By Bonnie Oliver on 12/24/2008 12:55 pm

Sentimentality? true feeling for the woman that raised him and he gave her the dignity she deserved all her life—you’ve gone too far with your “slander” statement.

By f p on 12/26/2008 5:36 am

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Bonnie, If you are going to write something like this then please site your reference. I just don’t get why you still have to attack Obama even on a thread like this. He truly loved her and she loved him. Not knowing her personally, I would venture to say she was proud of him every step of the way.

By Brooklyn Gal on 12/25/2008 12:39 pm

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Brooklyn Gal - I disagree that I am attacking President-Elect Obama. So, your comment “still have to attack” is in error. In fact, since the election I have posted several comments acknowledging that Obama has made some excellent choices for his cabinet and that he appears to be starting off well. The comments attacking Obama have come from the Left - those who do not agree with his choices for State and Defense. As for Obama’s grandmother, I have no doubt that he loved her. My comment relates to the fact hat he somehow felt compelled to bring her name into the issue of white racism in America. Did he really need to do that? Did he really need to leave the impression in the minds of millions that somehow his white grandmother showed signs of white racism though he didn’t believe she to be a racist? If a white woman is uneasy when passing a black man on the street, is that racism? If a black woman were uneasy passing a group of white men on the street and she is uneasy, is that racism? He should have left his grandmother out of the conversation.

By Bonnie Oliver on 12/26/2008 4:14 pm

Bonnie, my dear: Don’t waste your breath. Don’t you understand? If you have a differing view (no matter how slight) even if your a Lib with a different view, THESE VAMPIRES WILL COME AFTER YOU. You are not allowed to make a statement that may tarnish BO in any way……………………………….even if you are speaking the truth, which you were. Differing opinions are not allowed, period!!

By Irish Eyes NY on 12/26/2008 5:36 pm

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Irish Eyes - Thanks for your comment. I knew my comment would probably draw some fire but what I find astonishing is that even today many do not understand that Obama’s comments about his grandmother were out of line. But, it is good to see that the crowd that believes Obama is a man who can do no wrong is still active at wOw. After all, we traditionalists enjoy continuity. But I never underestimate this crowd … they did not just vote for a man, they anointed their new “king” and are now coming to grips with the fact that the USA is still a Republic and not a monarchy!

By Bonnie Oliver on 12/27/2008 12:33 am

You know I too must admit that I understand where you’re coming from Sister Bonnie. I thought that press conference was the most important one he had in the entire campaign. It was courageous and timely. However I thought that the comment on his Grandmother would be terribly misunderstood. I also have a bad habit of saying something that could be misinterpreted not in my favor. I believe this happened to Obama when he sought to convey the very elusive thing that we call “race relations” in this country. His family possessed a great deal of diversity, a blend and probably sometimes clashing of cultures. I believe that by virtue of creating a family with Michelle, he probably gained much more insight into the Black/African American experience than he had growing up. What I love about our President- Elect is that he has had these life experiences that make him unique to lead us at this time in American history. Through my Mom, the family historian, I have known about my Cherokee heritage as somewhat more fascinating than that missing link that is my African heritage. And that is another thing that makes Obama unique from a Black perspective. He knows where his African people come from; most African Americans do not. A missing part of our personal history causes us to continuously define (and rename) ourselves over the years. It’s difficult for people who know their family origins to appreciate issues created by “not knowing”. I had this crazy thought that if each African American was able to finally have an affordable and highly scientific genealogy test, we could conclude the name of the tribe of our ancestor who was carried here in the Middle Passage. Maybe then we could put that mystery to rest.

By Lena B on 12/27/2008 5:30 pm

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Lena B - What a thoughtful comment. I appreciate your remarks very much. I have thought that perhaps Obama had second thoughts after including his grandmother’s comments in his speech inasmuch as I do not think he every made those same remarks again, As for genealogical heritage, many Americans of European descent have no idea of their lineage…..some Irish, some German, some Italian, some British…. but to identify their great grandparents or further back is often a mystery. It is easier, however, for descendants of Europeans to trace their ancestry though it is becoming easier for Americans of African descent. But I agree that for some Americans (of any heritgage) that a knowledge of one’s history does allow for a firmer grip upon one’s own reality. Other Americans do not need that foundation. We are truly a melting pot or a mosaic.

By Bonnie Oliver on 12/27/2008 6:22 pm