Barack Obama: 'Being a Man' Doesn't Mean Putting People Down

From Men's Health

Barack Obama on Tuesday railed against toxic masculinity, saying at an event with NBA superstar Steph Curry in Oakland that being a man isn’t about being “able to dominate,” but about being “responsible, working hard, being kind, respectful, [and] compassionate.”

“All of us have to recognize that being a man is first and foremost being a good human,” the former president said. “If you’re confident about your strength, you don’t need to show me by putting somebody else down.”

“Show me by lifting somebody else up,” he added.

The spot-on remarks came during a talk with Curry at a conference for the former president’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which he launched five years ago to “address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.”

In the talk, he and Curry-“Michelle’s husband” and “Ayesha’s husband,” as the two introduced themselves-warned against outdated notions of masculinity and called on young men to be better.

“The notion that somehow defining yourself as a man is dependent on, are you able to put somebody else down...able to dominate...that is an old view,” Obama said, acknowledging that the issue can be more complicated for young men of color, who may feel compelled to “compensate” due to racist systems that tell them they’re “less than.”

“Ironically, that shows the vulnerability you feel,” Obama said, noting how tropes in popular culture can sometimes send misleading messages about masculinity. “If you were confident about your sexuality, you don’t have to have eight women around you twerking...you seem stressed that you gotta be acting that way.”

Curry, too, offered strong advice, calling for men to seek out spaces where they can be “open about their feelings,” which the Golden State Warriors guard said he finds in the locker room.

The remarks by the pair came amid something of a cultural reckoning on toxic masculinity, particularly as the #MeToo movement continues to pull back the curtain on how prominent men have abused positions of power-and how the culture at large had protected them from accountability. The comments received praise for delving into how men can improve.

“Love this leadership from [Obama and Curry],” sports journalist Sarah Spain tweeted Tuesday.

('You Might Also Like',)

• A Vegan Diet Helped This Man Lose 150 Pounds and Improve His Mental Health

• How to Cool Down After Your Hardest Workouts

• What Is The Lectin-Free Diet?