Boris Kodjoe could also be eternally wonderful, however his experiences as a visibly Black biracial baby had been something however. In a sit-down on the Pivot podcast, the actor opened up about his tough upbringing in Germany.
In response to a query about what his expertise was like being raised by his white mom in a predominantly white nation, Kodjoe gave a weak and trustworthy reply.
“There’s ignorance and misinformation and concern,” he stated. “As a result of that’s actually the place it comes from. I used to be confronted with racism and bullies each single day rising up in Germany as a result of I used to be completely different. Youngsters reaching out grabbing my hair, rubbing your pores and skin to see if it’s actual, asking if we dwell on timber in Africa. Simply essentially the most ignorant, dumb issues based mostly on, once more, misinformation and concern.”
He continued,
“On high of it, my mom’s white. My father’s from Ghana. However my dad left once I was between three and 4 years previous. So, it was simply my mother and me and my brother. So, I at all times felt completely different and you understand if you’re a toddler, all you need is to be identical to everyone else. You need to belong. You need to slot in. And with out my father there, it made it a lot tougher as a result of I didn’t have anyone to narrate to. I didn’t have someone to guard me. I didn’t have someone to clarify to me what this was. I feel my mom did an especially admirable job in placing a way of satisfaction and a way of confidence in us.”
He additionally chatted about how he felt when his father deserted their household and the way it formed his strategy to each manhood and parenting.
“Once I was in first grade, in possibly kindergarten, they let you know to color an image of what you need to be if you get previous and change into an grownup,” he stated. “All people needed to be firefighters and athletes, I wrote down I needed to be a father. So, that was my objective. I didn’t have one current and I knew what it felt prefer to be dissatisfied and to really feel deserted.”
He continued,
“When my father left, he informed me ‘maintain your mom and your brother’, I used to be 5 years previous and I took that to coronary heart. And it f***ed me up for 30 years as a result of I believed if I do a superb job, he’ll come again. And he by no means got here again. So, I believed, ‘oh, that is my fault, I didn’t do a superb job.’ I carried that with me for a very long time. So, all of that had a big impact on me as a father as a result of I knew how necessary it was to be current for the youngsters in any respect time and I needed them to really feel secure. I needed them to really feel beloved. I needed them to really feel validated. I needed them to really feel empowered. Fortunately, we received a second likelihood with my dad as a result of my daughter had these points and he was a physician. My mom referred to as him and the subsequent day he confirmed as much as my home in LA.
Kodjoe went on to say that although he hadn’t seen his father because the day he left their household, that he would spend the ultimate 10 years of his life making up for the misplaced time and forging a relationship along with his and Nicole Ari Parker’s kids.
Watch the touching episode under:
About The Author
![Three Of Tuskegee’s Proudest Sons Bring Bold, Heritage-Focused Designs To Life With Taliaferro Union, HBCU Excellence Ensues [Exclusive]](https://i1.wp.com/bossip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/10/image-collage-39.jpg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=80&w=768&resize=768,0&ssl=1 "Three Of Tuskegee’s Proudest Sons Bring Bold, Heritage-Focused Designs To Life With Taliaferro Union, HBCU Excellence Ensues [Exclusive]")
