Obama's emotional trip to Kenya is quiet diplomacy in action.
The legacy of Barack Obama and Kenya will be forever intertwined.
The East African country is the birthplace of Obama's father and the source of a conspiracy theory about Obama's own birthplace that the president has had to spend way too much time refuting.
It's also a place where Obama is making a real impact.
On July 15, Obama stopped by Kogelo, where his sister-in-law Auma Obama opened Sauti Kuu — a youth sports and training center that aims to help children "become self-reliant mentally, socially, and financially."
Photo by Tony Karumba/Getty Images.
Back in 2015, Obama said that returning to Kenya after his presidency might actually be more effective, "because I can actually get outside of a hotel room or a conference center."
And he has a point.
Obama was able to mingle with several of the kids at the Sauti Kuu resource center. But he was also there to help the country heal after a tumultuous, contested election.
He's on a journey that carries a larger message of hope.
It's a big deal any time Obama visits Kenya. And while this visit was described as "low-key," he was also there doing some very important work.
Kenya has been divided over a contested 2017 election. The country's current President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga agreed in March 2018 to work together after months of political fighting.
Obama is meeting with both leaders during his visit to help facilitate a peaceful and lasting political solution.
Though Obama has been mostly quiet about the visit, Kenyatta posted about their visit on Twitter, adding several pictures of the two men meeting.
On July 18, Obama heads to South Africa to mark the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth and to meet with 200 African children who are working with the Obama Foundation. Not bad for a low-key trip.
Obama is showing how quiet diplomacy is something we could use more of right now.
President Teddy Roosevelt once famously said of his approach to international diplomacy, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." What many may not know is Roosevelt actually cited the quote as a West African proverb that he picked up during his travels before becoming president.
In many ways, it also captures Obama's approach to exerting his influence in the world. Instead of lecturing the world, he's helping empower Kenya's youth and offering his support to healing the nation's political divide.
Right now, the world of politics seems to be dominated by those with the loudest voices. But Obama, time and again, shows that the power of diplomacy rooted in respect and trust can indeed help someone go far.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."