Cynthia Gordy is The Root's Washington reporter.
It sometimes rubs people the wrong way. But President Obama has a tendency to talk about parental responsibility, especially as it pertains to absentee dads, when addressing African-American audiences.
"Michelle and I happen to be black parents, so I may add a little 'umph' to it when I'm talking to black parents," he joked to the National Urban League last summer by way of explanation.
