Trevor Noah Blames Apartheid in Sit-Down With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson: "What Racism Does"
- Trevor Noah joined Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson on the imo podcast to share hilariously candid childhood stories
- The Born a Crime author recalled a mortifying incident involving his great-grandmother, a newspaper, and a rainstorm that left him with no choice
- Noah's post on X connecting the story to apartheid and his book's 10th anniversary caught fans off guard
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Trevor Noah had Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson in stitches during a sit-down on the imo podcast, delivering one of the most unexpected, and oddly moving, childhood confessions of his career.
The South African comedian, best known for his memoir Born a Crime, recounted a story about his great-grandmother, whom he called Coco, during what turned into a deeply nostalgic conversation about family, memory, and growing up under apartheid. The clip was later shared by Noah on X, where he captioned it:
"Before you judge me, I blame apartheid."
The story behind the blame
Noah set the scene vividly: a rainstorm, an outdoor toilet, and a child too scared to brave the weather. With no indoor plumbing, a direct consequence, he argued, of apartheid-era policy denying adequate ablution facilities to Black South Africans, young Trevor resorted to using a newspaper indoors.
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"If the apartheid government had given ablution facilities to all people, I wouldn't have had an outdoor toilet. There wouldn't have been a rainstorm that stopped me from going outside."
The situation took a turn when his blind great-grandmother, sitting quietly beside a cold stove for warmth, began sensing a presence in the room. She repeatedly called out "Hello, hello, hello," while Noah sat frozen, unable to move or respond without giving himself away. "I swear somebody's here," she insisted, as he described the agonising silence that followed.
Watch the video below:
‘Born a Crime’ turns 10
Noah shared the imo podcast clip on X alongside a nod to the 10th anniversary edition of Born a Crime, noting that the story features in the book. He encouraged followers to find the full episode on podcast platforms. The post drew swift reactions.
@TheElliottSmith wrote:
"Born a Crime turning ten makes me feel old."
@cybxrk1tty chimed in:
"Omg my school made us read the book Born a Crime as a part of our final exams last year! It's super funnyyyy!!"
@WardsonLee kept it short and sweet:
"Hope to see u back at Daily Show."
Trevor Noah weighed in on March and March
Trevor Noah shared his thoughts on the anti-illegal immigration movement in a podcast-style outdoor interview.
The comedian drew a comparison between how South Africans treated foreigners and how other African nations responded to South Africans abroad.
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Source: Briefly News
