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The immortal John Witherspoon will be forever missed. His comedic genius was paralleled only by the life lessons he imparted to a new generation of men and women both in his TV roles and his voice acting. Robert Jebediah Freemen, affectionately known as Grandad from The Boondocks animated series — brilliantly voiced by the very same John Witherspoon — was the animated embodiment and an inexhaustible fountain of these great life lessons and moments.

Robert’s old-school approach to life, combined with the attempts to navigate the modern world and societal norms while also raising two very spirited grandsons, Huey and Riley, provided the audiences with a treasure trove of life lessons that transcend the boundaries of the fictional suburb in which they lived. So, we’re here to explore five life lessons from Grandad from The Boondocks that taught us about life, love, and Woodcrest.

Appreciating Differences

Grandad really values his friends — as most of them are… well, dead. However, his interactions with the living, like Uncle Ruckus and Tom and Sara DuBois, highlight another important lesson: the value of appreciating differences in those we deem friends. Grandad’s relationship with Uncle Ruckus is perhaps among the most complex in the show because the latter always provides viewpoints that starkly contrast Grandad’s beliefs. Yet again, Grandad tolerates Ruckus and engages with him in a begrudging friendship.

Something similar could be said about his relationship with the DuBois family. Tom and Sara are an interracial couple, which contrasts Grandad’s more traditional views; he never wanted to be friends with them, but his tolerance of them speaks volumes about how Grandad sees friendship — it’s not about agreement on all aspects of life, it’s about understanding and respecting different perspectives.

Remember Where You Come From

Throughout much of the series, Grandad often reminisced about the old days. This portrayed him as a grumpy old man and sometimes relic of the past who more often than not was just trying to find his footing in the present, which provides great entertainment value because he would often fail hilariously in his attempts to adapt to the new ways of a social media fueled era.

However, as often as he might’ve struggled with contemporary societal trends — like modern dating, entrepreneurship, and trying to be “cool” with the new kids — he never allowed anything to shake his core values. From his insistence on discipline to his respect for tradition, Grandad showed the audiences that it’s possible to adapt to change, or at least try to, without losing sight of where you come from.

It’s Never Too Late

Grandad’s love life in the series was a rollercoaster, and his romantic escapades ranged from pursuing a young gold digger to his entanglement with a kung-fu master of the White Lotus style — the deadliest styler there is, according to the Boondocks’ own master martial artist, Huey. So, it’s safe to say that Grandad’s relationships were nothing if not complicated. Through his amorous misadventures, Grandad exposed the multifaceted nature of love and relationships, showing us that love isn’t all that simple.

This actually teaches us a few valuable lessons. It’s never too late to seek love, but one must approach it with a mix of soft heart and discernment because love, as integral as it can be to the human experience, can also be quite messy and challenging. Grandad’s relationships throughout the series taught us about the pitfalls of infatuation, the importance of self-respect, seeing beyond the surface, and having the courage to walk away from toxic situations, especially if you’re dating a White Lotus kung-fu master who has been raised by wolves.

Value Community

To be entirely honest, Grandad often seems very self-centered throughout the whole show, but the truth is that his interactions with other residents of Woodcrest, hilarious as they might be, illustrate the importance of community. His actions in the show, from his attempts to start a business to standing up to local bullies and dealing with neighborly disputes, showed us that being a part of a community means actively contributing to said community, not just living in it.

Humor Is a Survival Tool

Using humor to cope with the seriousness and difficulties in life is perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from Grandad. Amidst all the chaos and the challenges associated with trying to raise his two grandsons, struggling with contemporary trends, finding love, and trying to be an active member of the Woodcrest community, Grandad often employed humor to navigate through life’s complications. Grandad’s witty one-liners and deadpan deliveries are the embodiment of humor that reminds us that laughter can be the best of medicines when it seems like the times are tough.  

Final Thoughts

In the end, Grandad’s character was a treasure trove of real-life lessons; he was far from the perfect character, but he was very real. Despite being a fictionalized amalgamation of forgotten civil rights figures and disgruntled AARP members, the lessons he taught us about life remain universal, as they remind us of the values that make us who we are and the humor that keeps us going.