Robert Jebediah Freeman

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The Boondocks Character
Robert Jebediah Freeman

Character Information
Full Name	Robert Jebediah Freeman
Gender	Male
Relatives	Riley Freeman, (Grandson} Huey Freeman (Grandson)
Hair	Grayed, balding
Occupation	Retired
Religion	Christianity
Hobbies	Watching movies, drinking orange juice, disciplining Riley
Best Friend	Tom DuBois
Show Information
First Episode	The Garden Party
Voice actor	John Witherspoon
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Robert Jebediah "Granddad" Freeman is a fictional character in the animated television show, The Boondocks, as well as a regular character in a comic strip of the same name. He lives in the predominately white suburb of Woodcrest with his two grandsons, Riley and Huey Freeman. He is voiced by John Witherspoon.

[edit] History

Robert Freeman (left) in The Passion of the Ruckus.

Robert was an ace combat pilot during World War II and an active participant in the U.S. civil rights movement. During the war, his wingman, Mo, often took credit for things that Robert or they dually accomplished, and Robert's angst about this culminated at Mo's funeral, during which he blows the lid off of some of Mo's more embellished accomplishments.

Robert also lived in Alabama during the U.S. civil rights movement. He specifically recalls showing up late for a march because he forgot his raincoat, much to the indignation of his cohorts. He also had a grudge against Rosa Parks for stealing his thunder, as he was sitting next to her on that bus and likewise refused to give up his seat. The bus driver was only offended by Rosa's, not his, unwillingness to move, however. Also, Malcolm X died owing Robert five dollars.

[edit] Personality

To the residents of Woodcrest, Robert is a law-abiding citizen who tries his best to fit in despite being one of the very few black residents of the suburb. To his grandsons, especially Riley, he is an authority figure, but only in the sense that he doesn't hesitate to use severe corporal punishment when they slip up.

Both of his grandsons disrespect him, but in different ways. Huey disapproves of Robert's constant focus on how they're all viewed in the eyes of their neighbors, seeing this as evidence that he still possesses an antiquated sense of inferiority to the "white man," which causes him to act in a way that he believes his neighbors want him to act. Huey especially dislikes when Robert tries to force this antiquated notion on him, interpreting this as an attempt to change him into a person he's not. Riley disrespects Robert by not obeying him despite being severely disciplined by him often. For the most part, Riley seems to do whatever he wants, and is punished at his grandfather's whim. These punishments don't seem to deter Riley, however, and he is much more unrelenting with his disrespect as a result. In Granddad's Fight, Riley goes on and on making fun of Robert, his own grandfather, mercilessly rubbing in the humiliation. Even his brother rebukes him for doing this, but he doesn't stop. This singular act epitomizes his lack of respect for his grandfather.

Robert can be viewed as selfishly motivated most of the time. He has openly admitted his ashamedness of his grandsons, and went so far as to spend their inheritance on his dream home in his dream neighborhood, moving Huey and Riley against their will. In fact, he somewhat regularly ignores the desires and needs of his grandchildren, such as in Guess Hoe's Coming to Dinner, when he buys willy-nilly to appease the expensive tastes of his prostitute-girlfriend, while ignoring his grandsons' objections to her obvious corrosive effect on them as a family. Though the woman's cover is eventually blown when her pimp shows up to retrieve her, he does exhibit signs of genuine love for her, hopelessly waiting for her to return long into the night after she is taken away by her pimp. This causes his grandsons, especially Huey, to sympathize with him despite getting what they ultimately wanted.

Robert, having experienced the civil rights movement firsthand, doesn't take the slighting of his race lightly. Uncle Ruckus, a self-hating black racist, butts heads with Robert often. Robert also uses his involvement in the civil rights movement as a justification for spending his grandsons' inheritance on a big house in a nice suburb, noting how he helped make such an act possible (whereas it wouldn't have been an option were segregation still in existence).