I was at his house often as a student and a friend. He was more than just a mentor. He was like a father. In the office of the man they nicknamed Obi, students of all races could find comfort from the pain of crafting dissertations or a sympathetic ear for their personal problems. Because of the discrimination that had happened in the past, he wanted them to be able to hold their own intellectually against anyone.
Most professors do it the other way around.
Darryl Gatlin, another former student, said Obichere knew how to bring the best out of anyone. Obichere arrived at UCLA in 1967, when black and African studies departments across the country had just begun to hire black or African instructors to teach their own histories. Obichere believed in linking African studies with the emerging study of black America. I thought he was the most brilliant person I'd ever met. He was very well read and articulate.