THE OBAMA IN YOU
Darryl A . Barrs , Sr . Publisher / Managing Editor
Publisher ' s Editorial The Obama In You Jacksonville , Florida May 2015
The recent surge of Barack Obama into mainstream America as President has been great . He has given us as African Americans a new hope . Many of us echoed the sentiments of Michelle Obama who stated she has never been more proud of her country her entire adult life . For the first time in a long time , we all feel there are great possibilities for the advancement of us all . There maybe a chance the glassceiling will be lifted . Maybe organized racism is no longer fashionable to wear as a badge of honor . Maybe it is that the table of ascendancy in life has become convivial to all regardless to race , greed , sexual orientation , and / or past rejections .
Obama is hope . Because of his success , all of us are looking in the closet and pulling out suitcases of talent we have long packed away . The bell of opportunity without notice is suddenly ringing as a surprise to us all . Those of us who have been diligently working toward a positive future are ready and in place . Those who were discourage by the dark clouding of the struggle and sat in apathy eating the malnutrition diet of television and drinking the poisonous filth of music produced by a society without the slimmest sight of hope , of course are totally unprepared for this moment in time .
I am reminded of the Bible story Jesus told us of the Talents where upon traveling on a journey , a man dispersed talents ( a portion of money ) to his servants . To one he gave five talents , to another three , and another one . Then the man , the Bible says , took his journey . After an unspecified period , the man returned and call for his servants to see how they fared with the talents they were given . The one with the five talents reported he worked and doubled his five to ten talents . The one with three did the same doubling his to six . The one with the one talent reported he buried his talent not using it at all .
Many preachers have told a variety of reason as to why this person buried his talent . However , none of the explanations have kept so many from doing the same today . For most it has been an unconscious journey taken with little subtle steps of hopelessness and dissuasion .
For others it is simply derelict of duty , thinking they had more time than they really had , therefore they played more than they worked , and now the time of accountability has come and they must report they buried their talent not using it at all .
Obama has caused me to do my own self-evaluation . The word evaluation in itself means appraising value . Therefore self-evaluation is the process of you looking at you to determine if you have any worth at all , and if so , how much worth do you have . Obama , now a two term President of the United States of America , first affect me with the fact of him being born in August and is now just 53 years old , I am three month older than he , born May 27th . That means , people my age are now running the county and influencing the world . What am I doing ?
Well , I ’ m just a PaperBoy … that ’ s all I is ! I long considered myself retired as compared to the things I used to do being self-employed all of my adult life . I have educated my children and feel that now is the time I can take it easy and do many of the things time restraints and lack of money prohibited me from doing in the past . Obama ’ s presence , drive and future outlook says to me and many others , now ain ’ t the time to sit … we ’ ve only just begun . Don ’ t pack away your talent and ambitions just yet .
In the process of my own self-evaluation , I discovered that I have not buried my talent . However , I can not say I have used it to the fullest . There is room for self-improvement . Several ways I can do better and be better . Also in the process , I discovered a great number of things I did well and things of which I could feel extremely proud . Over the more than twenty-two years we have published , we have united the Black Church Community with the Black Business Community invigorating positive gains . We have published articles and information that have stimulated thought and actions that has inspired us as a people to excel spiritually , economically , socially , politically , medically and overall . We have published over 265 magazines , printed over 10,000 pages and 2,875,000 words , traveled over 5,000,000 miles distributing them , and we have been read by over 200,000,000 individuals . To God be the glory .
Yet still , there is room for so much more . Obama as President with his dedication and accomplishments has by example called us all into action . We don ’ t want this time in history to past without our full participation ensuring its ultimate success . I am afraid for this country if it turns its back on President Obama ’ s accomplishments . He has proven that his policies of change has united us all for the common good . The disassembling of his policies will means the orchestrated methods of abhorrence and discord has prevailed compelling us backward even farther as a nation . The bell of opportunity is ringing . Now is the time to put your talent to good use . Discover the Obama in You . Find how you can use you special talents to make this world a better place .
PROGRAM SUCCESS MAGAZINE PAGE : 31 | MAY 2015