A Legacy of Success
In February 2024 , we lost Darryl Barrs , Sr ., the visionary founder of Program Success Magazine . This publication was just a small part of the abundant legacy he left behind .
It all began in 1993 . I was around seven years old when I first laid eyes on the future . I walked into my Dad ’ s office and saw him meticulously printing and gluing pieces of paper and photos onto a board . He would take every article , paragraph by paragraph , and carefully position them exactly how he wanted the newspaper to look .
He then took the board to a warehouse , where it was converted into plates , printed , and bundled together , ready to be delivered to churches throughout the state .
Back then , it was called The Christian Reader , the “ Good News Newspaper ” and covered black church and community affairs throughout Florida . Our entire family would load up a van and hit the road to ensure as many congregations as possible received each monthly issue .
In 2008 , it transformed into the magazine you read today : Program Success . This magazine had a mission to document OUR legacies of success . Realizing that the ink that writes our history has not run dry , Black people are achieving extraordinary things today that are noteworthy and need to be documented and preserved . These accomplishments , for some reason , escape mainstream media but are captured on the pages of Program Success Magazine .
My father , your friend , dedicated his life to building the Black community , aspiring to excellence and achieving at higher levels . Although he is no longer with us , his goals will live on through this magazine .
You will be missed . You will be remembered . You will forever be LOVED . Thank you for everything you have done for US .
-DJ Barrs
“ We PUSH people to do more . We PULL out the best that people have stored in them . We RUN to support new ideas . We TURN obstacles into stepping stones . We BUILD productive working relationships . We BREAK-DOWN historic barriers of failure . We ASCRIBE to excellence . We CHAMPION higher levels of achievement .
Darryl Barrs , Sr . Founder - Program Success Magazine