Obama, Mrs. Kennedy and Me-Remembering the Moment

Candidate Obama with Jackie Wright


An Email Exhange on the Road to the White House



April 7, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

I just want to say “Look What the Lord Has Done!” When I woke up yesterday morning, Sunday, I had no idea that before the day was over I would meet the next President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. I was invited to be a guest at a $2,500 per person reception in Kentfield, in Marin County, the richest county in California, possibly the nation.

As I walked toward the gorgeous home with, Dr. Ramona Tascoe, Darryl and Gavin, a woman who was standing with a crowd across the street walked up to us and said “We love Barack. My son is in Iraq would you ask Barack to say hello to us when he leaves.” I nodded yes, and said ok, ok. As I walked in the driveway I wondered how in the world was I going to keep my word and why had I said yes? I had had no intention of approaching Obama. I just wanted to see him.

The Lord gave me the presence of mind to ask a questions as Obama was getting near the end of his question and answer period. I began raising my hand going from the left to the right as I tired, but never putting my hand down. So he said “this is the last question” and began looking to see whom he’d call on and people in the crowd began pointing to me because I had had my hand up so long (as the Bible says the hand of the diligent shall rule!). So he pointed to me.

“My name is Jackie Wright, no relation to Dr. Jeremiah Wright, except by the Spirit. There is a mother out front whose son is in Iraq. She says she loves you and would you stop by and say hello when you leave. Your comments on Iraq…And…” He interrupted me and asked “how many questions are you going to squeeze in?” “As many as I can,” I responded…”Would you join Oprah Winfrey June 15th at Stanford University as She is being honored?” (More details on the project headed by Darryl Obama Provost to come).

He commented on Iraq; but for me the highlight was his action. About half an hour after he had left, I found out that he indeed stopped and spoke to the people standing outside and signed the cap of Mrs. Noreen Kennedy’s son. When God gave me the courage to speak up for her I had no idea that her name was Kennedy, that her son a 27 year old Captain was on his second tour of 15 months and that he was in the 101st Airborne. Nor did I know she was an immigrant from Ireland who had become a citizen to vote for Barack Obama.

Those close to me know the sensitivity I have around soldiers and their families with my father having served in the 114th Aviation Company in Viet Nam, dying while on his last mission as honor guard for then Secretary of War, Robert S. McNamara, two weeks from coming home. I felt compelled to get the message to Obama.

In the email below you will find Mrs. Kennedy’s remarks to me and the photos of Barack Obama taking a “Jesus moment” “caring for the least of these my brothers.” No one had to throw a rock at his car to stop him (per that popular email). He took the time to care.

You may get another email with a photo of Mrs. Kennedy and me when I get mine developed which may include the picture of me being chided by Barack for trying to pose with him as I shook his hand after he had said he didn’t have time to pose. Since I couldn’t get all my questions in, I at least wanted a posed photo and not just a candid.

There are a lot of historical things going on. Check out www.sfexodus.com for instance. Wow, its been an inspired weekend for me beginning with the prayer luncheon at the Miracles of Faith Church with Reverend Greg Brown as pastor, commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; speaking on Saturday to Dr. Terecita Dean’s students, “Kids on the Move America” about Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" and Dr. King's "I have Been to the Mountain Top" speeches in the newly renovated Victorian in Alameda that once housed the Red Cross where I worked; and Sunday, meeting Barack Obama as a result of being the messenger for Mrs. Kennedy! As the Bible says “God is not a respecter of persons. What He does for one He’ll do for others.” I hope this encourages you in every way. Everyday God gives us gifts that we don’t plan for or deserve. Today is a gift! Make the most of it. Expect the unexpected!

Sincerely,

Jackie

Mrs. Noreen Kennedy thanks Jackie Wright
for delivering a message to Candidate Obama
________________________________
> Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2008 19:13:18 -0700
> From: noreen2045@yahoo.com
> Subject: Fwd: You & Obama
> To: 1jackiewright@msn.com
>
> Hi Jackie, I'm the lady that you asked Barack to come talk to. Someone took pictures which just added to what was already an amazing day. I can't thank you enough, not knowing who I was, for taking the time to ask your question. My son always says "the American people have forgotten them" but I'll have a story to tell him that's not true. Lovely to have met your happy smiley face. Sincerely, Noreen Kennedy
>
> Note: forwarded message attached.
>
> Noreen Kennedy

Why Aren’t There Christians Praying for the Physically Dead to Be Raised?

Dear Pastors and Christian Friends,

As I consider my more than 40 years as a Christian, I do not recall ever seeing anyone at a funeral or at a hospital asking God to raise someone from the dead. Why is that? Have I just been in very barren places and praying for the dead to be raised is more plentiful than I know?

Did not Jesus stop a funeral procession at Nain (Luke 7:11-14)? The mother and the funeral party and definitely the dead man, had no idea that Jesus was passing by and there’s no indication in the scripture that they knew Jesus was capable of such a thing, and in His great compassion, He raised a young man from the dead, his mother’s only child.

Did not Jesus say, greater things than these ye shall do? “I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father,” John 14:12. Does the word of God not say “Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?”- Acts 26:10.

With God all things are possible! Why are we not drawing on the power of God for the physically dead to be raised?

Fear? Have we become so drunk with the world that we have taken in the images of horror movies that we are afraid to say to a lifeless body “rise in the name of Jesus!”?

These horror movies/images are they not an instrument of Satan to delay us from our destiny?

It’s time to Defy the Lie!

Are we not to snatch people from hell (Jude 1:23)? Praying for the dead to be raised is one way of razing hell. I woke up thinking about this as one of my pastor friends last night told me that a professional contact had been quickly cremated as part of a religious belief system. It gave me pause as I remembered another recent cremation. It’s as if the mind-set has been established to quickly get rid of the body, so just in case there are those who would dare believe and ask God to raise the dead, there would be no body to raise. But of course to God, a cremated body is no problem; He will call the body to be raised whether lost at sea in a “watery grave,” in fire, or wherever or however.

As we prepare to “Shine in 2009,” isn’t it time to begin drawing on the power of God to raise the dead, heal the sick and achieve that, which is impossible for man? We are crying out for jobs, and houses, and cars, for the economy to be fixed and our comfort. Are we crying out for the THINGS, more than the people—more than for souls to be saved? At the least as we cry out for the things, can we not at least cry out for all the souls involved so that they may be saved?

As we pray for the dead to be raised, sick to be healed, souls saved from hell and the things we desire, let’s start believing God at a level we’ve never considered. What does “thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,” look like?

A major key to asking for the impossible is to deal with the day-to-day demands as “we are to love one another and the fact that the world will distinguish us by the love we have one for another.” Where is the love?

I won’t write a treatise, but I would like to ask all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to ask the Lord to equip us to accomplish “greater things than these ye shall do.” Let’s not drop praying for the dead to be raised, the physical as well as the spiritual.”

There are practical considerations as we prepare our minds to accept new horizons. We must deal with media. Here’s a link to a study, “Trojan Horses of Race” that says TV news creates racism and perpetuates it in our community:

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=627381

When’s the last time you heard of a civic or religious group meeting with local TV executives making them accountable and asking at the least for more community shows and public service announcements to balance out the negative of the news department? When’s the last time you have heard of a group challenging a station’s license. They are making money off of public airwaves and our minds. They can be held accountable.

It’s time to create our own messages and distribute them via the Internet and broadcast media. It’s time to create opportunities for writers, producers, camera operators, editors, artists, etc. with the real world view-“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Personally, I want to live the possible 120 years (in divine health—“his eyes did not dim,” etc.) as described in the Bible and at the least the 80-85 years. I want to see our young people (as in Psalm 144:11-15) live long-lives and not take drive by shootings as the way it is. What would happen if we Christians prayed for a child in the street and he/she was raised from the dead?

“The kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force.” Isn’t it time we violently take people back from death. We won’t begin to do so unless we at least think about it. Get the images in our mind. “As a man thinketh, so is he.” Imagine it; prayer teams storming the hospitals, accident scenes, suicide-bombing incidents and wars, raising the dead in the name of Jesus! “You can’t die without Christ, raise up in the name of Jesus!” or "Rise up Christian in the Name of Jesus, You've still got work to do!" How awesome!

Feel free to pray for me to be raised from the dead, if I haven’t reached my 120 years! Feel free to pass this inquiry on to any believers in Christ. If you know of people praying for the dead to be raised in balance with all things that pertain to life in Christ and in the context of authentic Christianity, let me know.


With Love in Christ,

Jackie Wright

415.525.0410 (cell)

In Memoriam of Dr. C. Diane Howell

Dr. C. Diane Howell-We Miss You!


Condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Howell

Dear Friends,

It is with a heavy and astonished heart that I send you this sad news. Please forgive any oversight or error, as I am forwarding this to you in a state of unbelief and pain.

Dr. C. Diane Howell will be dearly missed. Having just read the email you see below about 45 minutes ago, I know I am not saying all that should be said about Dr. Howell. I feel she has gone too soon. This is a shocking reminder to us that we must engage those we love and respect on a constant and on-going basis and stop looking for the perfect moment or next time. The time is always now!

I had such admiration and respect of Dr. C. Diane Howell. She was a trailblazer! She was concerned about people and community. Dr. Howell's work with the Black Business Listing and the Black Expo, "the biggest minority event of its kind in the Bay Area" as I told her couple of years ago, have benefited the Bay Area tremendously.

I shared with Dr. Howell my concerns that there were not enough projects like hers in the Bay Area. As I talked about media and the often portrayal of Blacks and other minorites in a negative light, I expressed to her how important her work was as she gathered people of all races to promote the positive activities in the Black community.

When people only see the violent crimes and the negative news over the airwaves without the balance of the people promoted in Black Business Listings and the Black Expo, they have a short-sighted and distorted perspective of Black and minority communities. Dr. Howell's work was a light piercing through the darkness of ignorance that benefited the Bay Area economically, socially and spiritually.

Dr. Jerry Kang of UCLA Law School talks about what happens when television news focuses on mostly negative stories about minorities in "Trojan Horses of Race."

Hopefully, Dr. Howell's work will continue because it is much needed. Hopefully, the community will rally around her mother Doris Howell, who comes from Chicago every year to help with the expo, and the staff of BBL and Black Expo. Businesses, politicians, and the community all should rise up and give Dr. Howell's projects the support they did in the past and increase the support. Dr. Howell expressed her work as "God's work." Let's keep her work alive as a tribute to her life's work---"The Dr. C. Diane Howell Black Expo" must go on and bless the lives of others.



I feel this may all be too fresh for me to comment, but I recall the way, Dr. Howell immediately honored fellow journalist Chauncey Bailey as she wrote a story in honor of him within hours of his passing that appeared in the Oakland Post and across the nation. Click on this link to see her article.

I miss Dr. Howell so much already... for all the times I didn't pick up the phone to say hello or slow her down enough for a cup of coffee or lunch. I missed the Expo this year as I was working the Lake Tahoe Celebrity Golf Tournament. I whimsically thought oh, I'll make it next July. Not knowing that it would not be the same and not thinking of the reality that "tomorrow is not even promised to me."

I miss Dr. Howell's beauty. I miss her strength. I miss her straight forwardness. I miss her big smile. I miss her laughter. I miss her crying at the drop of a hat. I miss her big vision. I miss the fact that she didn't have more time to fulfill more of her vision. I miss the way she loved and cared for her mother. I miss the respect I saw her give her staff. I miss the fact that I did not spend more time around her. I miss her.

All I know is the information you see below sent to me by Lynnette White via email. (Mrs. White and artist husband Eugene White, are among the community giants that bring so much to our culture. They are always doing good work here at home and around the nation as they keep an artistic aspect of Black culture alive.)

I saw this report The Black Hour News: Dr. C. Diane Howell Dies and that's it.

All I can say is that this is one of the moments that one must trust God in His timing in allowing Dr. Howell to be "called home."

During this Holiday season let's enjoy the moments with our family and friends and uphold those who may be experiencing a hard time. Surely, this is a time the rain and the sunshine are visiting our day. May we seize this and every day with the purpose and passion of Dr. C. Diane Howell and others like her. Let's get behind those of passion and purpose that are still with us in tribute to Dr. C. Diane Howell and like spirits ( People like President-Elect Barack Obama and people who are the change they want to see.) Dr. Howell, January 20, 2009 you'll witness the change you helped make happen from the vantage point of "such a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1)."

Missing my sister,

Jackie
December 26, 2008













Black Expo 2004 Dr. C. Diane Howell presented an award to Jackie Wright of UPN (former Public Affairs Manager).

Photo Courtesy: Black Expo Corporate Photographer, Auintard Henderson, Photographers@Large, 510 938-8141


*******************************************************************************************************************************



The Passing of Dr. C. Diane Howell

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of Dr. C. Diane Howell, Publisher of the Black Business Listings and Producer of the Black Expo. She was hospitalized a few days ago, and her condition worsened, and last night she was called home. We will keep you updated on arrangements for her memorial service. Please also know that an account will be set up at Alta Alliance Bank on Monday for donations in leiu of flowers. Details will come on Monday. Our appreciation goes out to all of you who have touched her life, and as always please keep her family in your prayers. At the request of the Howell family please do not reply to the BlackExpo email account, nor call the office or cell phones. Please
contact Adriann or VaShone. Adriann McCall, 510-435-0961/adriann.m@sbcglobal.net VaShone Huff 510-269-0206/valhuff73@yahoo.com

The Black Business Listings/Black Expo Ltd. Family


***********************************************************************************************************

Dr. C. Diane Howell was a woman of faith. I leave these words from her faith that also encourage me at times like these. From the Holy Bible, eternal word of God, "it is written; so it is"......

Psalm 116:15

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Isaiah 57:1-2

The righteous perishes and no man takes it to heart; the merciful men are taken away while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil.

Thessalonians 4:13-18- The Lord Returns for Believers

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians. For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I Corinthians 15:20-28

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be eliminated is death. For he has put everything in subjection under his feet. But when it says "everything" has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him. And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Revelation 21 - A New Heaven and a New Earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more. And I saw the holy city - the new Jerusalem - descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: "Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more - or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist."

On Father's Day Oprah Gives Nod for Vice Presidency?

For Immediate Release
June 15, 2008

Contact:Jackie Wright
Wright Enterprises,
www.wrightnow.biz
415 824.3990



Oprah Gave Signal On Father's She'd Run as Obama's VP

“One Father and Son Say Oprah Gave the Nod.”


San Francisco-“Oh Goodness Gracious,”“Oh My,”“O-Kay”“O Say Can You See”“Obama”“Oprah”“O-8,”says San Francisco based LaHitz Media director, Jacquie Taliaferro, who had fun with the idea of Oprah being Vice President of the United States of America. According to Taliaferro, Barack Obama should have Oprah Winfrey as his running mate. “With the O-factor, the ‘Double-O’ factor you better believe Obama would be a shoo in, “ says Taliaferro. “Everyone loves Oprah!” “Uh-Oh, no one could stand against the Double O-Factor, adds Taliaferro!

Taliaferro says Obama and his team should stop wracking their brains and just go with the no-brainer, Oprah Winfrey as Vice President. “She’s practically Queen of the World,” so Obama needn’t worry about international diplomacy.”

On Father’s Day, while in the press corps at Winfrey’s Stanford address, as she commended her goddaughter, Kirby Bumpus, her best friend Gayle King’s child and the 2008 Stanford graduating class of over 4,000, Jacquie Taliaferro and his teenage son Alex, gave what they call the “Double-O” sign! (Both hands in the air with the four fingers touching the thumb configuring an “O.”)

“I think she got it,” says Alex, who joined in on his father’s whimsical political fantasy. “She nodded right after we gave the ‘Double-O’ sign.” The Taliaferros’ who spent Father’s Day covering Oprah’s commencement address are convinced she signaled she’d take on the role as Obama’s running mate. “Are you sure she wasn’t nodding to the closing prayer by Reverend Joanne Sanders ,” fellow LaHitz Media writer, Jackie Wright queried. “We gave her the “Double-O,” Obama- Oprah sign and she nodded as if to say right on,” Alex added with strong political fervor. Mills College MBA graduate, Darice Balabanis, a LaHitz stringer also on the Winfrey assignment couldn’t sway the Taliaferros from their conclusion that Oprah nodded in agreement to the “Double O-Obama Oprah” sign.

There you have it folks straight from Stanford Stadium at the 117th commencement, Oprah Winfrey has given the nod to the Vice Presidency of the United States of America, taking body language to a whole new level. Obama and Oprah- “Ohhh—Eight” just as the Stanford class responded to Oprah’s call of “Ohhh-Eight!” Talk about change, with Oprah’s humanitarian focus of giving back (“You can’t move forward unless you give back,” she told the crowd of over 40,000) and Obama’s quest for government to serve the people, the “Double O” factor is surely headed for a landslide victory. The O’s have it.

(Photo One by Jackie Wright: Alex,who speaks three languages (looking a lot like a young Obama with his recent hair cut) and his filmmaker father, Jacquie Taliaferro of LaHitz Media give the “Double-O” sign; Photo Two: Ms. Oprah Winfrey at podium.)