Encouraged, Inspired, Motivated, Nervous and Down Right Scared

As we enter into the Sentinel’s 75th year anniversary, I find myself encouraged, inspired, highly motivated, nervous and down right scared.

I am encouraged by the things that we as the Sentinel have accomplished in 2007. I am also confident that we can build upon all of our

successes and failures to maintain our status as the number one Black newspaper in America— a driving force where people come for information about what’s going on in our community.

I am inspired because the opportunities that lie before us are boundless. For the first time in my lifetime, an African American has the opportunity to become President of the United States (I never would have thought I would see this in my lifetime). I am inspired because our community has a new found energy of young new leadership who is building upon the lessons learned from our parents, our elders and those who have come before us.

I am highly motivated and am ready to take on the task of driving the Sentinel readership to 375,000 people with a distribution of 75,000 by expanding our base from not only Los Angeles but into the Inland Empire, Santa Clarita County, Ventura County, the Valley and throughout Southern California; (I will be calling on all of you-friends, enemies, supporters, non-profits and homies alike to help us achieve this task).

I am nervous because I think BIG and have both taught and encouraged everyone here at the Sentinel and throughout our community to do so as well. I am embracing the mantel of leadership that so many of you have entrusted in me and I pray that God will give me the strength to uphold this responsibility.

I am down right scared because even though I have unwavering faith in you our readers and everyone in our community that we can achieve so much more than we have ever done before, I also know that we will be

challenged and our beliefs tested. However, I know it is our faith that will get us through. Let’s be involved. Let’s accomplish things that in our

wildest dreams no one ever believed we could do. Let those things that unite us be much stronger than those things that divide us. Let’s be great in 2008!

I need to hear from you now more than ever. I need to know what is going on in our community. I also need to know what other stories we need to tell, and what is on your mind. I really do want to hear from you, I want you to “Talk to Danny.”

Sincerely,
Danny J. Bakewell, Jr.
President & Executive Editor

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