Portraits.

Martin Luthur King, Jr.
Tupac Shakur
Sistah Soulja
Shirly Chisholm
Rosa Parks
Oprah Winfrey
Muhammed Ali
Nelson Mandela
Maya Angelou
Marcus Garvey
Malcom X
Abraham Lincoln
Kwame Ture
John Lennon
JFK
Harriet Tubman
Mahatma Ghandi
Fredrick Douglas
Booker T. Washington
Bob Marly

Here are the pictures of the people I painted for the Obama poster I did with Afrentine publishing.  The concept was to show some of the many many people who have contributed in some way, shape or form to the possibility of an african-american - Barack Obama winning the US presidential election.  Which is still pretty amazing all things considered.

I've been wrestling with the idea of posting up an image of the poster I did...I know I said I would.  I guess, I feel weird about it being an Obama poster...I'm still not sure how I feel about the guy.  I don't really follow politics too much, or watch all that much t.v. unless I happen to be home to catch a Raptors game.  So I can't say that I'm completely up to date on what he's been doing of late.

He seems like a great guy by all accounts and I pray for him because he certainly has a difficult task ahead of him...When you are in a position like that who do you turn to for guidance?  Who do you put your faith in when so many are putting their faith in you?  I believe only God can give you true guidance when you are in a position such as that, or at any other time for that matter.

So my dilemma comes because I don't know how I feel about Obama...I don't blindly put my faith in him to solve every ones problems.  Unfortunately, I think some do....I think that can be problematic because some of us might then absolve ourselves of personal responsibility and wait for others to solve our problems for us.  No matter how great a man or woman may be, they are still only human...flesh and blood.  Not perfect, but flawed...   

We all have our shortcomings...as Jesus said, '...let he who is without sin throw the first stone...' With our 'sins' being us wandering off the beaten path in our walk with God (if you are trying to walk with God), and in 'throwing the first stone'... our condemnation of another for their shortcomings.

To get back to the post though, these are all individuals who have made sacrifices and contributions to society, often times, calling upon us to question what we believe is right and wrong...many have paid a very high price, in many cases, their very lives.

So I guess what I am trying to say here is that only time will tell whether Obama will be remembered with the Martin Luthor King, Jrs and the Mahatma Ghandis...I'm praying that he will be. 

God Bless,

Gavin Ball