You hear it repeated often. "America is not ready for a black president." Other times you hear that he is not "black" enough. If one were to draw a conclusion from the talk of doubters, it would be that since Barack Obama is not black and America is not ready for a black President, then Obama has a good chance of being elected President of the United States in November 2008.

If not now, then when? When will America be ready for a black President? As black presidential candidates go, Barack Obama is the most qualified, highly educated and respected African-American to have made a run for the white house. Senator Joe Biden tried to make that point a few months ago, but unfortunately ended up with a bad case of the "foot in mouth" disease. The fact is Obama has a very good chance of winning the Democratic Party's nomination not because he is black, but because of his message of change, his impressive credentials and his charismatic cross-over appeal. Being black would only make his victory so much sweeter and secure his spot in history as the first African-American President.

No offence to Reverend Jessie Jackson or Reverend Al Sharpton, whose symbolic attempts at the White House a few years ago served as inspiration to many but realistically never had a chance from the get go. Their efforts were not in vain, but served as a source of motivation to youngsters, including Senator Obama, to seriously consider the possibility of an African-American one day holding the office of President of the United States.

Former Secretary of State, Colin Powell had an opportunity to do what Senator Obama is doing now - be the first African-American to make a serious credible run for the White House. In 1995 the retired General was leading every candidate in every poll and by every indication would have easily captured his party's nomination had he decided to run.

"Cow neva know de use ah him tail till it get cut off" states the Jamaican proverb, which translates into "one never realizes the value of something until they lose it." This proverb proved true a few weeks ago, when many who religiously listened to WTPS 1080 am, every Saturday was faced with new programming, stemming from the sale of the station.

For over 25 years, WVCG 1080 AM was the dependable home of Caribbean radio programs. Initiated by Arnold "Trinidad" Henry - who was sales manager back in 1982 - the 50,000 watt station soon carved a niche out for itself in presenting quality programs with an appeal to the diverse Caribbean community, especially those living south in South Miami-Dade County.

Despite several changes in ownership, Caribbean Saturdays prevailed, beating the odds and solidifying its position as a strong source of information and entertainment for Caribbean peoples in South Florida.