Takelia Rob

Bob Marley once said -

"You may not be her first,
her last
or her only,
she loved before and can love again, but if she loves you now,
what else matters?

She is not perfect, neither are you, and you two will never be perfect. But if she can make you laugh at least once, it makes you think twice, if she admits to being human and making mistakes, do not let her go and give her the best of you.

She is not going to recite poetry,
she is not thinking about you at all times,
but she will give you a part of her that she knows you could break, her heart ...
Do not hurt her,
do not change her,
and
do not expect more than she can give you.
Do not analyze.
Smile when it makes you happy,
scream when it makes you angry
and
remove it
when it
is
not.

Love with your whole being when you receive love.
Because there are no perfect girls, but there will always be a girl who is perfect for you ... "

Happy Black History Month!

This is a month of celebration—a time to not only reflect on the heroes in our history books, but to honor the Black people who are quietly working every day to improve and enrich our communities right here and now. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing the stories of extraordinary individuals who are making a difference in communities across our country. And today, I’m starting with Antonio Dickey.

Antonio has documented some incredible moments during his 44 years as a photojournalist in Chicago. He got his start snapping photos at his local high school, eventually working his way up to Mayor Harold Washington’s official photographer. In the years since, he’s gone on to capture joyful, unguarded moments from some of the most influential leaders of our time, including Coretta Scott King and Stevie Wonder.

Antonio’s love for Chicago means he’s always ready to capture a moment—he’s just as likely to tote his camera to a major news event as to a small neighborhood gathering. He even took a photo of me speaking with students at a school resource event back in 1991. Back then, I was just Michelle Robinson, an assistant to Mayor Daley at City Hall.

I’m in awe of people like Antonio, who are living out their passions with integrity and conviction—and are making history along the way. The best part is that there are so many more incredible individuals out there just like him. And I can’t wait to tell you their stories this month. Read Antonio’s story and learn more about his career at obama.org/antonio-dickey.