Jeremiah Wright

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Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. (born September 22, 1941) was the Senior Pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC), a megachurch in Chicago with around 10,000 members.[1] In early 2008, Wright retired after 36 years as the pastor of his congregation.[2][3] Following retirement, Wright's beliefs and manner of preaching were scrutinized when segments from his sermons were publicized in connection with presidential candidate Barack Obama.[4] Obama addressed the matter in his "A More Perfect Union" speech.[5] To lay his actual positions on various social issues before the nation, Wright gave a speech before the NAACP on April 27, 2008, wherein he stressed that he was not "divisive", but "descriptive", and that the black church experience, like black culture, was "different" but not "deficient".[6]

His wife is Ramah Reed Wright, and he has four daughters, Janet Marie Moore, Jeri Lynne Wright, Nikol D. Reed and Jamila Nandi Wright, and one son, Nathan D. Reed.[7]

Early years

Wright was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a racially mixed section called Germantown.[8] His parents are Jeremiah Wright, Sr., a Baptist minister who pastored Grace Baptist Church in Germantown, Philadelphia from 1938 to 1980,[9] and Mary Elizabeth Henderson Wright, a school teacher.

Wright graduated from the Central High School of Philadelphia in 1959, among the best schools in the area at the time.[8] At the time, the school was around 90 percent white.[10] The 211th class yearbook described Wright as a respected member of the class.

From 1959 to 1961, Wright attended Virginia Union University,[2] in Richmond. In 1963, Wright joined the U.S. Navy and entered the Medical Corpsman School at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center.

In 1967 Wright enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1968 and a master’s degree in English in 1969. He also earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School.[7] Wright holds a Doctor of Ministry degree (1990) from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where he studied under Samuel DeWitt Proctor, a mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr.[11]

Career as minister

Wright became pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago on March 1, 1972, at a time when its membership was only 87 members.[2] By March 2008 Trinity United Church of Christ had become the largest church in the mostly white[12] United Church of Christ. The President and General Minister of the United Church of Christ, John H. Thomas, has stated: “It is critical that all of us express our gratitude and support to this remarkable congregation, to Jeremiah A. Wright for his leadership over 36 years.”[13] Thomas, who is a member of the Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Cleveland, has also preached[14]and worshipped at Trinity United Church of Christ (most recently on March 2, 2008).[13]

Jeremiah Wright (center left), in 1998, greeting President Bill Clinton during a prayer breakfast at the White House.

Trinity and Wright were profiled by correspondent Roger Wilkins in Sherry Jones's documentary "Keeping the Faith" broadcast as the June 16, 1987 episode of the PBS series Frontline with Judy Woodruff.[15]

Wright, who began the "Ministers in Training" ("M.I.T.") program at Trinity United Church of Christ, has been a national leader in promoting theological education and the preparation of seminarians for the African-American church.[16] The church's mission statement is based upon systematized Black liberation theology that started with the works of James Hal Cone.[17][18]

Wright has been a professor at Chicago Theological Seminary, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary and other educational institutions. Wright has served on the Board of Trustees of Virginia Union University, Chicago Theological Seminary and City Colleges of Chicago. He has also served on the Board Directors of Evangelical Health Systems, the Black Theology Project, the Center for New Horizons and the Malcom X School of Nursing, and on boards and committees of other religious and civic organizations.[7]

Relationship with Barack Obama

Barack Obama, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President, first met Wright and joined his church in the 1980s, while he was working as a community organizer in Chicago before attending Harvard Law School.[19] Wright officiated at the wedding ceremony of Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as their children's baptism.[5] The title of Obama's memoir, The Audacity of Hope, was inspired by one of Wright's sermons.[19][5]

Wright was scheduled to give the public invocation before Obama's presidential announcement, but Obama withdrew the invitation the night before the event.[20] Wright wrote a rebuttal letter to the editor disputing the characterization of the account as reported in an article in The New York Times.[21]

In 2007 Wright was appointed to Barack Obama's African American Religious Leadership Committee, a group of over 170 national black religious leaders who supported Obama's bid for the Democratic nomination;[22] however, it was announced in March 2008 that Wright was no longer serving as a member of this group.[23]

Political controversy

Main article: Jeremiah Wright political controversy
File:Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright.jpg
Jeremiah Wright(right) with Senator Barack Obama

In March 2008, a controversy broke out concerning Obama's long-term relationship with Wright, his former pastor.[24][25] ABC News found several racially and politically charged sermons by Wright, including his suggestion that past U.S. policies were partially responsible for the September 11 attacks, his statement, "God bless America... No!... God Damn America...for killing innocent people...for treating her citizens as less than human," and his assertion that "[t]he government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color."[26][27] Some of Wright's statements were widely interpreted as being deeply offensive.[28][29] Some have noted that Wright's quotes had been taken out of context, including in one case, where Wright was allegedly quoting Ambassador Edward Peck.[30] Some have also noted that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made similar comments about U.S. foreign policy and claimed that America was the "greatest purveyor of violence in the world today",[31] and at another point King stated: "America was founded on genocide, and a nation that is founded on genocide is destructive."[32]

Following negative media coverage and during a temporary drop in the polls,[33] Obama responded by condemning Wright's remarks, [34] and delivering a speech entitled "A More Perfect Union" at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[35] In the speech, Obama rejected Wright's comments, but refused to disown the man himself.[36] Although the speech, which attempted to explain and contextualize the comments, was generally well-received,[36][37] some continued to press the question of Obama's long-standing relationship with Wright.[38][39] When asked his opinion of the controversy, Wright said, "I felt it was unfair. I felt it was unjust. I felt it was untrue. I felt for those who were doing that, were doing it for some very devious reasons."[40] "I think they wanted to... put an element of fear and hatred and to stir up the anxiety of Americans who still don't know the African-American tradition, know nothing about the prophetic theology of the African-American experience, who know nothing about the black church, who don't even know how we got a black church.”[41]

On April 26, 2008, Wright appeared on PBS in an interview with Bill Moyers, in which Wright responded to the criticisms of his sermons.[42]

On April 27, Wright gave a keynote address at the 53rd Annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner for the Detroit chapter of the NAACP. In front of nearly 10,000, Wright gave a speech in which he referred to the controversy, saying, "I am not running for the Oval Office. I been running for Jesus a long, long time, and I'm not tired yet!" Wright argued that Americans were beginning to change their attitudes and perceptions about differences among societal groups. Citing linguistic, pedagogical, hermeneutic, and other differences, and contrasting varied musicologies, he sought to show how black culture is "different" but not "deficient", while saying that European-American culture has historically held it to be deficient, and punctuating his speech at numerous times with the dinner's annual theme "A Change Is Going to Come".[43] Earlier that day, he delivered a sermon to 4000 congregants at the Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas.[44]

On April 28, 2008, Wright made additional remarks, and also answered questions from reporters, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. [45] He argued that his attention in the media was not only an attack on him, but also an attack on the black church in general.[45]

At a news conference the following April 29, Barack Obama decried Wright's latest remarks as "a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in the truth".[46]. He accused his former pastor of exploiting racism and "giving comfort to those who prey on hate." He characterized Wright’s National Press Club appearance as a “spectacle” and described its content as "outrageous" and "destructive."

"After seeing Reverend Wright's performance, I felt there was a complete disregard for what the American people are going through and the need for them to rally together to solve these problems," he said. "What mattered to him was him commanding center stage." Obama said he was "particularly angered" by Wright's allegation that the candidate was engaging in political posturing when he denounced the minister's earlier remarks. "If Reverend Wright considers that political posturing, then he doesn't know me very well," Obama said. "Based on his comments yesterday, well, I may not know him as well as I thought, either." Senator Obama, however, continues to refer to the Reverend Wright as "my savior and mentor."

Honors

Wright has received a Rockefeller Fellowship and seven honorary doctorate degrees, including from Colgate University, Valparaiso University, United Theological Seminary and Chicago Theological Seminary.[7] Wright was named one of Ebony magazine's top 15 preachers.[47] He was also awarded the first Carver Medal by Simpson College in January 2008, to recognize Wright as "an outstanding individual whose life exemplifies the commitment and vision of the service of George Washington Carver".[48][49] On May 1, 2008 Northwestern University withdrew its invitation for him to receive an honorary doctorate, in light of the controversy over his recent remarks.[50]

Works

  • Wright, Jeremiah A. Jr. and Jini Kilgore Ross, What Makes You So Strong?: Sermons of Joy and Strength from Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., Judson Press, November 1993, ISBN 978-0817011987
  • Wright, Jeremiah A. Jr. and Colleen Birchett, Africans Who Shaped Our Faith (Student Guide), Urban Ministries, Inc., May 1995, ISBN 978-0940955295
  • Wright, Jeremiah A. Jr. and Jini Kilgore Ross, Good News!: Sermons of Hope for Today's Families, Judson Press, December 1995, ISBN 978-0817012366
  • William J. Key, Robert Johnson Smith, Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. and Robert Johnson-Smith, From One Brother to Another: Voices of African American Men, Judson Press, October 1996, ISBN 978-0817012502
  • Jawanza Kunjufu and Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., Adam! Where Are You?: Why Most Black Men Don't Go to Church, African American Images, June 1997, ISBN 978-0913543436 (also African American Images, 1994, ISBN B000T6LXPQ)
  • Frank Madison Reid, III, Jeremiah Wright Jr. and Colleen Birchett, When Black Men Stand Up for God: Reflections on the Million Man March, African American Images, December 1997, ISBN 978-0913543481
  • Wright, Jeremiah A. Jr., What Can Happen When We Pray: A Daily Devotional, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, June 2002, ISBN 978-0806634067
  • Wright, Jeremiah A. Jr., From One Brother To Another, Volume 2: Voices of African American Men , Judson Press, January 2003, ISBN 978-0817013622
  • Iva E. Carruthers (Editor), Frederick D. Haynes III (Editor), Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. (Editor), Blow the Trumpet in Zion!: Global Vision and Action for the 21st Century Black Church, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, January 2005, ISBN 978-0800637125
  • Ernest R. Flores and Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., Tempted to Leave the Cross: Renewing the Call to Discipleship, Judson Press, November 2007, ISBN 978-0817015244
  • Wright, Jeremiah A, Jr. (2004), "Doing black theology in the black church", p 13-23, 213-214. In Linda E. Thomas (Ed.), Living Stones in the Household of God: The Legacy and Future of Black Theology, Minneapolis: Fortress. ISBN 0-8006-3627-9
  • Wright, Jeremiah. "Here I am, send me". In Awakened to a calling: reflections on the vocation of ministry, Ann M. Svennungsen and Melissa Wiginton (Eds.), Nashville: Abingdon Press, c2005. ISBN 0687053900
  • Wright, Jeremiah. "In the lord's house, on the Lord's day". In Awakened to a calling: reflections on the vocation of ministry, Ann M. Svennungsen and Melissa Wiginton (Eds.), Nashville: Abingdon Press, c2005. ISBN 0687053900
  • Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., "Music as Cultural Expression in Black Church Theology and Worship," Journal of Black Sacred Music 3, 1 (1) (Spring 1989).

Wright has written several books and is featured on Wynton Marsalis's album The Majesty of the Blues, where he recites a spoken word piece written by Stanley Crouch, and on the Odyssey Channel series Great Preachers.[51][52]

Notes

  1. ^ Official site
  2. ^ a b c Pastor Trinity United Church of Christ
  3. ^ Ramirez, Margaret (2008-02-11). "Barack Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., preaches last sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2008-03-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ Banks, Adelle (2008-03-22). "Obama Finds Pulpit in Center of Racial Divide". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-03-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b c Barack Obama (2008-03-18). "Text of Obama's speech: A More Perfect Union". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-03-18. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Obama's ex-pastor gives fiery speech to NAACP". CNN. Retrieved 2008-04-28. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d "Dr. Jeremiah A Wright Jr". Corinthian Baptist Church. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  8. ^ a b "Obama's Rev. Wright Mythology". Newsmax.
  9. ^ Gabrielle Brochard and John DeVecchi (2006). "Biographical Essays". Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  10. ^ Wright, Jeremiah A. (1989). The pilgrimage of a pastor: The autobiography of Jeremiah A. Wright, Sr. Aaron Press, ASIN B0006F1LD4
  11. ^ Emily Udell, "Keeping the Faith", In These Times, February 8, 2005. Available online. Archived.
  12. ^ Gorski, Eric (2008-03-18). "Message of Obama Pastor Forged in Civil Rights Movement". Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Retrieved 2008-03-27. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ a b Guess, J. Bennet (2008-03-14). "Chicago's Trinity UCC Is "Great Gift to Wider Church Family". United Church of Christ. Retrieved 2008-03-27. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  14. ^ "White People Welcome at Trinity United Church of Christ". YouTube. Retrieved 2008-03-27. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Jones, Sherry (producer & director), Wilkins, Roger (correspondent), Woodruff, Judy (anchor). FRONTLINE: reports: Keeping the Faith. Alexandria, Va.: PBS Video. OCLC 18127027. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |month2= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |year2= ignored (help), OCLC 21357978, OCLC 18126496, OCLC 42508237
    Ruth, Daniel (June 16, 1987). "Chicago minister exalts `Faith'" (paid archive). Chicago Sun-Times. p. 50.
    McBride, James (June 16, 1987). "On leaving the ghetto" (paid archive). The Washington Post. p. F3.
    "'Sunday morning worship America's most segregated hour'". Post-Tribune. June 21, 1987. p. 4.
  16. ^ "Donor Profiles". The Fund for Theological Education. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
  17. ^ Talev, Margaret (2008-03-20). "Obama's church pushes controversial doctrines". The McClatchy Company. Retrieved 2008-03-28. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ Wright, Jeremiah (2007-03-01). "Talking Points". Trinity United Church of Christ website. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  19. ^ a b Brachear, Manya (January 21, 2007). "Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.: Pastor inspires Obama's 'audacity'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2008-03-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ Kantor, Jodi (2007-03-6). "Disinvitation by Obama Is Criticized". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Wright, Jeremiah (2007-03-11). "Letter to The New York Times (pdf)" (PDF). Trinity United Church of Christ - Bulletin. Retrieved 2008-03-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ "Renowned Faith Leaders Come Together to Support Obama". Democracy in Action. 2007-12-04. Retrieved 2008-03-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ Smith, Ben (2008-03-14). "Wright leaves Obama campaign". The Politico. Retrieved 2008-03-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ Brian Ross (March 13 2008). "Obama's Pastor: God Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11". ABC News. Retrieved 2008-03-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ Andrew Sullivan. For The Record The Atlantic: The Daily Dish, March 16 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-18
  26. ^ Jeff Goldblatt (March 14 2008). "Obama's Pastor's Sermon: 'God Damn America'". FOXNews. Retrieved 2008-04-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-18-obamawright_N.htm
  28. ^ Dilanian, Ken (2008-03-18). "Defenders say Wright has love, righteous anger for USA". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  29. ^ Adubato, Steve (March 21, 2008). "Obama's reaction to Wright too little, too late". MSNBC.
  30. ^ Martin, Roland (March 21, 2008). "The full story behind Rev. Jeremiah Wright's 9/11 sermon". Anderson Cooper 360. CNN. Retrieved 2008-04-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ http://www.bethink.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=848
  32. ^ Bennett, James B. "Obama's pastor's words ring uncomfortably true". San Jose Mercury News, 20 March 2008. Available online. Archived.
  33. ^ Reid, Tim (March 21, 2008). "Polls show Barack Obama damaged by link to Reverend Jeremiah Wright". Times Newspapers, Ltd. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
  34. ^ Johnson, Alex (2008-03-14). "Controversial minister leaves Obama campaign". MSNBC. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  35. ^ Barack Obama (March 18 2008). "Remarks by Barack Obama: 'A More Perfect Union'". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2008-03-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ a b Nedra Pickler, Matt Apuzzo (March 18, 2008). "Obama confronts racial division". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-04-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ "Mr. Obama's Profile in Courage". The New York Times. 2008-03-19. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  38. ^ "Obama's minister's remarks won't fade". The Associated Press. March 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ "Obama's racial problems transcend Wright". The Politico. March 18 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ Stern, Andrew (2008-04-24). "Obama ex-pastor says he unfairly painted a fanatic". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  41. ^ "Bill Moyers' Journal". PBS. 2008-04-25. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  42. ^ "Bill Moyers' Journal". PBS. 2008-04-25. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  43. ^ "Transcript of Jeremiah Wright's speech to NAACP".
  44. ^ Nichols, Darren A. "Wright delivers fiery, humorous speech at NAACP dinner". Detroit News. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  45. ^ a b "Transcript of Wright's remarks, as provided by CQ Transcriptions". New York Times. 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  46. ^ Obama breaks with former pastor By Kathy Kiely and David Jackson USA TODAY
  47. ^ Cite error: The named reference historymbio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  48. ^ http://www.simpson.edu/news/jan08/jeremiahwright.html
  49. ^ Schettler, Emily (2008-03-27). "Medal Recipient's Recent Comments Stir Controversy". The Simpsonian. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  50. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080501/pl_bloomberg/axcinkuxnrh8;_ylt=ArcygdlqO6nnXI8sq38YWUis0NUE
  51. ^ The Majesty Of The Blues - Track list
  52. ^ Great Preachers: Jeremiah Wright (1998)

External links

Sermons
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