Okay, for once I’m not joking. I genuinely want to see this.
Ever since the Wright “scandal” broke, pundits have been screaming about how Rev. Jeremiah Wright is a racist minister. That’s the specific word they use, again and again. Racist.
Yes, he’s talked about how the American government has failed its black citizens. He’s vocally left wing to the point of kooky. Frankly, I agree with some of his points despite that, because I think that the government probably has failed black citizens in many ways. I’m not going to say that it created HIV or spread crack in inner cities to keep black people down, but again, those are kooky statements. They are not racist.
The closest I can find is him calling “white America” the “U.S. of KKK-A.” It draws a line between “black America” and “white America,” but it doesn’t make any statement of superiority or inferiority of whites or blacks. If you think there isn’t a pretty significant line still between “black America” and “white America,” you’re fooling yourself. Fortunately, crossing that line has become much easier and much more socially acceptable now, but the line is still there, and it’s still thick.
When has Wright rallied against white people? When has he talked about black superiority? Yes, he has spoken out vigorously and emphatically against a government that is dominated by white people. I can’t fault him that. But has he ever actually spoken out about lines between white men and black men, individuals and their inherent worth, compared to the significant and tangible social and economic lines between groups that still remains today?
Please give me some examples of Wright actually being racist. He might be a kook, but I don’t think he’s a racist.
As a bonus, here are some fun facts about the Trinity United Church of Christ and Rev. Wright, both of which have been dismissed and maligned as racists and extremists:
-TUCC is the largest black congregation in Chicago, with over 10,000 members
-TUCC is the largest congregation in the United Church of Chrust system.
-While Wright has been vocally against Israel’s actions, the ADL has found no evidence of antisemitism in his statements.
-Oprah Winfrey is a member of TUCC
-Wright spent six years serving in the USMC and Navy as a pulmonary technician.
-More prominent, more vocal white religious leaders with more connections to more people with more power have said far more horrible and crazy things. Just saying.
