The Undeniable Virtue of Jeremiah Wright's Pro-Blackness (and the Problem with Pro-Whiteness)
Bill Moyers is broadcasting a siddown with Barack Obama's "controversial" pastor Jeremiah Wright this Friday evening, April 25th. By Saturday expect every utterance Pastor Wright makes to be as picked over as an episode of Lost at the San Diego Comicon.
Now, I'm not going to even try to defend everything that Pastor Wright has to say. At least not the four of five loopy sound bytes -- out of how many thousands of sermons he's given -- that have made him quite the YouTube sensation. But there is a particular aspect of the Wright mischaracterization I take exception with: the idea that his pro-black teachings make him some kind of radical separatist. Interviewing Pastor Wright in March of last year, for example, Fox's Sean Hannity had this to say about statements appearing on the website for Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ:
"It says, "Commitment to God." By the way, I'm with you, and I hope you'll pray for me, Reverend. Commitment to the black community, commitment to the black family, adherence to the black work ethic. It goes on, pledge, you know, acquired skills available to the black community, strengthening and supporting black institutions, pledging allegiance to all black leadership who have embraced the black value system, personal commitment to the embracement of the black value system. Now, Reverend, if every time we said black, if there was a church and those words were white, wouldn't we call that church racist?"
In answer to the question: yeah, probably. But that's 'cause there's a difference between being pro-black and pro-white and the difference is a bad one.
Adherence to pro-black values isn't code for "kill whitey." It's merely how blacks have managed to stay alive and viable in America all these many years since we were first graciously given a ride across the middle passage to get dropped off in Virginia.
"A commitment to the black community" is what got us collectively through slavery, through an abandoned reconstruction and the ensuing era of Jim Crow. As I'm sure some will recall, because of a pesky little thing called segregation there was nothing for the black community to rely on but the black community.
Ironically, the community values and focus on the family Wright preaches of are exactly the kind of "don't bother us, do it yourself"-isms conservatives are always hectoring people of color to observe. How convenient for the pundits they can both wish us off the perceived teat, then get riled by those who encourage us to be self-reliant.
To the contrary of pro-blackness, it's pro-whiteness which has unfortunately produced some awful to horrible results: white sheets and nooses and burning cross and Citizens Councils and red lining and guys nicknamed Brownie doing a "heck of a job."
That's not say there's anything wrong with being comfortable in white skin. If that's what God gave you, sure, be happy with it. However, the whole concept of having to be pro-white is redundant. It's not as if, in the normal course of events, white folks as a race really need that much encouragement. Do teachers really have to explain to white kids that in a more fair America they could perhaps grow up to be president?
So, yeah; based on its suspect history, if one were to preach the doctrine of pro-whiteness there could be due cause for concern.
Pro-blackness, on the other hand -- analogous to the Protestant work ethic -- is one of the most positive American values we have.
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When Rev. Wright has a good ol' Sunday picnic while they string up one of "them people" then this will be an issue. The "white" church (whatever god is I hope he is doing the supreme equal of laughing at this one)has a history of Choir robes on Sunday morning and Klan robes on Sunday night.
How about pro woman? How about a little girl in class being told she too might be president someday? Is this nomination becoming about race? If so, then let's bring in gender too..
Obama has now declared that Wright is Offensive. That Wright offended him. That he understands why others are also offended by WRight.
You got caught behind the curve. You no longer have to defend the hate monger Wright. Obama is tossing him over because Wrights years of preaching hate is not defensible.
So now that Obama says Wright is wrong, all those trying to pretend we should look up to Wright are looking pretty silly.
Obama and Wright are two different persons. Obama can be discussed outside of the context of Wright and Wright can be discussed outside of the context of Obama.
That is not silly at all.
Pro-black church, OK. However, Rev. Wright's black liberation theology is much more than just pro-black. It is anti-white. Rev. Wright credits Rev. James Cone as his theological mentor. James Cone is one of the founders of black liberation theology. Here is a quote from James Cone about black liberation theology, and you be the judge as to whether or not it is racist: “Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community. Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love.”
First, I would like to see a source for that quote. How do I now it's not something you made up, or got from Weekly World News or NewsMax or the National Enquirer (all about the same level of credibility)?
Secondly, form the New Yorker:
"Like many brash-sounding manifestos of the era, this one came with fine-print qualifications. Throughout the book, Cone was careful to explain that a black-centered Church need not be a black-separatist Church. And even the simplest phrases—“black people,” for instance—turned out to be slippery. It wasn’t about being “physically black,” he wrote. “To be black means that your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body are where the dispossessed are.” In his view, blackness was as radically inclusive as Christianity itself, and just as demanding.
Black=Liberal in other words
http://www
Here it is:
A Black Theology of Liberation By James H. Cone 1990 ISBN-10: 0883446855 Page 27
This book is not a "black manifesto" from the 1960's. It was published in 1990. As for your statement about black not meaning black; then why use the word "black" at all. Why not use the word "dispossessed" or "oppressed?" Furthermore, on the Trinity United Church website, before they recently scrubbed the more offensive materials, the church had a "non-negotiable commitment to AFRICA." Now if black doesn't mean black, then why have a non-negotiable commitment to AFRICA. Why not have a commitment to all persons who are oppressed, everywhere. Also on the website were numerous references to "black people" and "African people" being the groups to which the church was dedicated. Does that sound like black does not mean black to you?
Oh my, he sure killed you with the FACTS. Juan Williams, a notable liberal black man just wrote a book on black churches. According to Juan, Rev Wrights hate speech would never be tolerated in about 90% of black churches. He knows black pastors who would never allow Wright to do his hateful ranting and raving in their church.
Obama himself says Wright is offensive, and has offended him. Obama is now trashing Wright, tossing him over! Those defending wrights hate are now pushing the wrong side of the issue, they supporting the hate monger Wright who is taking down Obama.
Now I have taken some time to listen to some of his sermons and I do not have a problem with his pro-blackness. If I were black, I would be the same way. But "the chickens come home to roost" statement, insinuates that we(America) had this coming to us for our previous aggressions. America is the most generous country in the world. Why wasnt he speaking of that? We have been attacked numerous times by Al Qaida and we did nothing. Remember the USS Cole? What happened in Pearl Harbor? Did we have that coming to us too? Why hasnt the chickens come home to roost for Germany? Perhaps when we invaded Iraq, it was the chickens coming home to roost for Sadam. I am convinced now, that Rev. Wright is INSANE! I guess the 3 million dollar house that he is building and the 10 million dollar line of credit the church has given him is his chickens coming home. WTF? What is wrong with people?
"But "the chickens come home to roost" statement, insinuates that we(America) had this coming to us for our previous aggression
Uh... he was quoting a diplomat.
And if you think US foreign policy had nothing to do with 9-11, I'm guessing you voted for W and will vote for McCain
Actually, that has turned out to be untrue. Ambassador Peck did discuss the issue of our activities abroad and their possible consequences, but his discussion was not at all similar to Rev. Wright's, and he didn't use the phrase "chickens are coming home to roost." By the way, I saw the video of Peck's interview last night on television, where they were discussing this issue.
Are you saying that America had this coming to us? 3000 innocent people in NewYork and DC had it coming to them? I dont give a crap who said it. IT IS INSANE!!!
Only an insane person would believe what Wright or Moyers has to say.
Only an insane person would make a comment like that.
I won't claim any deep knowledge of Rev. Wright and his sermons, but Bill Moyers is, without a doubt, the most sensible, well-informed, and reliable source in the MSM today. Furthermore, he has over 40 years of public life to support that assertion.
Anyone suggesting that "[o]nly an insane person" would believe him is clearly either deluded or full of it (or both).
Why would Rev Wright be insane??? Because He pointed out somethings that just happen to coinside with 9/11! It's okay to pray for the destruction of people in another country who were just innocent bystanders in a war just like the people in the twin towers were. You have learn a lot about our country to know that we commit terrorism right here on american soil everyday to our own people!! What does a 3 million dollar home have to do with telling the truth on the way things are shaping up for black america? If you live in black america EVERYBODY is catching hell just not the White or Hispanics, Jews, Asian-EVERYBODY and if someone is gonna call it the way it is here in america then be mad!!
Who prays for destruction of people in another country?
You wrote: You have learn a lot about our country to know that we commit terrorism right here on american soil everyday to our own people!!
Who are you referring to when you say "we"? I am not commiting acts of terrorism, nor is anyone that I know. I have not been a victim of " American terrorism", nor has anyone I know. Could you be more specific?
As far as the 3 million dollar home, I guess I just got alittle sensitive about a Reverand making that kind of money from the church. Thats my problem.
I listened to Rev. Wright's sermon and I heard him say, basically, we reap what we sow.
I dont believe that and I dont agree with it and I am not sure that you can say anything that will justify those comments.
There is a big cultural distinction here (please excuse the generalities but the core message rings true). Black people don't regard the US government and the American people as the exact same entity. We have always felt a distinction between the two. When Wright speaks of America's "Chickens coming home to roost," he is saying that the actions of the GOVERNMENT have caused harm to come to the American PEOPLE. White people tend to regard America as an all inclusive entity so you take it personally when you hear some of these words. Maybe white people are more offended because they actually choose the President. Blacks make up about 12.5% of the US population and usually vote Democratic (or decide not to vote because we don’t feel either candidate will help us). When you see the shifts from a Democrat to a Republican, it's largely because the White "swing" vote caused the change. I'd argue that Blue-collar, White votes are swing voters because they may vote for a Republican or Democrat depending on who's running. Therefore it is very important for Whites to vote wisely, but this Demographic has been easily fooled by Republicans in the recent past.
Wright, and other religious figures that are opposed to war in general, feels that aggression towards any nation or military occupation is immoral and all nations who practice this will feel the consequences. His focus on the US is due to our position in the world. We are the last "Empire (Superpowe
This white guy (unreligious, by th way) agrees wholeheartedly with you. When whites get "racial conciousness" the results are not pretty. Don't let Wright scare you, white people. His words were not meant for us, but for his flock. The guy is dynamic. Leave him alone.
1430 comments so far = thank you for running Obama and thank you to everyone brave enough to have voted for him thus far. We need to talk about this and if he wasn't running, and running well, we wouldn't be.
SYRUPCORE.
REVEREND WRIGHT
An angry man opens his mouth
And shuts his mind to reason.
He who stays slow to anger
Is loved by more each season.
Anger snuffs the lamp of thought
And it's hard to stay serene.
Where anger rules hatred thrives
Then the world we love turns mean.
He who fans the coals of hate
Has no reason to complain.
If some hot sparks scorch his face
His anguish is thus his pain.
Anger is a human madness
Which consumes the heart and mind.
He who rules his spirit with love
Shall be praised by all mankind.
By Tom Zart
exactly, pro-black is inclusive, pro-white is Very Exclusive.
Thank you for your intelligent article.
Hey each of us falls along the continuum between black and white and and we're stronger for this rich variation. Exaggerated racial issues pale against the serious problems facing all of us and our progeny. From experience we should know better than to again allow the media to write our script.
For spazzers, cont'd:
The reason I support Obama is because he elevates the discussion. The discourse of the past 3 decades has gotten us nowhere. It's time to elevate the discussion. Recognize that the black community still faces many issues stemming from slavery AND that there are white (and other) people out there just trying to make it under a government that's spending millions of dollars a day in IRAQ. Recognize that wedge politics like racial issues will just divide us in the end and four years later after another Bush-like term NOTHING will be solved.
But the problems won't be solved by telling one group to get over it and blaming them for problems that arose from oppression. It also won't be solved by me dismissing your very real concerns. But it will be solved when both of us decide that we have a vested interest in figuring out a solution together and cutting the crap.
Spazzers:
You said: "There is not a single person alive today that was born into slavery...
First of all, I still have living relatives whose parents were slaves. Secondly, the effects of slavery are still with us. Blacks as a people were in chains (400 years) longer than they've been out of them (~ 140 years). To say that the remnants of slavery aren't still with us is shortsighted. My parents lived during a time when they had to sit on the back of the bus, while my dad could still be drafted. The racist attitudes that perpetuated slavery and racism are still here in many places, perpetuated blindly by people who don't even realize that they have these leanings, as well as by others who know they are racist and embrace it heartily.
Part of what divided slaves back then (to keep them in submission), such as breaking families apart, denying education, killing slaves for learning to read and the like still divides us today. You have black youths who are so afraid of being labeled 'white' that they choose to 'keep it real' rather than invest in their futures with education. That's if these youths haven't already bought the lie that they can't do science or math and that they're only good for basketball/hip hop. That's what the media tells them everyday.
You are right....n
White people need to go and talk.....t
It does take a village...
And I am preaching, not nearly as good as Rev Wright. Forgive, please.
This comment is for spazzers:
You said: "Affirmative action has given people of color advantages not given to white America."
Actually if you take a look at the statistics, you'd see that the number 1 beneficiary of Affirmative Action is white women. They've received more benefits from AA than African American women and men combined. So let's not perpetuate the myth that AA has given people of color advantages not given to white America. Secondly, it's not even true that affirmative action is giving AA people advantages that white America doesn't have. The whole point of AA is to even the playing field that whites get simply for being white. Perhaps the program needs some review, but to suggest that the playing field is even between whites and blacks is simply untrue. AA reform includes helping people from poor backgrounds and that includes poor whites. But the mere fact that more white women benefit from AA than other minority groups sort of proves the notion that given the chance to give more to minorities, america would give those chances to white women. And you posture that the playing field is even?
I think not.
"I take exception with: the idea that his pro-black teachings make him some kind of radical separatist
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright has every right to say what he's been saying. I'm glad he's shaking things up. He's paid his dues, now give the man his due.
He's not anti-American, and blacks aren't anti-American, and by extension Barack Obama isn't anti-American. He--they-and-him are as American as it gets.
Does anybody realize that black people have lived in America since before there was a United States of America? Blacks have fought and died in every war--on our side--since the Revolutionary War, and most blacks can trace their American roots further back than most of the ethnic groups that only began immigrating here in the late 1800s.
I'm voting for Barack Obama. But if Obama doesn't stand up for this man, who is being wronged in many ways, there are others of us who will stand up for him, even if our own white families don't want to hear it over their Thanksgiving supper.
how about this....th
The biggest thing about all this talk is missing the point: that the white elitist (like the Clintons and Cindy and her husband) overclass, this white oligarchy, corporate controlled government perpetrates hate and violence to keep the destabilization of populist revolt at bay. The dynamics of being pro-black and pro-white are being compared when, in fact, such a comparison would be like comparing apples to oranges. Pro-Black is a call to the white controlling oligarchy we call American democracy for reparations, and an end to racism. Pro-White is a call to unite as Whites to keep people of color outside the enfranchisement of political power.
The biggest fear the white ruling class has is the darkening of America. I have been a witness to policy in education that sees deficiencies instead of differences. Today, the No Child Left Behind Act, one of the worst pieces of legislation to come down the pike, has cost so much money by ignoring the fact that we can not put round pegs into square holes. And that's the brunt of the Reverend Wright's call: to bear witness to such policy and his call to visualize change.
It's not that Americans as a whole are not ready for a woman or a black man to be the President of the United States, it's the fact that the white ruling class see the walls of Jericho falling down and are doing everything in their power to keep their wall intact.
The only thing whites get because they are white that blacks don't is sun burn!
Everyone posting here needs to travel more. Blacks and whites in this country need to remember that its not ALL about THEM.
You don't live in this country, do you? I know you don't interact with poor people.
I listen to conversations in diners and restaurants and I hear quite often what whites say about blacks and blacks say about whites.
There is a distinct disparity in this country in the matters of income, upward mobility, police interactions, ability to obtain financing for businesses and the ubiquitous opinions that blacks are too lazy to work and whites won't do any work period.
There is much error on both sides but it is firmly in place and is being taught to the next generation on both sides.
I think Rev Wright is great. He is getting in the face of those who would misconstrue and misappropriate the "sound bytes" that people have crucified him for. The problem is in spite of some of his far fetched over amped is most of the sound bytes ARE TOTALLY TRUE. NO I DO NOT THINK THAT AIDS IS A GOVERNMNET PLOT! America's Original Sin is Slavery and it will continue to be until we have the kinds of discussion that is necessary for all of us to get through it and not "over it" it will remain a stain. with immigration issue and with the subtext of Obama's candidacy lies that reality of racism and fear of the "other " that has been with the world too long. If America is to be this role model of the world and democracy as the RIGHT and the NEOCONS want it to be they better deal with it. Pat Buchanan and all the other scared white men of the world better figure it out cause as as that ass Hamity likes to say.
'They are on the loosing side of History."
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