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.

Comments

[UltraClassic]

Hillary '08

Nothing wrong with being pro black in a positive way and not at the expense of other people. But Wright is a whole lot more than that and not all of it is good.

Hillary '08

[Gmoney1]

Politics cloaked in religion will never prevail - I think "you people" better learn to get along and take religion out of the public square because religion is non-negotiable - so get on to another subject , one that we maybe able to agree on - Unfortunately, America does not have one WISE citizen that can bring harmony - so we should make the best of what we have and realize that we are suppose to be the United States -

[Forest]

I agree, Gmoney1. Religion is too often used to divide us. While the MSM goes on and on about Rev. Wright and black and white, the warlords are sharpening their poisoned arrows.

[CivilDisobedient]

"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."

What a load of manure. PROBABLY????? DEFINATELY. Nobody is going to lessen racism one iota by giving more rights to one race and less to another. Ridley says it's OK to be pro-blck, but not pro-white??? Jesus, that in itself is racist.

[F33bs]

You aren't getting it.

What he's saying is that there is a long history to the black community. That reaches back to the times of slavery, and to segregation, where they didn't have a choice but to group together.

There is no "white community", and there shouldn't be. White people make up 75% of the US population, black people make up around 12%.

Besides, like he says, why would whites need a community?! That notion is patently ridiculous and almost so laughable that it doesn't even deserve a serious response.

The black community aims to care for the needs of the black community, not because they hate whites, but because who else will do it for them? Obviously, the much larger objective of any community is to help out everyone regardless of race.

You need to settle down, think about it, and then come up with a reasoned opinion.

[daddigrace]

This poster gets it. I'm sure most of these people who pretend to be offended by the Truth Reverend Wright speaks to actually get it. The problem is that they just don't want to get it.

[flagal1970]

I get it!! And I agree with you that these other posters "get it" too they just don't want to see and hear Rev. Wright for what he does, tell the truth.

[pdsimdars]

Also, I see posts about exploring the depths of this argument. I have a strong intellect. There is no depth to this argument. All you have to do is read this article and it is right there in plain English and sound logic. I have never seen the difference between being pro-black and pro-white stated so simply and clearly. You HAVE to get beyond the sensationalism and raw animal frenzy that the MSM is feeding you and look at the facts of this non-issue. That is what intellectual discipline and honesty demands.

[CivilDisobedient]

"facts of this non-issue?"

What non-issue might that be??

[pdsimdars]

Great article. And a pivotal issue. People's reaction to this article and this issue show their underlying, maybe even unconscous, bias. To an honest, disciplined intellect, the arguments here lead to, "Of course!" But to a biased, warped intellect they see racism. We have to get over this. I think this is what the Obama candidacy will tell us. Are we a great nation? Or are we so intellectually and morally weak that we can't stand up to this "Wright issue" and see it for what it is -- character assasination.
Can the media really sensationalize us into the non-thinking, irrational mob they can manipulate in any way they want? This is what they have been doing for such a long time. The Obama candidacy will force us to answer that question. I hope we have the strength to come up with the right answer.

[ebanks84]

At the present time, it looks like the media is doing a great job in manipulation. Their purpose is to keep us at odds with one another instead of giving us the TRUTH. The press is not a friend of the people of America today. We have to fight hard to keep them from warping our common sense.

[CivilDisobedient]

Fight hard?? Just don't watch. It's pretty simple.
I agree that media has turned into something of far less value to Americans, and they are most likely hurting more than helping, nobody is forcing you to watch. Or read or listen.

[ErikW65]

Yes. The Obama candidacy has forced us to talk about these things. Right now on the McCain/Jet thread, there are people saying that it's unfair to go after McCain on using his wife's jet. That's something McCain did. Wright's sermons aren't something Obama did. The double standard is very clear, yet ignored. Obama says he did not hear Wright say the words captured on looped video clips. Somehow, he is assumed to be lying, with no evidence brought against him. The principle of presumed innocence apparently does not apply in this case!

I can't think of a white politician who has had "gotcha politics" played on him or her, to the extent that the candidate got "gotcha'd" without having even been "got."

[Spazzers]

Your "gotcha" comment is right on target. I agree wholeheartedly that Obama has been treated to much more gotcha politics that the other candidates. I believe this stems in great part to the kitchen sink tactics being used by the Clinton campaign.

As far as the presumed innocence it would be much easier for the average voter to give Obama the benefit of the doubt if Obama hadn't been attending Wrights sermons for the last 20 some odd years. Rev. Wright is a personal friend and mentor of Obama.

As we all know "presumed innocent" does not apply in any case. Regardless of the situation an individual is going to have a presumed opinion of innocence or guilt. That is why jury selection is so difficult. You'll find just as many people willing to beat down McCain as there are people willing to beat down Obama. It all depends on what camp the commentor is coming from.

I for one do not find Obama at fault for words spoken by Rev. Wright. The words reflect Wright's feelings not Obama's. One person is a religious mentor while the other is a politician. I believe Rev. Wright pointed out this distinction over the weekend.

[ebanks84]

Reverend Wright is the one who makes us understand Whites much better. He is not advocating racial discontent at all, only that we are different and should accept each other as we are. If we can accept, we will learn more by becoming friends. You won't find the Blacks scheming up a revolution against Whites at no time. Now you might bring up the Black Panthers or other Black militant groups but there's always some haters somewhere.

On a whole, Blacks are very likeable and peaceful people. We may raise hell among ourselves and even towards others on a singular basis. But that's just life. It's not a revolution.

Blacks love more than they hate. And that love will always be there for there fellow man, no matter what color he might be. But we are DIFFERENT FOR SURE. Get to know us better, please.

[domdella]

the only way to understand a context of a speech is to use the right-side of your brain.....there are too many thinkers of solely the left-side......while looking a situation objectively is helpful....you miss the full understanding if you don't use the right side of your brain...and you get snippets of information..simultaneously using both helps one understand fully each detail of a speech and helps understand things in there entirety

[thankulord13]

I think your missive was well written and I totally agree... we are so set on being a melting pot, that we should just try being a salad and just enjoy all the different taste and flavors...

[ebanks84]

It seems to be so hard for Whites to understand what Reverend Wright was trying to say last night because it's hard to put yourself in somebody else's shoes some times. The point is Blacks are not anti-anybody. They are different in the way they do things because they had to figure out a way to survive. Whites didn't have to live that way. So some of the things that we do seem different and harmful to Whites because we do these things only among our own people. It's not that we are racist. It's that we are trying to become one and help each other like the White man has been doing since day 1. It's more natural for White people to do that among themselves because they are very protective of themselves and their race.

With Blacks, however, we have been more devided among ourselves and not as protective as we should have been. And that was because the White man broke us up from each other by accepting the lighter skinned blacks against the darker skinned blacks. That made blacks bitter of each other and that bitterness was passed on for years within our own families.

The church was a place where we could all become one and learn to love each other in spite of being black and down trodden. That's what Reverend Wright understands and delivers to the Blacks. And that is not dangerous or anti-white at all.

[Puntarenus]

You wrote..."With Blacks, however, we have been more devided among ourselves and not as protective as we should have been. And that was because the White man broke us up from each other by accepting the lighter skinned blacks against the darker skinned blacks. That made blacks bitter of each other and that bitterness was passed on for years within our own families."

You cannot be serious? color is color is color. No one mentioned anything about tones of color. Where are you coming from? Please show me a reference to this. Or is this just your opinion?

[sharonevolving]

Er, it is quite well known to those who've spent time interacting with non-white communities. In groups where whites have been the oppressor, that not only are the persons of color within that community formerly oppressed, but they in turn oppress each other by grading on skin tone. I have seen this in black communities to be sure, but also in Mexican-American, Hindu, Honduran - any place where there was formerly a white oppressive history, the current descendents will favor lighter-skinned people in their communities over darker-skinned.

[SlappHappy]

Ridley is just another con-man who thinks what's good for him isn't good for whitey.

[ErikW65]

Would you say that John Ridley is just "shuckin' and jivin'?

[CivilDisobedient]

Sounds like whining to me.

[ebanks84]

And? If you haven't been through, how are you to know what's good for anybody?

[whitegoldwielder]

Prop it up any way you want. Racism is racism and you can rationalize it. Most racists do.

[ErikW65]

You seem to be an authority on the subject.

[ebanks84]

But everything that seems racist, isn't. It's all how you view it.

[CivilDisobedient]

Racism isn't a matter of opinion. A person discriminates or they don't. They hold superior self impressions. Racism is one race feeling superior to another.
We can pass laws, making discrimination illegal, and we can enforce them to the best of our abilities, but racism on an individual level is all but impossible to eradicate.

[TheSphinx]

Protip: Articles like this are what keep us divided. If I am to believe (which I do) that being mainstream pro-black isn't being anti-white then I have to give the benefit of the doubt and say that being mainsream pro-white isn't being anti-black. You can't just dismiss one becuase in doing so you dismiss fair-minded people. Sure there are clan members and NOI (Nation of Islam) followers and all those fringe people but I continue to believe that the middle is where most people are and in that middle most people's concerns and reasonable (on both sides). When you present the type of double standard that Ridley presents in his piece you are doing more to widen the gap then close it.

-TS

[ErikW65]

With all due respect, I disagree. Articles like this do not keep us divided. We have to explore the depths of this issue and get it all out in the open, Everyone needs to say what they feel and not keep it bottled up inside. That unity in which racial issues are unspoken is not really unity; as the absence of strife is not necessarily peace.

It is a complex, multilayered issue. like 3D chess. One the one hand, Dr. King espoused colorblindness. On the other hand, the weight of history cannot be ignored. To behave as if nothing happened in the past, to brush aside and ignore 400 years of black slavery, is to add salt to wounds, in some cases. That's why pro-white and pro-black are different in a relevant way.

[Spazzers]

Equality is equal. You can't say pro-black is an American ideal and pro-white is racist. That's so un-equal that it borders on hypocritical. White America is a race of people the same as black America. Respect goes both ways.

If it is okay in America to be pro-specific race, such as black in this instance, then it has to be okay to be pro-every race including whites. To do otherwise is to keep this country divided.

[CivilDisobedient]

Get the fuck over it. Nobody alive today enslaved the blacks. MOVE ON. PROGRESS

[speciallady2003]

I really liked this. There is a huge difference to being white in America as opposed to being black and it's time we all realized that. The black people here have had a totally different experience than everyone else. Starting with their arrival here. With the exception of the African-Americans, all of our immigrants chose to come and did not arrive in chains and their first experience of commerce in America was not on the auction block. Yeah, blacks have an axe to grind and while some of us whites have thought they should get over it, maybe we were not paying enough attention. It has become crystal clear to me that racism is still alive and thriving, and we ALL have a responsibility to stop it dead.

[klintonista]

Ethnic relations in the United States is not most pressing thing during this election cycle. Sad, but oh so true! So, why don't we all stop focusing on this crap and focus on more important issues-for this election cycle that is.

[euthman]

The problem with Ridley's argument is that it represents a "special pleading," in which the party making the argument interdicts any rebuttal by presuming that his argument comes from a special set of circumstances that don't apply to those outside his group. I suppose it's valid for him to feel that way, based on personal experience and history in general, but it makes any kind of even-handed discussion impossible. This is the kind of argument made by individuals who recognize the races' experiences are different, and, further ,wants them to stay that way.

[LittleSanityLeft]

Even handed in what respect? In what's fair and even handed to you should be the same for me? The black reality and the white reality are not the same, euthman. The idea that any truth is THE truth in a 'even handed' discussion is where the real problems occur. All truth is a matter of perspective and you must understand the black perspective in order to understand the truth as the black community sees it.

How I view the world is in direct direct correlation with how I view myself and that view is derived from my family, my schools, my neighborhood, who I see as positive and negative role models on tv, what I believe the future holds for me. Go to some of these poorer neighborhoods and realize they are places where we are asking blacks to believe than can be or do anything and it is of little wonder that such utterances could be met with skepticism or derision.

The problem is empathy, and a willingness to act positively based on such a feeling. Empathy requires a strong willingness to understand, and the imagination to to make that understanding pervasive rather then some two dimensional understanding of race that tends to insult rather then help. I don't think America has the willingness or the imagination.

[AceInTheHole]

RACISM IS THE MOST ILLOGICAL AND UNINTELLIGENT ENDEAVOR ANYONE CAN ENGAGE IN,
And here is a personal story to prove my premise,.
My grandfather was somewhat of a racist, and he would always make disparaging and racist remarks about black people , calling them darkies and other demeaning names. One day I got ticked off by this bs that he was spewing about black folks . and I asked him, Pops, what is your beef with black people, what did they do to you, to make you act like you do toward them? Did one of them kill somebody who was close to you? No! Did one of them steal something very valuable from you? No!
Did one of them take a job from you? No! Well what is your problem with them? The old man started to stutter and then finally said. darn it, I really don't have anything against those people , they have never done anything to me. I just got into the habit of disrespecting them ever since I was a kid,. Then I said, Pops, don't you think it's time to be fair and stop hating people who don't deserved YOUR HATRED? You are right, it doesn't make sense for me to hate people who haven't done a darn thing to me., thanks for helping me come to my senses about black people. Boy, I was so proud my grandfather, who was willing to grow up, after living all of those years as a bigot.

[ebanks84]

There you go my friend. If it took all this for you to realize that maybe we are different somewhat, then the total experience was worth it. It's been hard for whites to accept the discontent among blacks by expecting us to get over it. That's is like being hung, surviving the hanging, with an everlasting rope burn around your neck every time you looked in the mirror, and someone saying to you "get over it". Wow!

It's good when we can communicate to each other and get a point over to one another in respect. We are different, yes, but we are the same under God. You are a special lady indeed:)

[nerakami]

There are many Americans who still are unable and unwilling to hear the truth... For anyone who cannot vocalize that America has made terrible mistakes in its past, is a hypocrite and does not speak the truth. The very occupation of Europeans in this nation was at the bloody and disastrous expense of the native American people, the success and wealth of this nation was at the expense of enslaving and brutalizing black people through slavery. The fact that we can speak of the errors of our past gives us an opportunity to enlighten ourselves so we do not to repeat our mistakes. We are also a nation of diverse cultures, races, religions and the day we fully understand that our beauty and strength is in our acceptance and appreciation of our diversity, is the day we will finally come together as ...united Americans.

[tora]

We watched Wright's interview and found him to be a very intelligent and understanding human being whose speech got distorted unfairly. He is a realist whose opinion on ethics, history, religion and politics is a subject of hard facts. We ought to listen to a man like Wright and be able to filter through his words and you would end up learning a lot.

[ErikW65]

Thank you, and I hope your experience was not uncommon!

[AceInTheHole]

Pastor Wright, follows the tradition of speaking the truth, like the Holy men of old, spoke the truth.

Some people will never learn, that you can obfiscate the Truth, you try to ingnore the truth,
you can try to discredit the thruth. But you can never obliberate the truth.
Why can't you oblibereate the truth? Because the truth is INDELIBLE and can not be wiped away or destroyed. And thus the Lord said,"You will know the truth and the truth will make you free"

Moses brought the truth, and was scorned and rebuked by many and although Moses is long gone, the truth that he brought over five thousand years ago still remains. Over two thousand years ago Lord Jesus came and expanded on the truth that Moses brought and He was scorned, rebuked and crucified, but the truth that he brought to a few in the world, has now spread all over the world. Over forty years ago Dr.Martin Luther King brought us truth and he was marginalized and ridiculed by the likes of J. Edgar Hoover. and then assassinated, and although he's gone, that truth that he brought to us, still remains, and is honored by the masses, all over the world.Now it seems, by edict from on high, Pastor Wright has been chosen to bring us more truth and even when he is gone, the truth that he brings to us, will never die. That's just the way the Lord handles his business.

[CivilDisobedient]

You don't know damage control when you hear it. Wright got called out on his bigotry and extreme angst toward white America. Now he's back-peddling, trying to save face. His and Obama's.

[nativeeyes]

FOX NEWS 90% Republicans Hannity,O'Reilly, Mathews to name a few. See where I am going?

Joe Scarborough a Republican.... It only serves them to spew hate of Rev Wright and Obama as well as other connections to Obama.. The out right want a fight to prolong for ratings and support for the RNC.


To bad the other stations Republicans all jump on the bandwagon of hate and misleads..

If the cable media ever represents a minority, it will almost always be negative.. WE'VE SEEN THIS FOR 100's of years..

Why do you think they blacklisted Native Americans, hmmmmm!

Guilty by genocide by White People will never get any daylight on cable news.

[nativeeyes]

Oh I forgot to add something really important..

I've voted for 3 Presidents in my 43 years of voting..

All the President have lied to Native Americans to get our vote. For the first time since Jimmy Carter has a President Candidate ever share our plights and pleas as Senator Obama..

We will hold him to his words as all Americans will..

He will be in the Spotlight everyday of his life now...

As being a Black Man, he will be held to a higher ground and expectations. You know this is true!

Lets give him a chance and see how great he can be... With Bush and MCWAR we can't get any worse.

We only have one way to go, and that's up..

You know they didn't like or what to like the Messiah too... I am just saying :O)


Rev Wright, thank you for giving Barrack Obama his path to his strong Faith in God...

[azyuwish]

What a cool post! Thanks!

[nativeeyes]

I am Native American and I love this Article. John Ridley, and that's my dad's, grand father and brother's name too,lol! hmmmmm..

I get what Rev Wright says, but yes I too don't like the way he puts it.. It does sounds to some ears kind of rough and harsh. Yes White people historically DON'T LIKE TO BE CALLED OUT by anyone but WHITE PEOPLE...

I commend Rev Wright's work in Chicago and around the Country....

I will just ask one thing of him and that's it...

Get a Speech writer~~~~ You don't know who is listening and children in the Church might get it confused too..

Grown folks know what you are getting at.

Rich folks know what you are eluding too.


Most minorities know what you mean by what you are and say..

Most White people might not get it. That is their fear and unknowledge side of it for face value with out fully understanding who your speaking too and why you say it...

The Jewish Community do this in such a way, they become well know sepratist or segrationalist to say, stay or keep to your own for the survival of their religion and more silly their race.

I know, I have a child with a JEW. Nothing wrong with this also, but the Media mostly ran by Jews will fire anybody from speaking of such a truth..

Mormons are the same way, THINK ABOUT IT..

The things they say,,hmmmmmmm

Think about what Natives say, :O)