Statement in Support of Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. and
Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL --- March 24, 2008

The recent furor over comments made by Senator Barak Obama's pastor, Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. of Trinity UCC in Chicago, IL, has invited the nation into the sanctuary of the African American church and the heart of our culture. In response to the rather contrived controversy surrounding Dr. Wright, Sen. Obama stated that perhaps now we can engage in a candid, forthright conversation about the lasting vestiges and impact of centuries of race-based segregation of educational, political, economic and social opportunities and the anger, resentment and frustration they have caused for generations, perhaps more generations and more anger than is realized by the larger society.

Unfortunately the interest in characterizing the style of Dr. Wright's message has not been matched by a willingness to converse either about the substance of his message (all of it, rather than 10 second sound bites) or the passion that gives rise to the remarks. Sen. Obama's call for conversation has been ignored by the media, though they have greater opportunity than most to begin the airing, across our broad culture, of differing perspectives on race, racism, prejudice and patriotism.

As leaders within our community, African American pastors stand united in our support of Dr. Wright and the points he made in his messages. African American pastors have been historically granted, by their congregations, permission both to speak to them and for them for the purpose of prophetic and challenging guidance. The African American pulpit does not believe that the flutes of pacification and comfort are sufficient when the trumpet of justice and agitation need to be sounded. Whatever passion, anger and frustration voiced by Dr. Wright only scratches the surface of those same emotions within his congregation and the larger African American community. He speaks with the voice of a "free man," unafraid of the political or economic repercussions which constrain so many others who labor within the larger community. Yet what we have witnessed through the media is an attempt to silence the long clamored and highly celebrated prophetic voice of African-American pastors and religious leaders.

The politics of division have used the words of Dr. Wright to make a caricature of Senator Obama and his politics.  If this is to be the rules of this year's game we might fairly ask, "What were the words of Senator McCain's pastor about the Federal abandonment of the poor of the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina?" We might ask, "What did Sen. Clinton's pastor say regarding the decision to invade Iraq?" We might then cut 10 second sound bites and misrepresent the Senators' position based on those bites and use them to call them either "uncaring" or "unpatriotic." If these are to be the rules of this year's game we might ask, "At whose feet did Senators Clinton and McClain sit for 20-years and whose words during that time contributed somewhat to their worldview and ideology?" Was it their friends? Was it their parents? Was it a business associate? Was it a political ally? Or was it the system which on the one hand benefited them while oppressing the African-American people?

The art of rhetoric in the arena of argument is to predetermine the answers you seek by asking the right question. S. Jonathan Bass, author of the book Blessed Are the Peacemakers stated, "In the rush to cover the events of the 1950's and 1960's, the media overlooked a variety of opinions concerning segregation in the South. Only those whites and blacks who yelled the loudest made the headlines...Television screens and newspaper photographs revealed mostly angry faces and hateful voices."

Have we not progressed beyond that era and transcended such chicanery? Honest conversation is rare in political campaigns, as the possibility of alienation from those whose votes are being sought is too strong. This moment in this campaign offers the rest of us an opportunity to address this matter head on. If there is a desire to speak to the assertions of Dr. Wright, there are many among us ready to speak. If there is an authentic desire to address African American anger over centuries of discrimination, there are plenty of African American clergy ready, willing and able to meet with representatives of any medium and carry this conversation forward. "Free men" and "free women" are among you, who among you is ready to listen?