Jeremiah Wright: Difference between revisions

| honorific_prefix   = [[The Reverend]]

| name               = Jeremiah Wright

| image             = Jeremiah_Wright_ClintonWhitehouse_crop.jpg

| caption           = Wright in 1998

| birth_name         = Jeremiah Alvesta Wright Jr.

| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1941|9|22}}

| birth_place       = [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.

| death_date         = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) -->

| death_place       =

| other_names       = Jerry Wright

| spouse             = Ramah Reed Wright

| module             = {{Infobox clergy |child=yes

| religion           = Christianity

| church             = [[United Church of Christ]]

| ordained           = 1967<ref>{{cite web |last=Hewitt |first=Hugh |author-link=Hugh Hewitt |date=April 25, 2008 |title=Providing Context for Reverend Wright: The New Audio of His Sermons |url=http://www.hughhewitt.com/providing-context-for-reverend-wright-the-new-audio-of-his-sermons/ |website=HughHewitt.com |access-date=March 12, 2019}}</ref>

| congregations      = {{nowrap|[[Trinity United Church of Christ]]}}

'''Jeremiah Alvesta Wright Jr.''' (born September 22, 1941) is a [[pastor]] [[emeritus]] of [[Trinity United Church of Christ]] in [[Chicago]], a congregation he led for 36 years, during which its membership grew to over 8,000 parishioners.<ref name=":0" /> Following retirement, his beliefs and preaching were [[Jeremiah Wright controversy|scrutinized]] when segments of his sermons about [[September 11 attacks|terrorist attacks on the United States]] and government dishonesty were publicized in connection with the [[Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|2008 presidential campaign]] of [[Barack Obama]].<ref name="banks1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/21/AR2008032102683.html |title=Obama Finds Pulpit in Center of Racial Divide |access-date=2008-03-22 |last=Banks |first=Adelle |date=2008-03-22 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref>

Wright was born on September 22, 1941.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Meyer |first=Stephen |year=2013 |title=Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. |editor-last=Mazurkiewicz |editor-first=Margaret |encyclopedia=Contemporary Black Biography |volume=103 |location=Farmington Hills, Michigan |publisher=Gale |page=169 |isbn=978-1-4144-8070-1 |issn=1058-1316}}</ref> He was born and raised in the racially mixed area of [[Germantown, Philadelphia|Germantown]], [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]].<ref name="KingSmith2011">{{cite book|author1=Desmond S. King|author2=Rogers M. Smith|title=Still a House Divided: Race and Politics in Obama's America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OqfjeObkbEoC&pg=PA4|year=2011|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-14263-0|pages=4–}}</ref> His parents were Jeremiah Wright Sr. (1909–2001), a [[Baptist]] minister who pastored Grace Baptist Church in Germantown from 1938 to 1980,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tcnj.edu/~brochar2/Rev.%20Dr.%20Jeremiah%20Wright.htm|access-date=2008-03-25|author=Gabrielle Brochard and John DeVecchi|title=Biographical Essays|year=2006}}</ref> and Mary Elizabeth Henderson Wright, a school teacher who was the first black person to teach an academic subject at Roosevelt Junior High. She went on to be the first black person to teach at [[Germantown High School (Philadelphia)|Germantown High]] and [[Philadelphia High School for Girls|Girls High]], where she became the school's first black vice principal.

[[File:Jeremiah Wright and Bill Clinton at 1998 White House Prayer Breakfast.jpg|right|222px|thumb|Jeremiah Wright (center left), in 1998, greeting President Bill Clinton during a prayer breakfast at the White House]]Wright became pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago on March 1, 1971; it had some 250 members on its rolls, but only about 90 or so were actually attending worship by that time.<ref>''Yearbooks of the United Church of Christ, 1971–72''</ref> By March 2008 Trinity United Church of Christ had become the largest church in the mostly white<ref name="ajc">{{cite news |url= http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/03/18/wright_0319.html |title=Message of Obama Pastor Forged in Civil Rights Movement |access-date=2008-03-27 |last= Gorski |first=Eric |date=2008-03-18 |newspaper=[[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]}}</ref> [[United Church of Christ]] denomination. 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."<ref name="ucc">{{cite web |url=http://www.ucc.org/news/chicagos-trinity-ucc-is.html |title=Chicago's Trinity UCC Is "Great Gift to Wider Church Family |access-date=2008-03-27 |last= Guess |first=J. Bennet |date=2008-03-14 |publisher=[[United Church of Christ]]}}</ref> Thomas, who is a member of the Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in [[Cleveland]], has also preached<ref name="thomas">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anpI-BKp5cg  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/anpI-BKp5cg |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|access-date=2008-03-27 |title=White People Welcome at Trinity United Church of Christ |publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and worshipped at Trinity United Church of Christ (most recently on March 2, 2008).<ref name="ucc"/>

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 [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] series ''[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]] with [[Judy Woodruff]]''.<ref>{{Cite video |people=Jones, Sherry (producer & director), [[Roger Wilkins|Wilkins, Roger]] (correspondent), [[Judy Woodruff|Woodruff, Judy]] (anchor) |date=June 16, 1987|title=Frontline: reports: Keeping the Faith |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/programs/info/514.html |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS Video]] |location=Alexandria, Virginia}} {{OCLC|18127027|21357978|18126496|42508237}}<br />{{Cite news |author=Ruth, Daniel |title=Chicago minister exalts 'Faith' |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=(Chicago%20minister%20exalts)%20AND%20date(6/16/1987%20to%206/16/1987)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=6/16/1987%20to%206/16/1987)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Chicago%20minister%20exalts)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no |format=paid archive |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |page=50 |date=June 16, 1987}}<br />{{Cite news |author=McBride, James |title=On leaving the ghetto |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/73827376.html?dids=73827376:73827376&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |format=paid archive |work=[[The Washington Post]] |page=F3 |date=June 16, 1987 |author-link=James McBride (writer)}}<br />{{Cite news |title='Sunday morning worship America's most segregated hour' |work=[[Post-Tribune (Indiana newspaper)|Post-Tribune]] |page=4 |date=June 21, 1987}}</ref>

Wright, who began the "Ministers in Training" program at Trinity United Church of Christ, has been a national leader in promoting [[theology|theological]] education and the preparation of seminarians for the African-American church.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefund.org/giving/donor_profiles.phtml?donorID=2 |title=Donor Profiles |access-date=2008-03-23 |publisher=The Fund for Theological Education |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070302014407/http://www.thefund.org/giving/donor_profiles.phtml?donorID=2 |archive-date = March 2, 2007}}</ref> The church's mission statement is based upon systematized [[black theology]] that started with the works of [[James Hal Cone]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/31079.html |title=Obama's church pushes controversial doctrines |access-date=2008-03-28 |last=Talev |first=Margaret |date=2008-03-20 |publisher=[[The McClatchy Company]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tucc.org/talking_points.htm |title=Talking Points |access-date=2008-03-31 |last=Wright |first=Jeremiah |date=2007-03-01 |work=Trinity United Church of Christ website |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080325005805/http://www.tucc.org/talking_points.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2008-03-25}}</ref>

Wright, who was Barack Obama's former pastor, gained national attention in March 2008 when [[ABC News]], after reviewing dozens of Wright's sermons,<ref name="abc1">[https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4443788 Obama's Pastor: God Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11] Brian Ross and Rehab el-Buri, ''ABC News'', March 13, 2008</ref> excerpted parts which were subject to intense media scrutiny.<ref name="banks1"/><ref name="usatoday">{{Cite news |first=Ken |last=Dilanian |title=Defenders say Wright has love, righteous anger for USA |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-18-obamawright_N.htm |work=[[USA Today]] |date=2008-03-18 |access-date=2008-04-02 }}</ref><ref name="adubato-msnbc">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23745283|title=Obama's reaction to Wright too little, too late|work=NBC News|date=March 21, 2008|author=Adubato, Steve}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24371827 |title=Obama Strongly Denounces his ex-Pastor even though Barack Hussein Obama and Jeremiah Wright both believe in socialism and Marxism. Wright’s black liberation theology ultimately stemming from neo Marxism has been tied back to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who was also a Marxist and a socialist. | work=[[NBC News]]|date=2008-03-14|access-date=2008-04-28|first=Alex|last=Johnson}}</ref> Obama denounced the statements in question, but after critics continued to press the issue of his relationship with Wright he gave a speech titled "[[A More Perfect Union (speech)|A More Perfect Union]]", in which he denounced Wright's remarks, but did not disown him as a person.  The controversy began to fade, but was renewed in late April when Wright made a series of media appearances, including an interview on ''[[Bill Moyers Journal]]'', a speech at the [[NAACP]] and a speech at the [[National Press Club (USA)|National Press Club]].<ref name=autogenerated1>"Listening to Rev. Wright" ''OnPoint, 29 April 2008.</ref>  After the last of these, Obama spoke more forcefully against his former pastor, saying that he was "outraged" and "saddened" by his behavior, and in May he resigned his membership in the church.<ref name="resign">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/us/politics/01obama.html?bl&ex=1212552000&en=4f275b18627314ec&ei=5087%0A|title=Following Months of Criticism, Obama Quits His Church | author=Michael Powell | newspaper=The New York Times | date=2008-06-01|access-date=2008-06-02}}</ref>

Nearly 5 months after the latest [[Gaza War (2008–2009)|Israeli invasion of Gaza resulting in heavy casualties]], on June 9, 2009, in an interview with the ''[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press of Newport News]]'', Wright indicated that he had no contact with Obama up to that point because "Them Jews aren't going to let him talk to me. I told my baby daughter, that he'll talk to me in five years when he's a [[Lame duck (politics)|lame duck]], or in eight years when he's out of office." Wright also suggested that Obama did not send a delegation to the [[Durban Review Conference]] in [[Geneva]] on racism because of Zionist pressure saying: "[T]he Jewish vote, the [[American Israel Public Affairs Committee|A-I-P-A-C]] vote, that's controlling him, that would not let him send representation to the Durban Review Conference, that's talking this craziness on this trip, cause they’re Zionists, they would not let him talk to someone who calls a spade what it is."<ref name=jew>{{cite news|title=Rev. Jeremiah Wright says "Jews" are keeping him from President Obama|url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_wright_0610jun10,0,7603283.story|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009|first=David|last=Squires|newspaper=The Daily Press}}</ref> Writing for ''[[The Atlantic]]'', [[Ta-Nehisi Coates]] characterized Wright's remarks as "crude conspiratorial [[antisemitism]]."<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Coates|first=Ta-Nehisi|author-link=Ta-Nehisi Coates|date=June 11, 2009|title=Jeremiah Wright|url=https://theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2009/06/jeremiah-wright/19138|magazine=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=October 26, 2021}}</ref> On June 11, 2009, Wright amended his remarks during an interview with Mark Thompson on his radio program, ''Make it Plain.'' "Let me say like [[Hillary Clinton|Hillary]], I misspoke. Let me just say: [[Zionism|Zionists]]... I’m not talking about all Jews, all people of [[Judaism|the Jewish faith]], I’m talking about Zionists."<ref>{{cite web|author=Jake Tapper|url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/06/rev-wright-i-meant-to-say-zionists-are-keeping-me-from-talking-to-president-obama-not-jews.html|publisher=ABC News: Political Punch|title=Rev. Wright: I Meant to Say "Zionists" Are Keeping Me from Talking to President Obama -- Not Jews|access-date=June 11, 2009|date=June 11, 2009|author-link=Jake Tapper}}</ref>

Wright retired as pastor from Trinity United Church of Christ in early 2008. Over the course of his tenure, he brought the Church's membership from 87 in 1972 to over 8,000 parishioners.<ref name=":0">Jennifer O'Shea. 10 Things You Didn't Know About Jeremiah Wright. US News and World Reports</ref> Trinity United purchased a lot in [[Tinley Park, Illinois|Tinley Park]], a predominantly white Chicago suburb, and built Wright a {{convert|10,340|sqft|m2|adj=on}} home valued at $1.6 million.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004314248_campdig29.html Church to build on Wright's land]. Seattle Times</ref><ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/local-elections/1924323/Rev-Jeremiah-Wright-to-retire-in-white-suburb.html Jeremiah Wright to retire in 'white suburb']. The Telegraph</ref>

In September 2016, Wright suffered a stroke which paralyzed the left side of his body and left him confined to a wheelchair;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtoninformer.com/rev-jeremiah-wright-still-a-champion-for-the-people/|title=Rev. Jeremiah Wright Still a Champion for the People|work=The Washington Informer|date=January 17, 2018|first=Brenda C.|last=Siler|access-date=November 13, 2020}}</ref> despite the effect on his voice, Wright continues to give sermons on certain occasions.

Wright has received a [[Rockefeller Fellowship]] and seven [[honorary doctorate]] degrees, including from [[Colgate University]], [[Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)|Lincoln University]] (in Pennsylvania), [[Valparaiso University]], [[United Theological Seminary]], Chicago Theological Seminary, and [[Starr King School for the Ministry]].<ref name="corin1"/> Wright was named one of ''[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]'' magazine's top 15 preachers.<ref name="historymbio"/>  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]]".<ref>[http://www.simpson.edu/news/jan08/jeremiahwright.html Jeremiah Wright receives Simpson’s first Carver Medal]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesimpsonian.com/news/2008/03/27/News/Medal.Recipients.Recent.Comments.Stir.Controversy-3284507.shtml |title=Medal Recipient's Recent Comments Stir Controversy |access-date=2008-04-26 |last=Schettler |first=Emily |date=2008-03-27 |publisher=The Simpsonian |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123074046/http://www.thesimpsonian.com/news/2008/03/27/News/Medal.Recipients.Recent.Comments.Stir.Controversy-3284507.shtml |archive-date=November 23, 2008 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080501/pl_bloomberg/axcinkuxnrh8;_ylt=ArcygdlqO6nnXI8sq38YWUis0NUE |title=Rev. Wright's honorary degree canceled by Northwestern |access-date=2008-05-05 |last=Goldman |first=Julianna |date=2008-05-01 |work=Yahoo! News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080510105802/http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080501/pl_bloomberg/axcinkuxnrh8;_ylt=ArcygdlqO6nnXI8sq38YWUis0NUE |archive-date=May 10, 2008 }}</ref>

* Jawanza Kunjufu and Jeremiah Wright Jr., ''Adam! Where Are You?: Why Most Black Men Don't Go to Church'', African American Images, 1997, {{ISBN|978-0-913543-43-6}} (also African American Images, 1994, {{ASIN|B000T6LXPQ}})

*[http://video.c-span.org/archive/c08/c08_042808_wright.rm Full video of Wright's 28 April 2008 speech on the Black church at the National Press club]. Requires [[RealPlayer]] or [[Real Alternative]]

[[Category:People from Chicago]]