Wright On Time
Rev. Jeremiah Wright is back and talkin' up a storm. Next time I'm in Chicago I might just have to visit that "infamous" church of his and maybe even give the brother a hug. Is it because I agree with everything he says? Nope. It's because he just might have contributed to the kind of civic maturity necessary for a healthy democracy. If you've been reading this blog, you know that I've been thundering for the past couple of months regarding the relentless "post-racial" propaganda Americans have been subjected to during this flawed process by which our next chief executive will be chosen. As I observed the fervent chants of "race doesn't matter" and watched folks who should know better engage in a Faustian bargain of silence regarding racial justice hoping it would win the White House, I prepared myself for a long, cold winter of discontented blogging. Then a voice in the wilderness burst the bubble of happy talk about "transcending race". Right on time we got a reminder that racial unity is something that we are going to have to actually earn and eloquent speeches aren't going to be sufficient. Whatever happens in November, the Wright controversy has put race back at the center of our national discourse which is exactly where it belongs. Being forced to wrestle with the implications of our past and our present regarding race is not "divisive" it is adaptive, healthy and necessary. Now if we could just have some visionary leadership that would seize the possibilities of this moment it would be even sweeter. That remains to be seen.
"Let neither [whites nor blacks] think that anything short of genuine love, extreme patience, true humility, consummate tact, sound initiative, mature wisdom, and deliberate, persistent, and prayerful effort, can succeed in blotting out the stain which this patent evil [racism] has left on the fair name of their common country."
(Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 40)
8 comments:
Good grief, remember those huge crowds chanting, "Race Doesn't Matter!"? I guess it's pretty clear by now that it matters a whole lot.
I don't know how to say this ...but after I watched the totality of Rev. Wright talks plus the entire question and answer section I felt that he was not at all offensive and some of the things he said were on TARGET. The only thing that made me sad is that the things that Obama disowned Rev. Wright for were phrases taken totally out of context from his question an answer section. Talk about taking things out of context.
You definitely have soem interesting thoughts about Wright and I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I Agree with you. You have definitely made me reconsider some of my assumptions regarding Bahais and racial (and political) issues
Brother Abdul-Halim V. thanks for the generosity of sharing your thoughts and it is nice to know that it has impacted your thinking. I hope that you will continue to visit and share your views with a global readership.
I disagree. Wright is a racist and a buffoon. A horrible man in every way and he is getting what he so richly deserves now (death threat, public shaming, etc.)
Kar, thanks for sharing your thoughts. It may be that Wright is everything that you've said, but ultimately that is not the point. Focusing on him is a distraction from doing meaningful things that would actually promote racial equality and justice in our society. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Wright is not what's wrong with America, he is a symptom of it.
What did Wright say which was racist?
I'm curious about this, too. What did he say that was racist? He seemed to be calling out those who are, those who push it under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist. He also seemed to call out the reasons for it.
Instead of platitudes (which most Americans prefer), he said it outright and bluntly.
There is no one on this planet whose opinions I always agree with. On the other hand, he spoke a lot of truth.
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