There’s more to Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. than the media would have you to believe.
During the 2008 Presidential election one of the most unlikely figures to cause controversy was Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The former senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL became a polarizing figure during the election and caused heated debates amongst supporters of then senator Barack Obama and conservative pundits alike. After excerpts from his sermons were taken out of context and received intense media scrutiny, Obama was encouraged to denounce Rev. Dr. Wright, who then went on to make some comments that were labeled as anti-Semitic.
However, those who know Wright’s history know that there is more to this man than the negative picture that was painted of him last year. It’s with that in mind that Dr. Boyce Watkins details the truth about Rev. Jeremiah Wright in a piece written for AOL Black Voices, which aims to separate the facts about him from the fiction.
Dr. Wright’s bio is impressive to say the least. He’s a Navy veteran with four earned degrees. He’s a family man who served as senior servant at Trinity for 36 years before retiring in May 2008. Dr. Watkins also highlights social contributions of Dr. Wright who created ministries for HIV/AIDS and incarcerated Americans, established housing for senior citizens, and helped poor children get tutoring after school.
Dr. Watkins encourages people not to demonize Rev. Dr. Wright as many have done and also states that we can support President Obama and Jeremiah Wright at the same time. Neither man is perfect, yet both are to be respected.
