Rev. Wright: Race not over yet
By Jenette Sturges jsturges@stmedianetwork.com February 12, 2012 6:08PM
Reverend Jeremiah Wright preaches on Sunday at St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church in Aurora. St. John invited Rev. Wright to be a guest preacher in honor of Black History Month. | Jeff Cagle~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 14, 2012 8:06AM
In the minds of many Americans, the thought of Rev. Jeremiah Wright conjures sound bites from the mudslinging of the 2008 election — the spiritual adviser of America’s first black president appearing to be damning the country from the pulpit, and the impetus for future President Obama’s conciliatory “A More Perfect Union” speech.
But in the community of the African-American church, Wright is something more. He is the figure who built up Trinity United Church of Christ from barely 100 members to one of Chicago’s largest black church congregations.
He is responsible for starting funds that have sent more than 1,000 young people to college and provided stipends to dozens pursuing the ministry.
And he is a leader for the spiritual African-American community, advocating for social justice through Christian faith.
“His desire was to make certain that the pew and the pulpit could be resolved in an Afro-centric kind of understanding,” said the Right Rev. Philip Cousin in his introduction for Wright on Sunday morning, as the renowned preacher visited St. John African Methodist Episcopal in Aurora.
Among many in the African-American community, Wright is not a reviled figure of controversy but, as Cousin said, “a star that outshines others — grounded in the faith.”
Wright preached to a crowd of hundreds Sunday morning as part of St. John’s celebration of Black History Month.
“The good news is this: The race isn’t over yet,” said Wright, likening the struggles of the African-American community to a relay race in which the baton is handed from one generation to the next. “We’ve been running one leg of this race. Jesus is the finisher of this race. Remember the past. But have enough faith to keep on running in the present with patience until we can get the baton in the hands of Jesus, putting our hope in his hands.”
Grounded in a passage from Hebrews, in which the author tells Christians they are running a race, watched over by “a cloud of witnesses,” Wright told St. John congregants that past and future generations watched over them from the stands, too.
“Witnesses are watching us,” said Wright. “Look who’s in the stands — Harriet Tubman, looking to see if we’re still trying to get free. Look who’s in the stands, Ida B. Wells — watching to see if we are still turning our backs on the poor. Look who’s in the stands — W.E.B. DuBois, watching to see if we have learned how to live together. Look who’s in the stands — Richard Allen, watching to see if we’re still bowing at the altar of white supremacy.”
“Look who’s in the stands,” Wright said to cheers and clapping, “the countless souls of the strange fruit strung up and left hanging from trees in the country that was taught to hate them because of their colors — hung, castrated and mutilated black men, women and children watching to see if the tea party is any different from a lynch party.”
Congregants later said Wright’s message was inspiring.
“I loved and believe that our forefathers are watching us, and watching to see what we’re going to do,” said Adrian Wright (no relation to the reverend) who was visiting the church with family members.
“What I learned is that we still have work to do,” said Andy Williams Jr., who grew up in the St. John congregation. “We can’t be sleeping. Those who came before us left a trail, and we’ve got to follow that.”
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