Back More
Salem Press

Table of Contents

The 2000s in America

Wright, Jeremiah

by Sally Driscoll

Identification: American religious leader

Born: September 22, 1941; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., the senior pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago from 1972 to 2008, was a spiritual advisor to presidential candidate Barack Obama. He gained notoriety after segments of his sermons were publicized during the 2008 presidential race.

When Reverend Jeremiah Wright took over Trinity United Church of Christ in 1972, the small church was failing to serve the economic, social, and spiritual needs of the black community, in Wright’s opinion. Seeking to make connections between Christianity and the “black experience,” he began to deliver sermons from the perspective of black liberation theology, a social justice–oriented theology that embraced hope and courage and that linked Christianity with politics and government actions at a time when the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War dominated public opinion.

In March 2008, Wright and then presidential candidate Barack Obama found themselves at the center of a controversy when segments from some of Wright’s sermons were released through the media during the presidential primary. In one segment taken from a sermon Wright delivered following the September 11, 2001, attacks, he appeared to blame the United States for the terrorist acts when he stated, “America’s chickens are coming home to roost.”

Many were offended and called Wright “anti-American” or a “fanatic.” Bomb threats were made against Wright and the church. Further, the fact that Obama had bonded with Wright led many people to believe that Obama was too radical to become president.

Wright defended his sermons in an April 2008 interview with journalist Bill Moyers. He admonished the media for airing “snippets” of his sermons out of context. In his full sermon, for example, he had attributed the “chicken” quote to Ambassador Edward Peck, a white man who had quoted black activist Malcolm X on Fox News. Wright had also referred to violent actions undertaken by other governments, including the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, and Germany, and condemned their policies, not the countries. His anger at the US government stemmed from its history of aggressive policies toward minorities. Wright also found policies that he felt sought revenge, such as the atomic bombing of Japan during World War II, to be inconsistent with Christian faith, and he blamed the past policies of white governments for the ongoing poverty of urban blacks.

To counter the backlash, Obama delivered a speech in Philadelphia on race titled “A More Perfect Union,” in which he criticized Wright’s comments as “inexcusable” and “divisive.” However, he defended Wright as a caring minister who uplifted the poor and tended to the sick, and he stood by his longtime association with Wright’s church.

Other snippets of Wright’s sermons caused additional controversy, especially his charge that the US government deliberately introduced AIDS into the black community. After these additional video clips aired, Obama held a press conference to denounce Wright and formally announced his decision to separate himself from Wright.

Impact

Despite the negative press Wright and his church received during the 2008 presidential race, Wright has been recognized as an important leader for African Americans and the religious community. Wright has received numerous awards, including seven honorary doctorate degrees, a Rockefeller Fellowship, and the Carver Medal by Simpson College.

Further Reading

1 

Walker, Clarence E., and Gregory D. Smithers. The Preacher and the Politician: Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama, and Race in America. Charlottesville: U of Virginia P, 2009. Print.

2 

Wright, Jeremiah A., Jr., and Jini Kilgore Ross. What Makes You So Strong?: Sermons of Joy and Strength from Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. Valley Forge: Judson, 1993. Print.

3 

---. A Sankofa Moment: The History of the Trinity Church of Christ. Dallas: Saint Paul, 2010. Print.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Driscoll, Sally. "Wright, Jeremiah." The 2000s in America, edited by Craig Belanger, Salem Press, 2013. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=2000_0409.
APA 7th
Driscoll, S. (2013). Wright, Jeremiah. In C. Belanger (Ed.), The 2000s in America. Salem Press.
CMOS 17th
Driscoll, Sally. "Wright, Jeremiah." Edited by Craig Belanger. The 2000s in America. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2013. Accessed September 18, 2025. online.salempress.com.