Obama, Pfleger, Trinity, Whites, and Black America
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Sen. Barack Obama has now denounced and removed himself from Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, a church he had been attending with his family for 20 years.
The decision stems from the uproar around his former Pastor Jeremiah Wright, but more recently his longtime friend Father Michael Pfleger’s sermon delivered last Sunday at Trinity, which mocked Clinton and used what some deem as objectionable language.
“Rev. Moss, when Hillary was crying, and people said that was put on, I really don’t believe it was put on,” Pfleger said from the pulpit. “I really believe that she just always thought, ‘This is mine! I’m Bill’s wife, I’m white, and this is mine! I just gotta get up and step into the plate.’ And then out of nowhere came, ‘Hey, I’m Barack Obama,’ and she said, ‘Oh, damn! Where did you come from? I’m white! I’m entitled! There’s a black man stealing my show!’
Pfleger then mocked Clinton’s tears.
“She wasn’t the only one crying, there was a whole lot of white people crying!” Pfleger said to laughter.
After his sermon, Rev. Moss thanked Pfleger: “We thank God for the message, we thank God for the messenger, we thank God for Father Michael Pfleger,” Moss said.
So let’s address first things first, the Rev. Michael Pfleger.
Rev. Pfleger, who is white, would have been better off delivering that sermon in a church full of white folks who actually need to hear about their individual and institutionalized racist ways, but oftentimes have difficulty digesting it when it comes from someone a darker shade of brown. Instead he choose to preach to the choir. I already know about white privilege, most Blacks do, go run and tell that to your folks.
And while I can’t speak for the congregation at Trinity, if I’d have been there, I would have done one of two things, gotten up and walked out in disgust or sat there and laughed with the rest of congregation…only not with him but at him.
Onto my man Obama.
Again, I am not happy about his choice to leave Trinity, but Clinton supporters take note: there will be no threats of abandoning the Democratic Party and voting for McCain over my disappointment. A few curse words maybe, but that’s about it.
I’m actually more concerned about the bigger picture—Obama leaving his church of 20 years over the fact that there are some white folks who can’t deal with Black folks—or in this most recent case—white folks who think they’re Black, speaking up and out about the white privilege and racism that has colonized Black Americans since the first shackles went onto the first African slave. Is this going to be a reoccurring pattern?
Which brings me to my next point.
If all of the whites that ever found themselves in an environment where racist comments were being made about Blacks or any other race—albeit work, home, kids soccer games, over midday frappachino’s, or while listening to radio shock jocks—got up and left or at the very least challenged what was being said, there probably wouldn’t be any racism in America today. Add to that, Lou “Cotton-Picking” Dobbs and Pat “Blacks should be grateful for slavery” Dobbs would both be out of a job. And then I woke up…
Because depending on whom you ask, what both Dobbs and Buchanan said was far more incendiary than anything I’ve ever heard come out of Trinity’s pulpit. But then again, it all depends on whom you ask.
Somehow, white America manages to repeatedly and yet conveniently overlook their own talking heads, instead choosing to zone in on Black America like we’ve committed some national crime. Which to me is quite odd, since for the most part we still live in a segregated society. So much so that if whites spent more time around Blacks, instead of trying to imitate and replicate them (tans, botox, breast enhancements, dredlocs, etc.), they’d know that far worse things have been said about them than what Wright or Pfleger ever said. I’m just saying.
But since they don’t, this is what happens. National shock and awe because they thought it was all good.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s not all good and it won’t be all good, until this country learns how to have a honest conversation about race. Notice the word “honest,” that’s important because up until now, the conversation hasn’t been. Americans of all races have bought into the notion that we don’t have race relation problems. Although, I hope that myth was shattered with the “inadequate Black male,” statement by one of Clinton’s “angry supporters” this past weekend at the DNC rules and bylaws committee’s meeting.
The way I see it, an honest conversation about race in America as it relates to Blacks, would have start with the admission of white America’s role in slavery and the intended—and damn near successful attempts at the destruction of the Black race. From there, we can discuss what an official national apology would look like followed up by discussion on reparations (which is long overdue) and what that package would look like. I’m leaning more towards a free college education for any Black that wants to take advantage of it. Then of course, there’s the issue of the continued institutionalized racism that Blacks face—we can start with the justice system and work our back from there.
Then and only then, it might be all good, but I’d have to get a consensus from the rest of Black America on if that’s acceptable or not. After all, we did lose a lot of ancestors in the Middle Passage and an awful lot of us were lynched, raped, and tortured. The wounds are deep.
But I think it’s a step in the right direction.
Until such time as these things are up for discussion and as long as whites continue to turn a blind eye towards their own when Blacks are the target of the likes of Lou Dobbs and Pat Buchanan, and as long as the media continues to hype up a minister here, a sermon there, and whites allow themselves to get all bent out shape over it, I suspect this won’t be the last time Obama will have to denounce someone.
Who knows, it might even be me. I am after all an Obama Mama.
Now run and go tell that.
Next on my list are the gays…I’m on a roll today!
Hmmm I didn’t think about Father Pfleger from that perspective. I agreed with much of what he said but thought the timing and execution was VERY suspect. I also know a lot of Black people are upset by the Obamas leaving and see it as Barack co-opting to white people and NOT liking that. Do you think there are ways Black people could strategize…or do something about this or are we going to be dependent on white people to own up to their complacency?
One correction, he actually did not “denounce” the church. As a matter of fact, during the press conference a reporter asked him if he would actually denounced the church. His reply was that no, he would not because it’s not a church that was worthy of denouncing. That’s different than denouncing some of the things said over the pulpit. In any event, the far-right is still trying to make a big deal out of this, but I believe he’ll win more supporters now. What pisses me off though is how now Black Churches are under the microscope and white folks just don’t get how we keep it real in the one place we don’t have to be reminded of their domination of American cultue, politics and society…..The Black Church. Our churches aren’t perfect, but since we’ve been brought to the shores of this nation from Africa, it has been our haven and light in the midst of suffering and pain.
Jamyne:
Do you know Father Pfleger? Do you have any knowledge about him? Let me give you a few tidbits. Often when there are issues in the City of Chicago related to race, blacks can count on him just as much if not MORE than many of our black leaders. Last year we had 30 black children killed through gun violence. One of the first voices to speak out was Father Pfleger.
Did you know, that Father Pfleger, put his money AND home where is mouth is and adopted three black boys. In this case, he not only had to fight the Archdiocese of Chicago, but he also had to fight blacks (probably like you) who have issues with whites adopting black children. Incidentally, he did a great job with all three of the boys and unfortunately one of his sons died in a drive by in Chicago. So Father Pfleger knows the pain of losing a child to gun violence.
He is the father of St. Sabina, predominantly black congregation in Chicago. They had a basketball team that was a force to be reckoned with. The other white Catholic churches did not want the school in their league. It was blatantly racist. He almost lost St. Sabina because he took a stand. The blacks on the south side of Chicago, many of whom are were not Catholic or members of St. Sabina stood up and protested for him to stay.
While, I agree with you that his timing for making the statements he did are quite suspect. Rev. Wright’s timing recently hasn’t been all that good either. I don’t see you ranting about that. I digress.
I take strong issue with you making the statement that “he (Pfleger) thinks he is black” in a pejorative sense. I still don’t get you. You criticize white folks for not understanding black people and THEN you criticize whites that want to understand or understand. This rant is the same as the one you made against that outstanding young man that made the CHOICE to attend Morehouse. If you had listened to what this young man had to say about this experience, you may have actually had some pride in him, like I do.
I believe in speaking up and fighting to be heard, to be understood. However, many of your comments seem to be about fighting for the sake of fighting. Please do some research before you go off on EVERY white person.
Also, I agree with most of what you said about the black church. My thoughts on this matter should be that since so many people are “appalled” by the political activism in the Black Church, then Black Churches should start a movement to say that politicians can no longer speak at the church to get votes. The political activism of the Black Church is well known. It is because of the political activism of the Black Church that politicians have flocked there for years to get votes. Hell, even Dubya (W) went to Black Churches to get votes in 2000 and 2004. In addition to asking why Barack has belonged to Trinity for so long, perhaps people need to examine why politicians (mostly white) have come to Black Churches to get votes if it is sooooo appalling. It appears that these politicians are saying that it is o.k. to get the votes from the Black Church, but that members of the Black church can’t obtain the highest office in the land. So Blacks are only good for their votes? That is the hypocrisy of all of this.
The first time I saw Bill Clinton in person was when I was in college. He came to my Black church (back when I still went to church) to get votes. The pastor of that Church is friends with Rev. Wright and says some of the same things that Wright says. With, then Governor Clinton, in the pews he talked about the issues that Blacks face in very blunt terms. Bill got up after the speech and co-signed everything the minister said. So there was indeed hypocrisy there.
So my solution would be that we don’t let politicians into the churches in the future.
Yea Jaz, I too, read your comments about Father Pfleger. I was taken aback. And that was due to the fact that I lived in Chicago for 5 years and am quite familiar with Father Pfleger’s works. Not to mention (and this has nothing to do with nothing but I just gotta share it—my fav’ singer Chaka Khan was raised in St. Sabina, the parrish Fr. Pfleger presides over.) I attended a benefit concert she held raising money for the church when I lived there. It was a really cool event.
The man has been nothing but a servant to the black community of Chicago. And Sophia is right about him being MORE of service than many black leaders. In truth, I’ve rarely seen the likes of Father Pfleger, black or white.
I think you’re a badass sista’ with some incredible insight and unprecedented courage. That’s why whether I disagree with you or not, I support you strenuously because you’ve created a forum that none of your peers even remotely come close to. I’ve even ended a friendship due to some of the criticisms against you that I felt more reflected the person’s self-loathing in his blackness and less about if you were on point or off base. The thing is, you’re saying something. And people including myself, want and need to hear it.
That said, the slamming or dismissing of someone JUST because they’re white—that’s not cool. And that’s exactly what you did. Yes, you ought to do your research before going there—particularly in the case of Father Pfleger. If half of black America’s leadership put it on the line the way Father Pfleger has throughout his priesthood you’d see a very different black community, that’s for sure.
Because of that speech at Trinity Father Pfleger could potentially lose his collar. And he’s been a priest and vocal social activist in the black community for many years. That may not mean anything to you but it means something to me. He’s a dedicated human being who channels his love for humanity through the Catholic church. It would devastate him to be excomunicated. Thing is, because of his social activism it’s not the first time that the Vatican has threatened to do this.
In any case, I don’t need to hate whitey to love my black beauty. And you don’t either, my friend.
Oh, more thing. You can thank Kenyon Farrow for my ever starting to post on your blog in the first place (lol).
In late-April he’d written this story about Father Pfleger titled “White Catholic Priest Gets Fox News Together.” Accompanying the story was a YouTube video of Father Pfleger telling Fox news off. The following was what Farrow wrote:
“I enjoy nothing more than when I can step out of the way, and let the whites get other white people together. Case in point: A Fox News reporter thought they were going to sneak attack Father Michael Pfleger, a Chicago-based Catholic priest, about his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Well, that reporter was shut down. I have to say it is quite enjoyable when I don’t have to intervene, and I can put my feet up and let’s the whites duke it out.”
If Farrow had any of my respect he lost it it. It had only been the second time I’d read his blog and it was to be my last. It wasn’t so much the Father Pfleger thing as it was the statement “I enjoy nothing more than when I can step out of the way and let the whites get other whites together.”
And I was like, Brotha,’ you mean to tell me you can’t find anything else in this world that gives you greater joy than something like that? It has to be one small dark and hateful world you livin’ in. And I don’t want any part of it.
I browsed your blog later that same day and you too, were having the Rev. Wright discussion. I put my 2-cents in and been a die-hard fan ever since. You’re bigger than someone like Farrow. MUCH bigger. Stay that way.