Did Barak Obama's real problem come in December of 2007?
In December 2007, the Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC) bestowed its highest social achievement award upon Louis Farrakhan, the head of the Nation of Islam. This was facilitated through the church's publication Trumpet Magazine and presented at their end of the year awards gala. The award dubbed the Lifetime Achievement "Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. Trumpet" Award is named after the head pastor that married Barack and Michele Obama nee Robinson.
Forget the Rev. Wright remarks this is much more problematic - Dec 2007 was the during his run for the President - as soon as he learned about this award he should have quit his church in protest - or should he?
This story needs to be debunked because there are some important details that are missing but it will only reduce the damage not make it go away completely - Obama made a mistake with this one and here is why. (more on the flip side)
By not quitting his Church the question that the right (and some in white America) are now asking - and I think its a fair question (if it were true).
Would it be acceptable for a white person to be elected President who attends a church that gave a lifetime achievement award to a racist like David Duke? Just wondering.
Here is where the Debunking comes in and it is needed now since I heard this same question asked tonight on NPR and it was NOT debunked - the question is a distortion.
Obama's Church did not give the award and independent magazine started by his church and Rev. Wright gave the award.
Trumpet Newsmagazine is an informative, cutting-edge publication that originated as a church newsmagazine over 25 years ago. Trumpet was created and founded by the pastor, and produced by the staff and members of Trinity United Church of Christ. Over the years, the pastor’s vision for this publication grew. He saw this magazine moving outside of the church, and becoming the voice for all Africans living in the Diaspora. Trumpet is a publication that features real people and real issues that influence everyday life.
Secondly, as soon as Obama was asked about this he issued the following statement.
I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan. I assume that Trumpet Magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree.
He is able to explain Wright's sermon by saying they are condemning white racism not whites.
If you look at the sermons, even the most offensive ones that are at issue, he is condemning white racism, as he defines it, but he is not condemning the white race. He is not suggesting that blacks are superior. What he's saying is, is that this -- that white racism is endemic in the society.
But this argument does not work with Farrakhan. So we need to do more to counter this attack. We need to get the word out that #1 it wasn't Obama's church that gave this award and #2 Obama denounced it right away. Now I'm not sure if splitting hair over the award is all that helpful but it better than nothing - since Obama is not going to quit his Church.
It doesn't go far enough- but we have to have some sort of comeback to the David Duke analogy because its a powerful one. It is also important because of the "Typical White Woman" remark which wasn't helpful either.
Another way to help might be to get this video out to as many people as possible.
