It was announced earlier today that Rev. Wright would be attending a NAACP annual dinner as a keynote speaker in Detroit on April 27, 2008. So, what I want to discuss is a number of items that popped into my head as this news blared from my car stereo this morning. <p>
Senator Obama is running a campaign based on change, I get that part. I hope that Wright does too. Last Friday, April 4, 2008, marked the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assasination. Could you imagine if Rev. Wright appeared before the group of I am sure a record number of more than 10,000 with a rabbi, priest, and other influential religious leaders and apologized for the offensive sermons he preached in the pulpits?<p>
Within the past 40 years since King’s death, racist issues hasn’t gone away because it has not been addressed in a way that would bring healing. Dr. Wright provoked much anger, yet there seems to be a fascination with the minister and he should use this tool as a way of helping heal the divide across the lines. Granted, Wright isn’t Superman by any means. Albeit, he is one person who could help heal a wounded nation by reaching out to other religious leaders and working hard to come together instead of encouraging divide. Dr. King would be proud.<p>
History could very well be in the making here. However, at what cost? Rev. Wright is a brillant scholar, with exemplary military honor. Yet, I am sure that he has, as many others been subjected to things that have made him angry throughout the years, and as real as those feelings are, they can no longer be allowed to accumulate. It is baggage from yesterday which we cannot take into the present. Let’s keep in mind, lots of us weren’t there when it happened. Yet, because of stories we’ve heard from family & friends, or individual personal experiences, we share a bond of familiarity with Rev. Wright that indeed does hurt at some point, but then, you move on. <p>
So, when Rev. Wright gets up in front of thousands and stands before members of the NAACP and hungry news channels like CNN, Fox, and others, I want him to know that I am looking forward to him being an agent of attitudinal change for the next 40 years, not for the past. He can’t erase that. However, he can bring forth so much more and leave a lasting legacy that is truly bigger than he could have ever imagined it to be.<p>
Detroit is being pulled through the mud because of a selfish, scandulous mayor who refuses to step down from office. It would be best if Wright would concentrate on the nation, and not the city of Detroit’s personal dealings, meaning this should not be a Kodak moment for Kilpatrick. We are the laughing stock of the country and will continue to be until the case is settled in court.