Letter to Jeremiah Wright

I sent the letter below in May of this year and did not receive the courtesy of a reply.


May 14, 2008


Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.
Trinity United Church of Christ
400 West 95th Street
Chicago, IL 60628

Dear Dr. Wright:

I believe there needs to be a clear, unmistakable voice, a constant reminder that bigotry and racism have no place in any society. Many of your contemporaries and predecessors took this message beyond their local pulpits at great sacrifice and risk to themselves, their families, and their loved ones. And now, by happenstance, your voice resonates across this land but your tone is very disconcerting.

This nation has come a long way in its efforts to provide equal opportunity and equal access to all of its citizens but, as we all agree, much remains to be done. Will we ever eradicate prejudice and discrimination against those who are different from ourselves? Not until we alter the very nature of humans; in other words, not in this life. So, therefore, we must change the paradigm. But this requires extraordinary effort and great sacrifice. It requires vision, imagination, optimism and a relentless application of the basic fundamentals of courageous leadership. It’s not enough to remind people of where they’ve been or who was to blame – we have to show them what they can become and where they should place their trust. The message of hate and anger has become tiresome and serves only the messenger.

There is no question that your generation suffered terrible indignities and humiliation at the hands of the intolerant and the ignorant. It would be natural for resentment, bitterness and anger to flourish among the persecuted. But where does it end? In a thousand years like the Protestants and Catholics of Northern Ireland? In perpetuity, like the children of Abraham? Is it your dream for the next generation of your congregation to harbor the same hostility that has paralyzed so many of your generation and the generations before you? Or is your dream far more sinister and threatening to our American way of life?

It is troublesome that a man of your age, with your education, wisdom and experience would be blinded by your own prejudices. By the time we reach the autumn of our lives, we should have found the virtues of humility, charity and compassion. And we should have learned how to choose our words carefully especially if words have been used against us. To make poor word choices and then to claim they were misinterpreted or taken out of context is, at its best, an admission of regret and, at its worst, a self-serving attempt to protect one’s self-interests. And this I have observed in my lifetime – those whose profession is public speaking infrequently choose the wrong words.

You are, it seems, a learned man but you only reference authors with whom you agree. As you know, learned men read not only those with whom they agree but also those with whom they disagree. For what better way is there to fully comprehend one’s own convictions. In the end, we must never forget that authors of every generation were and are simply men and women just like us; full of the same desires, weaknesses, and prejudices; given to the same temptations; and shaped by their own life experiences. Wisdom is not the recitation of the thoughts of others but rather the result of our own contemplations.

Let’s be frank – preaching to the converted has limited effect unless the preacher’s motives are not as obvious as the literal message. I contend your controversial messages have been less about the subject than about what is in it for you. You’ve built a large church by playing on the fears, anxieties and frustrations of your congregation. You have failed to apply your great intellect to inspire a new generation of believers.

I fear one day you will stand before the Father and he will say, “This I have against you – that you took the path most often traveled; that you succumbed to the desires of the world; that you promoted hate, hostility and deceit; and that you ignored the Son’s lessons of love, forgiveness, and healing”. I pray the Holy Spirit will descend upon you and remove the calluses from your heart and the scales from your eyes. I will pray that your legacy will not be that of an anarchist and a revolutionary; but rather one of hope and inspiration and that generations to come will accord you great honor and respect.

Your Brother in Christ,



Bill Monroe