Jeremiah Wright facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeremiah Wright
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Wright in 1998
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Jeremiah Alvesta Wright Jr.
September 22, 1941 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Other names | Jerry Wright | ||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Ramah Reed | ||||||||
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| Education | Virginia Union University Howard University (BA) University of Chicago (MDiv) United Theological Seminary (DMin) |
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| Scientific career | |||||||||
| Institutions | United Theological Seminary Chicago Theological Seminary Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary |
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| Thesis | Black Sacred Music: Problems and Possibilities (1990) | ||||||||
| Doctoral advisor | Samuel DeWitt Proctor | ||||||||
| Influences | James H. Cone | ||||||||
| Influenced | Barack Obama | ||||||||
| Military career | |||||||||
| Allegiance |  United States |
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| Service/ |
 United States Marine Corps United States Navy |
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| Years of service | 1961–1967 | ||||||||
| Rank | Private First Class Hospital Corpsman Third Class |
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| Unit | 2nd Marine Division Presidential medical team |
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Jeremiah Alvesta Wright Jr. (born September 22, 1941) is a retired pastor who led the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. He was the pastor there for 36 years. During his time, the church grew to have over 8,000 members. After he retired, some of his speeches were discussed a lot. This happened when parts of his sermons were shared during Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Philadelphia
Jeremiah Wright Jr. was born on September 22, 1941. He grew up in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This area had people from different backgrounds living together. His father, Jeremiah Wright Sr., was a Baptist minister. His mother, Mary Elizabeth Henderson Wright, was a schoolteacher. She was the first Black person to teach an academic subject at Roosevelt Junior High. She also became the first Black vice principal at Girls High.
Wright went to Central High School in Philadelphia. He graduated in 1959. This school was considered one of the best in the area at that time. His yearbook described him as a respected student. It said he was "always ready with a kind word."
Military Service and College Years
From 1959 to 1961, Wright attended Virginia Union University. In 1961, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He served in the 2nd Marine Division. After two years, he joined the United States Navy in 1963. He trained to be a Hospital Corpsman at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center.
Wright also trained as a heart and lung technician. He worked at the National Naval Medical Center. He was part of the medical team for President Lyndon B. Johnson. A photo shows him caring for President Johnson after surgery in 1966. The White House doctor thanked Wright personally for his service.
Higher Education and Degrees
In 1967, Wright went to Howard University in Washington, D.C. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1968. He then earned a master's degree in English in 1969. He also received a master's degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School. In 1990, he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree. This was from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He studied under Samuel DeWitt Proctor, who was a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr..
Wright and his wife, Ramah Reed Wright, have four daughters and one son.
Career as a Minister
Jeremiah Wright became the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago on March 1, 1971. At that time, the church had about 250 members, but only around 90 attended services regularly. By March 2008, Trinity United Church of Christ had become the largest church in the United Church of Christ group. The leader of the United Church of Christ, John H. Thomas, praised Wright's leadership.
Wright was featured in a TV documentary called Keeping the Faith in 1987. In 1995, he was asked to give a prayer at the Million Man March in Washington, D.C.
Wright started a program called "Ministers in Training" at his church. He has been a national leader in helping people get religious education. He also helped prepare future ministers for African American churches. The church's main ideas are based on black theology, which started with the work of James Hal Cone.
Wright has taught at several schools, including Chicago Theological Seminary. He has also served on the boards of different universities and health systems.
In 1990, Wright gave a famous sermon based on a painting called Hope. The painting shows a woman with only one string left on her harp, but she still makes music and praises God. Wright spoke about having "the audacity to hope" even when things are difficult. Barack Obama heard this sermon. He later used a similar phrase, "audacity of hope," for his 2004 speech and the title of his second book.
Retirement and Later Years
Wright retired as pastor from Trinity United Church of Christ in early 2008. During his time there, the church grew from 87 members in 1972 to over 8,000. The church bought land in Tinley Park and built a large home for Wright.
In September 2016, Wright had a stroke. This affected the left side of his body and made him use a wheelchair. Even though his voice was affected, he still gives sermons sometimes.
Awards and Recognition
Jeremiah Wright has received many honors. He was given a Rockefeller Fellowship. He also has seven honorary doctorate degrees from different universities. These include Colgate University and Lincoln University. Ebony magazine named him one of the top 15 preachers.
In January 2008, he received the first Carver Medal from Simpson College. This award recognized him as someone who showed the commitment and vision of George Washington Carver. However, in May 2008, Northwestern University decided not to give him an honorary doctorate. This decision was made because of discussions about his recent speeches.
Works
Jeremiah Wright has written several books. He is also featured on Wynton Marsalis's album The Majesty of the Blues. On this album, he performs a spoken word piece. He has also appeared on the Odyssey Channel series Great Preachers.
- What Makes You So Strong?: Sermons of Joy and Strength from Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. (1993)
- Adam! Where Are You?: Why Most Black Men Don't Go to Church (1997)
- Africans Who Shaped Our Faith (1995)
- Good News!: Sermons of Hope for Today's Families (1995)
- From One Brother to Another: Voices of African American Men (1996, 2003)
- When Black Men Stand Up for God: Reflections on the Million Man March (1997)
- What Can Happen When We Pray: A Daily Devotional (2002)
- Blow the Trumpet in Zion!: Global Vision and Action for the 21st Century Black Church (2005)
- Tempted to Leave the Cross: Renewing the Call to Discipleship (2007)
