Wright Sets The Record

In his much anticipated speech at Sunday evening's 53rd Annual Detroit Branch NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner, Reverend Jeremiah Wright gave the Cobo crowd of more than 11,000 and a CNN TV audience a few lessons. What did we learn? From Chapter President, Reverend Wendell Anthony's introduction we learned that Dr. Wright dropped out of seminary after three and a half years to join the Marine Corps. We learned that Wright served our country for six years and then completed his education.

Wright speaks six languages and is well versed in the traditions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. He taught us that Arabic is a language not a religion. (So we shouldn't be afraid of Barack Obama's middle name Hussein.) The controversial Reverend also gave lesson's about black speech and music idioms and that different does not mean deficient.

In sticking with the evening's theme of A Change is Gonna Come, Wright emphasized that the overcoming will come when we set aside the view that those of who are different from us are inferior and embrace our diversity.

In the immediate aftermath, some commentators saw Wright's speech as divisive and injurious to the Obama campaign. However, it's clear that Wright speaks for Wright alone. Barack Obama has been unfairly cast as a villain in the "controversy" brought on by Wright's trial by YouTube. If not for the media frenzy to attach Obama to Wright, most who are put off by Wright's remarks would most likely have ignored him altogether.

Tony Mottley is the producer of the Am I Right? Show.