Longer portions of sermons that contain sound bites from embattled Rev. Jeremiah Wright flashed across the country in recent weeks and labeled as racist and anti-American by some have surfaced, revealing a broader message in the commentary of Barack Obama’s pastor and retiring minister at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ.

Nationally noted political columnist Roland Martin and Eric Deggans, a nationally recognized media columnist at the St. Petersburg Times, wrote about the full context of the sermons in recent blogs.

“I saw a lot of people did news stories and commentaries, based on the reporting by ABC and Fox but did not have their own copies,” Deggans told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “They took what was reported and built on it. Some missed the boat.”

In his blog, Martin said he wanted to see for himself the full sermon Wright preached shortly after 9/11 entitled “The Day of Jerusalem’s Fall.”

“The point that I have always made as a journalist is that our job is to seek the truth, and not the partial truth,” Martin said in his blog. “And let me be clear: Where I believe he was wrong and not justified in what he said based upon the facts, I will say so. But where the facts support his argument, that will also be said.”

Longer portions of Wright’s sermons, posted now on YouTube, show that Wright’s sermon that included the phrase “God damn America” talked about how the “U.S. has failed a majority of its citizens of African decent.” The same sermon talked about the suffering of Native Americans and Japanese in America.

The video clip that included the phrase “America’s chickens are coming to roost” was part of a sermon “faith footnote” where Wright said he was quoting Iraq Ambassador Edward Peck, who made the statement on a television news interview, referring to a statement from Malcolm X in the 1960s. Wright’s sermon came just days after the 9/11 tragedy as he admonished parishioners to take a “self examination” of their relationship with God.

While the sermon sound bites have sparked criticism and prompted Obama to respond with a nationally televised speech on race, Wright’s reputation in some theological communities and churches has not been deflated.

Tuesday through Thursday, Wright will preach a revival at Bible-Based Fellowship of Temple Terrace, near Tampa, Florida, And on Saturday, he will be honored by the Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas, during the State of the Black Church Summit and Awards Banquet.

“Those who criticize Rev. Wright have not listened to the full message he preaches,” the Rev. Arthur T. Jones, a Tampa minister who has been mentored by Wright for more than 25 years, told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “All he is doing is speaking the truth. But when you hear only sound bites strung together, you don’t get the full context. Rev. Wright still is loved and respected, and maybe even more so now.”

Jones pastors Bible-Based Fellowship Church where he said Wright preached a revival in the fall. “The reception for Rev. Wright was phenomenal,” Jones said. “He comes to us every year.”

Wright’s planned appearance in Fort Worth has stirred a bit of controversy. The board of trustees at Texas Christian University, the campus on which Brite Divinity is located, asked that the event be moved off campus.

“The executive committee of TCU’s Board of Trustees today voted, and Brite Divinity School leadership agreed, to move the Divinity School’s Black Church Summit events off campus in light of security issues noted by campus police and the Fort Worth Police Department. The Divinity School will announce the new location of the event,” read a statement posted on the TCU website.

“Luther King, chairman of the board, agreed that while the university should be a place where controversial opinions are freely expressed, the safety and security of students, faculty and staff are the primary concern of the board,” the statement read.
 
A new location had not been announced for the summit on Sunday evening. Brite Divinity School, however, posted a statement on website reiterating its mission and confirming its plans to continue with the summit and recognition of Wright.
 
“In the 1950s, at the dawn of the civil rights movement, Brite professors Harold and Alberta Lunger and Brite student Vada Felder -- the first African-American to graduate from Brite -- provided hospitality to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a Fort Worth, Texas, not yet ready to welcome him,” Brite Dean Nancy J. Ramsay and Brite Trustee Eugene Brice wrote in a statement posted Sunday on the school’s website.
 
“Dr. Wright’s career and contributions provide an excellent model of ministry and profound theological vision that ensure the ongoing legacy of the historic black church tradition. He served as pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago from 1972-2008. During this period, Trinity UCC grew from 87 adults to over 8700 members. Today, this south Chicago congregation provides numerous ministries ranging from Food Share programs, dance and math tutorials for youth and small groups that benefit families and individuals. The congregation tithes its annual revenues to support other congregations, denominational missions, and agencies supporting mission work in Liberia, Haiti, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, and South Africa,” the statement read.

“Trinity has also birthed four new congregations of the UCC -- two in Atlanta, Georgia, one in Gary, Indiana, and one in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. … Like the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Brite trusts in a God whose love and justice are never divided," according to the statement. In this spirit of Christian witness, Brite Divinity School honors and celebrates a tradition of dialogue, diversity, and finding common ground.”

Wright also has been recognized by politicians as a leader. In 1998, when then President Bill Clinton invited religious leaders from across the country to the White House to meet with him, Wright was among the attendees. Last week, a photo surfaced of former President Clinton and Wright.

The campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton responded by criticizing Obama’s campaign for “peddling photos” of former President Clinton and

Obama and Clinton are in virtual dead heat for the Democratic nomination for president. Obama had carried a lead over Clinton before the controversy over his pastor’s statements surfaced. The most recent Gallup Poll released on Saturday shows that Obama has regained a slight edge.

“Obama's campaign clearly suffered in recent days from negative press, mostly centering on his association with the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Perhaps as a result, Clinton moved into the lead in Gallup's Wednesday release, covering March 16-18 polling. But Obama has now edged back ahead of Clinton due to a strong showing for him in Friday night's polling, perhaps in response to the endorsement he received from well-respected New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former rival for the nomination,” according to a Gallup Poll release.

The poll of likely Democratic voters showed that 48 percent favored Obama and 45 percent favored Clinton. Neither Obama, nor Clinton would defeat Republican nominee John MCain, according to Gallup. McCain holds just a two percentage point edge over both -- 46 percent to 44 percent over Obama and 47 percent to 45 percent over Clinton.

Jones, the Tampa minister and friend of Rev. Wright, said the controversy over the minister’s statements have nothing to do with Wright.

“This is an attempt to poison the minds of the public,” Jones said. “For once, we have man who can galvanize the support of blacks, whites, Hispanics and other races to bring unity. That’s a direct challenge to the white male domination we have seen in politics in this country for years. And there are those who don’t want it to change.”