Campaign to Cancel “Black Jesus” TV show

August 5, 2014
Episcopal Cafe

Posted today on the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) Facebook page:

CALL TO ACTION: Cancel “Black Jesus” – “Black Jesus,” is a comedy show slated to premiere, on August 7, on the Cartoon Network during its child-unfriendly late-night spot, which they call Adult Swim. (Cartoon Network is owned by Turner Broadcasting, which owns CNN.)

As Christians and Americans of African descent, the Union of Black Episcopalians, finds the trailer for this show to be very offensive, religiously and racially denigrating; and regardless of the audience to which it may be intended we do not see ANY redeeming or affirming qualities.

It denigrates Jesus, the faith AND our race and we take responsibility for our own request that this show be cancelled and not aired on the Cartoon Network or other outlets. We ask our members and supporters to join with us in making their voices heard through signing on to the petition at: http://chn.ge/1o8Hkvg or taking other direct action.

Union of Black Episcopalians website

A member of the Facebook page offers a counterpoint:

Marcus Halley:

I will say this, as a person familiar with Aaron McGruder’s work. He’s a satirist, one who uses humor to raise some problematic or troubling paradigms to the forefront. The Black Community needs to engage very seriously our understanding of Jesus because there are some truly toxic theologies out there that are not liberating and salvific in the least – theologies that only reify slavocracy and disempowerment instead of reinterpreting the liberation theology proffered by Absalom Jones, Jarena Lee, Alexander Crummell, James Cone, Jacqueline Grant, and more. Satire may not be the tool the church wants, but it’s a tool the church can use to start the conversation. Black Jesus is not a problem to be stopped, but an opportunity to be engaged.

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Kurt Wiesner

August 6, 2014 12:43 pm

Still on my mind, so I wrote more, but in context of Change.org type petitions.

http://osc-religionandpopculture.blogspot.com/2014/08/more-on-black-jesus-and-power-and.html

Additionally, Marcus Halley, whose comment is featured above, wrote a full blog post on the subject:

http://blackandwhiteandinlivingcolor.com/2014/08/05/what-is-it-with-that-guy-black-jesus-and-the-opportunity-of-public-god-talk/

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tgflux

August 6, 2014 12:15 am

"It denigrates Jesus, the faith AND our race"

This call makes me uneasy. If the UBE said "it denigrates African-Americans", I would *definitely* be inclined to accept that as truth.

But "it denigrates Jesus [and] the faith"? What "Jesus"? Who's "the faith"? Complaints along these lines are a dime a dozen---and usually come from those Christian(ist) groups who think they OWN "Jesus" and "the faith" to the expense of every other believer in Jesus with a different interpretation of the Gospel.

If the show is racist, that's all needs be said. Bringing in these ***highly debateable*** religious side issues, makes me think "this is just another case of Christianists w/ a case of the 'how dare you offend ME???' vapors."

I expect better of the UBE.

JC Fisher

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Kurt Wiesner

August 5, 2014 2:41 pm

I just wrote (a lot) on this. My blog is linked below...

http://osc-religionandpopculture.blogspot.com/2014/08/black-jesus-on-calls-to-boycott-movies.html

Kurt Wiesner

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