My Name is Charles Johnson. I grew up in Harlem during the 60's. I went to Catholic grammar school at Saint Mark's on 138th and Lennox Avenue which was run by the Sisters of The Blessed Sacrament. My mom had me baptized a Catholic when I was 9 because tuition was cheaper for Catholics. All students were required to go to church every Sunday. The sisters were very dedicated in their efforts to give inner city kids the best education possible. If they had any racist tendencies, I never saw or experienced it. But I also had two African America teachers, Mrs. Norcross in the 3rd grade and Mrs. Williams in the 5th. They taught me the importance of being proud of my history and why its necessary to stand up for truth. That's the reason for this blog. The power of the internet makes this conversation possible. Publications, TV and radio both black and white that depend on ad dollars, would never tackle this controversial subject.
In the Book of Daniel, it says the hair of the Messiah’s head would be “like the pure wool” of a lamb and the Book of Revelation likens the prophetic Jesus’ feet to “fine brass, as if burned in a furnace.” (Click here for further proof)
For smoother viewing hit the start then hit stop allowing the grey line to fill to the far right, then hit start.
Malcolm X wrote about white supremacists and slaveholders using Christianity to justify their “moral” and “racial superiority” over Blacks. In Malcolm’s own words, “The Holy Bible in the white man’s hands and its interpretations of it have been the greatest single ideological weapon for enslaving millions of non-white human beings.” Throughout history, whether it was in Jerusalem, Spain, India, or Africa, so-called white “Christians” cultivated a twisted interpretation of religion that was compatible with their colonialist agenda. And racism was a key component of their atrocities.
Franklin Graham Is An Example Of The Kind Of white Christians Malcolm X Described.
Black Jesus.com is a place for exploring the truth about what Jesus truly looked like and why the denial and cover up of this truth negatively effects people of color all over the world, but especially where ever white Christianity has ever existed any where in the world. If you are new to this site and want to continue to believe in the lie that Jesus Christ was white, blond and blue eyed, please don't bother to post any bigoted remarks. They will be immediately deleted. It is your right to believe what ever you choose. But if you feel it is important to finally know the truth, and why its been hidden, then we welcome your comments on this and any other subjects we will cover.
But Listen To The Hatred That Has Been Directed At Her For Revealing The Truth.White anthropologists have confirmed that at the beginning all of humanity was Black. Click here to see.
As a child, I often wondered why I saw no Black Angels or Saints in the pictures of St. Mark's Church. I wondered, don't Black people go to heaven? Is there a black heaven and a white heaven? But in high school at Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx in 1970, I began to raise this question in my religion class. My religion teacher, Father Mitchel became enraged when I said there was no way Jesus Christ could have been white, based on where Palestine, Jesus birth place is located next to Egypt and how sun exposed people looked during that time period. Rather than engaging me in a conversation and opening it up for class discussion, he became very angry, calling me blasphemous and demanded that I leave his class. Over the next 3 years this happened not once, but over three times.
Ironically, it was a white priest by the name of Father John Meehan, who came to my defense on several occassions to lobby on my behalf on the side of truth, against his fellow priests who refused to consider the facts. He also became, in many ways, the father figure I never had. To this day, he is still a dear friend.
"Where did Joseph and Mary take Jesus to escape as they sought to hide from Herod?" They went to a place where they could blend in and not stand out: Egypt, known for its people of color."
For Those Who Believe Christ Wasn't Black Because He Was A Jew Click Here.
Why are so many people afraid of the truth? What is this fear of dark skin and where does it come from? Why does this fear appear to be pervasive all over the world where white, brown and dark skin people try to coexist. As the originator of this blog, I want to explore the issue of race in the US and around the world that appear in the news, in sports, health care, and in every day life world wide. I invite all open minded people to post their ideas.
When you close your eyes, what does he look like? Most white people see Jesus and God as white and this empowers them. Some Caucasians falsely believe their supposed racial superiority starts here. For some brain washed blacks who have grown up seeing pictures of white Jesus in their church, their image is the same, because they wonder 'If Jesus really did look like me, and he was the son of God, then why have darker people suffered so much through out history. Further, a lack or distorted history taught in the schools has led them to believe, like most whites, that Black people have accomplished nothing. Harriet Tubman, who led hundreds of slaves to freedom by way of the Undergound Railroad said she could have freed many more if they had just believed they should be free. This untrue Caucasian image of Jesus keeps all of us enslaved in a lie.
Red Fox and Good Times The Sitcom Explain This False Image In A Very Humerous Way As Well As Other Lies Are Addressed On This Video
For smoother viewing hit start, then stop allowing the gray line to load to the far right.
Imagine how differently black and white people would view themselves and the world around us if we all embraced this truth.
It is my hope that by presenting the biblical and scientific facts about Jesus, we will bring the truth to the surface and shed more light on how ridiculous and harmful racism really is. I have been asked, Why does it matter what color Jesus Christ was? If it doesn't matter, why has the truth been hidden. Why does this false image of a white Jesus Christ appear annually in Newsweek, Time magazine and network TV specials like CNN's After Jesus and The History Channels "The Bible."
White people only make up 10% of the world's population. The rest of the humanity consists of people of color, yet this Caucasian image of supposed superior intelligence and beauty is the imposed standard that the rest of non-white humanity is judged and excluded by especially in societies where Caucasians make and control the economic and social barriers to upward mobility.
If Black and White people world wide really want positive change, it must start with how we deal with this Jesus truth. What do you think....P.S. Please listen to these 6 videos that reveal the biblical and scientific proof titled "Listen To the Biblical Proof."
And They Say The Color Of Jesus Doesn't Matter ...Click Here.
Just recently on an AOL Entertainment post it was noted that a movie by the Sundance Company is coming out with a movie of Black Jesus.
The techniques that have been used to keep Blacks down are just now beginning to be Realized. I myself as a child often wondered "Why did I have to be Black" while looking at a picture of a White Jesus. Not realizing that this is part of how the White race has kept their power over Blacks. So, "yes", I do understand the pain.
Keep up the GOOD WORK. (Im in LOVE) I WILL BE RECOMMENDING THIS SITE TO OTHERS.
Posted by: Robin | February 04, 2006 at 08:51 PM
I READ EVERYTHING YOU WROTE HERE AND AGREE WITH MOST OF WHAT YOU SAID. THE ONE THING I DIDNT AGREE WITH IS THAT BLACK DOSENT CARE ABOUT THIER HISTORY, WE DO, IT'S JUST THAT I DONT THINK ANY ONE MADE US AWARE THAT WE HAD A WONDERFUL HISTORY, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT FIRST, AND THEN START STUDYING ABOUT US. WE ARE A GREAT AND WONDERFUL RACE., I AM 71 YEARS OLD AND AM JUST BEGINNING TO STUDY OUR FOREFATHERS.
I DO HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE THESE COLUM, AS I DIDNT ADDRESS EVERY THING YOU WWROTE ABOUT HERE I DID ENJOY ALL OF IT VERY MUCH.
I WILL SAY THAT I THINK MAYBE IT DOSENT MATTER JESUS RACE, HE WAS FOR ALL RACES, HE CAME TO EARTH TO EARTH IN FLESH TO SHOW US THE WAY, ALL OF US, HE DIED FOR OUR SINS, ALL OD US, HE WAS GOD'S SON, HE LOVED US ALL
THIS WE SHOULD KNOW AND THANK GOD FOR HIM.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME.
Posted by: JOYCE | February 06, 2006 at 11:56 AM
I find your site interesting, and it raises many important questions. In one respect, I agree with you. Using simple logic, anyone can see that the historical Jesus was not white in the European sense. However, it is misleading to say that the man was black. This suggests that he was of African lineage, while in fact Jesus was Aramaic- a member of a Middle Eastern ethnic group.
I feel that the quest for the true face of Jesus should carried out in the name of science, and not for any other reasons.
Interesting picture! Forensic anthropologists, computer programmers and conceptual artists produced this image:
englishatheist.org/images/jesusbbc.jpg
Posted by: Rob | February 06, 2006 at 09:45 PM
february 26...2006
today i was surfing the web and found your site...i agree with most of the things you have talked about...from what i feel jesus was a person of darker skin...i don't know why white people (mostly) try to separate egypt from africa...it is in the continent of africa...look at the coloring of those people some of them look black...from what i have seen...i am a 64 year old african american woman still healthy and full of life...when i found out later in life about all of the african american inventors...all of these years there was so much i did not know...i feel so very cheated...never taught that in school.....i enjoyed reading about your we site...keep up the good work..amen
Posted by: helen | February 06, 2006 at 10:06 PM
There is a very strong possibility that Jesus was black , because most of the Middle East sits on the Contietent of Africa.
History of the Middle East will bear this out.
Posted by: Janet | February 06, 2006 at 10:53 PM
What you say is all well and good but I htink there is a fundamental flaw in this argument. What you are actually doing is dismissing all the gods of our ancestors and instead repainting one that was forced upon us the the very forces we need to shed.
I could go into the argument that many believe that Jesus Christ is nothing more than a composite of many characters over time in the mideast. Considering how the new testament was composed, that sounds plausible to me.
But the real point is that repainting jesus will never remove what most of us really believe. Christianity is a white man's religion. Always was, always will be.
Christianity is the strongest chain that keeps us from growing beyond the boundaries set for us. Recolouring the chain, just barely makes us feel better about ourselves... but it does FREE US.
If we want true empowerment, we have to totally dispense with this religion. But it is the hardest thing for most of us to do. Tis much easier to do a make-over.
Posted by: DLMcNeil | February 07, 2006 at 10:48 AM
Apology.. I meant to say it doesnt FREE US.
Posted by: DLMcNeil | February 07, 2006 at 10:50 AM
You are so very right christainity is a white mans religion. It will never set you free,but inslave us even more to the white man,their beliefs and way of life.
Posted by: Dalethyah | February 07, 2006 at 12:45 PM
I have read your site and found it most interesting. I too, asked this question as a youth - and I am caucasion. It just made sense to me that if Jesus came into our world in Africa, and walked and taught among his people, that he must look more African than European. Of couse, I, like you, was told I was being blasphemous! However, I do disagree with some of the posts about Christianity being a white mans religion. Perhaps I'm just enslaved as well, but I feel that Christianity is a human religion and teaches us that no person should be judged by skin, or any other physical trait. But by the love in their heart and the goodness (and selflessness) of their deeds. I hope God blesses you, your family and those who visit your site. I know he's blessed me!
Posted by: Angel | February 07, 2006 at 03:28 PM
Thanks you Angel for your thoughtful and kind comments. My intent with this site is not to divide but to point out that truth and mutual respect will bring greater understanding among all human beings.
Posted by: Charles@BlackJesus.com | February 07, 2006 at 06:43 PM
I think we are missing the point. Does it matters what was the skin color of Jesus? What matters are His teachings. One was not to judge or discriminate. Focusing on race or skin color only promotes division.
Posted by: Al | February 07, 2006 at 07:37 PM
What's the point of this writing? The Bible also says in the words of Jesus Himself that we should not display any images of Him. No pictures nor statues. So what the big deal. I'm a black man and a minister as well. Now my reasons for asking the questions that I have, is how does it relate to the Great Commision wich should be the main focus of all our work. If it is not pertaining to salvation of the strengthening of the saints by faith; it's just a distraction that's not needed. We have too much work to do trying to get souls saved and living the Christian life to be debating this topic. This is probably why Jesus told us not to keep up any pictures or statues of Him in the first place.
Posted by: Delwin D. Campbell | February 08, 2006 at 03:37 AM
I dont have a question rather if jesus was black or not I know he was black. the problem I have is the word "christian" were did it come from, jesus never spoke on this. I am what you would call a holly person, this is what god ask you to be when he spoke on it in the bible. when you say christian you are putting jesus in a box and beleive me jesus is in no box.jesus can reach anybody,at any place, at any given time. I really have a problem with these christain because they are living a lie and they dont even know it or they dont want to know it. I have try to explain to many christian that if you are going to live by the bible than live by it and stop making it cater to you and your man made faith. jesus never spoke on christmas or easter, these are man made european holiday so you can believe in there white jesus. christianity is a white faith for white america, like I said jesus is greater than any man made faith.
Posted by: dx13 | February 08, 2006 at 04:03 AM
I will be happy when Black People get over their SLAVE mentality, and not only discover our roots to Africa, but Christianty's roots to Africa. What do we have to fear when the spirit of fear comes from Satan, and not God.I personally love reading about African/Black history in the Bible. Abraham came from Ur of the Chaldeas (.s.p)Africa. The boudaries of Africa were redefined. Also Africa is shown on globes to be smaller than North America, when it is actually much larger.
Jacob, Abraham's son whose name was changed by God to Israel had a son named Joseph. And as some know he became the govenor of Egypt Africa and married an African Priest's daughter who bore him two son's which Jacob blessed. The African's including the God fearing Pharaoh did not like or trust Joseph's 11 brothers. Why they did not beleive the dreams that God gave Joseph and sought to kill him. God saved Joseph from them and others to be promoted governor as the fulfillment of his dream. He was then the head of his family too as he brought them to egypt and saved them from sure death because of a drought and famine.
After Joseph's Pharaoh died God turned the hearts of the following Pharaoh's to deceive themselves and to turn against Israel (the Hebrew people). For the next 430 years they were in Slavery.
Now God has adopted people into Jesus lineage from all nations and incest was not the norm for replinishing the earth. Ruth who married Boaz is an exception. She is the offspring of lot and his oldest daughter after God destroyed Sodom and Gamorrah and all the surround cities save one for Lot and his two daughers. The men from all the surrounding cities wanted to know God in the unbiblical sense when eh appeared as 3 persons in the flesh to judge them. He heard from heaven about the prevalent homosexuality so he came in the flesh as three men to see just how lost they were. They cried out we want those men and one of them is a judge. They knew what they were doing. God was not pleased for the command from him, from the beginning and even utno today is to replenish the earth. Homosexaul union can not please God for they are an alternative life style to replenishing the earth.
Incest in not the methodolgy for replenishing the earth either. Look at the insanity that occurred when the Ceasars tried to keep a pure bloodline by incest. It is obvious to me and should be to others that homosexual and incest was not the methodology God used in Africa to replenish the earth with his people Israel. Now here is the clencher.
Jacobs family consisted of only 74 people when his son Joseph had them come to live in Egypt, Africa. over the course of 430 years of slavery, where perhaps they could not leave in large quantities, they grew to 2 1/2 million people. Joseph had no problem marrying an African Priest's daughter and bearing at least two sons as recorded in the Bible. Not all things are recored like women.
When Moses led them out of Egypt, Africa who by the way was a son of Jacob from the tribe of Levi, 600 thousand other Africans left with them. Many other Africans who stayed behind gave them the furnishings used in the Tabernacle that they carried with them for forty years in the wilderness and ended up in the temple that Solomon built, in the place God revealed to David, the threshing floor of Ornan.
2 1/2 million Hebrew people, and 600 thousand non Hebrew but African people were led across the Red Sea by Moses the Levite, Moses' family became the Levitical Priesthood with Aaron as the High Priest. The African Priesthood did not have a High Priest. Perhaps Moses descended from one of Joseph's son's.
That is just the beginning of not only Israel (Judaism) but Judaeo Christianity, Black or African. God caused the Hebrew people of 12 tribes to split into 2 groups. 10 are not lost but hidden by God. You can see why because of how the world treats Israel (Hebrew people) even today all over the world. 2 tribes are visable and are back in part of Israel, the land God gave them. The rest of the land God gave Israel (or Jacob) has been renamed Palestine. It is hard to find anyone who can print or who knows or teaches these Biblical historical facts. They usually use falacious arguments or build a strawman built on
mis-information as one would say in today's politically correct venacular.
Posted by: Chaplain Winston | February 11, 2006 at 06:03 PM
Hi, this will probably make me unpopular with your site but I am a white athiest/agnostic. However I understand the importance of being able to identify yourself with the religion you follow whether it be Christianity/Judaism or Satanism. Even so I find this conspiracy you seem to believe in "of keeping the black man down" through religion a bit ridiculous. I find it equally ridiculous when white people argue over the colour of Jesus' skin. In any case the reason that Jesus appears as white or God appears as white in western culture is because Christianity, whether you like it or not, was spread through the Roman Empire and was brought to the fore front of religions by people indigenous to Europe. Even African Christianity, while being mixed with native gods etc., is based upon British Christianity. Also the idea that a white person might feel impowered by thinking of God as white is a bit paranoid, like you, these christians were brought up with images of white Jesus, they weren't sitting there snidely thinking "Oh look our God is white just like me, aren't we that much better than black people". Traditionally, and christianity is nothing if not traditional, Jesus was depicted as white, so can you blame someone for holding up their tradition, they might aswell drop churches all together and instead hold gatherings in burger king. I would also add that if your willing to believe in a man, the only evidence for whom, rests in a book written down some 100 years after his death then the race of such a man shouldn't be a big deal and you'd think if it had been, God himself would have done something about it. I also agree with many posts that the Africans should not forget their own gods like Christianity has forced us Europeans too, if anything homeland gods makes more sense than this one size fits all Judeo belief. However I found your account of growing up as a Christian very interesting, but I would say the children in Ireland got a lot worse than just being sent out of class. Whatever you do, please do not support a Pope who will cover up his Paedophile preists.
Posted by: Will Hoffman | February 12, 2006 at 09:26 AM
i always thought that jesus was of the jewish descent.. and i also heard that the word 'christianity' came from some people who were making fun of people that were spreading the gospel and asked them if they were going to call themselves christians and it stuck... i dunno but that's what i heard. it shouldnt really matter what color jesus was, just as long as we believe that he is our lord and savior skin color has nothing to do with it.
Posted by: the_fireplace_cym_07 | February 16, 2006 at 06:21 PM
True Confessions of an Ex-Christian by Min. Paul Scott
I became a better “Christian” when I stopped being one.
While the obvious contradictory nature of this statement may be overwhelming, the essence of this pronouncement reaches deep into the Blackness of my soul and brings forth a great spiritual awakening that cannot be contained within the tiny religious box in which the European has placed me. Unfortunately, many of us remain trapped in the theological prison of Eurocentric Christianity from the cradle to the grave. We have suffered from the inability to break the spiritual chains that were placed on us by our oppressors and we have failed to define our relationship to the Creator from our own experience.
I am not the first who has come to the crossroads where European Christianity and Afrocentricity meet. Unfortunately, many have refused to articulate this feeling of alienation and have instead chosen to sit quietly on the pew in the back of the church trying to convince themselves that if they just sit through one more sermon, the lottery ticket in their pocket will hit and all their worries will be over….
The relationship between Black folks and Christianity has been the subject of many essays, books and lectures and most would agree that what is called “Christianity” was a religious practice forced on our ancestors. There is no denying the fact that Christianity has been used by the European as a form of nationalism and an agent of social control. The fallacy of a blue eyed blond haired Jesus and the factuality of the Blackness of the original Hebrew Israelites has also been discussed at length by some of our greatest minds.
But the question here is can one be both Afrocentric and Christian or is the term a misnomer such as Communist-Capitalist, Republican-Democrat, African-American ?
Many Afrikan people see Christianity as something that was forced upon our ancestors with whips and chains, our parents by a giant propaganda machine and ourselves with a belt if we did not get up in time for Sunday school. Under these circumstances, we had no choice but to become Christians. Since it was forced upon us, we did not have a chance to make the connection between the religion and our Afrikan spirituality. So the thing that was supposed to make us FREE became the tool of our continued oppression.
Sadly, many Black folks may never feel the need to grow beyond the theological teachings of their childhood. As long as they have FAITH in a God who will show up when the bills are due, send them the perfect spouse and forgive them for sneaking around with a member of the usher board , they are willing to go with the flow without once asking themselves; what does it really mean to be a Christian and who makes that decision?
But Christianity becomes problematic when one begins to discover his “Blackness” and trades in his comic books for books on African history and starts spending less time in the clubs vibin’ to the latest Hip Hop jam and more time attending lectures about the struggle of Afrikan people. What happens when these two worlds collide; the immovable object of Eurocentric Christianity and the irresistible force of Afrocentricity. Can Christianity with its strong Euro-nationalistic overtones coexist with the quest for Black self determination?
This conflict often leaves the Afrocentric Christian isolated. Alienated from the church because he is Afrocentric and alienated from the Afrocentrists because he is a Christian. On one hand the church is saying that he is going to hell for getting involved in “that Black stuff” and on the other hand the Afrocentrist hides behind the shield of Black Unity and religious tolerance while all the while belittling his religious FAITH. Does it make one less of a Child of God because he refuses to let the white man define his existence or his relationship with the Creator. Or does it make one less valuable to the struggle of Afrikan people because he follows the teachings of a Black revolutionary born in Northeast Africa? Does using the words of the original African Hebrew Israelites (the Bible) make one less Afrocentric than a Brother or Sister who has chosen another path to the Creator?
The reason why the white supremacist system never wanted us to dig below the surface of Christianity is because they have always known that the religion that they transported to Rome is African at its core. And the revelation of this would signal the end of the white control of the minds and spirits of Afrikan people.
But the question remains can one still answer to a Roman derogatory term and claim Afrocentricity ? And if I am no longer a Christian how do I define my religious convictions ?
The answer to this goes back to our power to define who we are and our relationship with the Creator. My personal conversion from an Afrocentric Christian to a Messianic Afrikan along with the rejection of a blue eyed Jesus Christ and the acceptance of Yeshua, the Black Revolutionary Messiah was more than just an exercise of semantics; it was the missing link between my religious belief system and African spirituality. As far as trying to put a name on my religion; If Yeshua taught that he is the WAY, TRUTH and the LIFE, then my religion is the TRUTH that is the WAY to a better LIFE for Afrikan people.
When it is all said and done, after all of our prayers, chants and religious symbolism, isn’t that what we are all striving towards.
Each day we strive to gain more KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING of the Creator and we are all stumbling in the darkness searching for the LIGHT but as they say in the church’ “We will understand it better by and by.”
Min. Paul Scott represents the Messianic Afrikan Nation. He can be reached at minpaulscott@yahoo.com.
Posted by: Min. Paul Scott | February 18, 2006 at 08:16 AM
Your well thought out and written
ideas represent the reason why I put
up this site. The phrase "Black Jesus"
is typed in over 50,000 times a month across the net. So clearly Black
people and other nationalities are searching for some truth to this
life we have been given by our
creator. Please come back and share
some more of your insightful thoughts.
Posted by: Charles Johnson | February 18, 2006 at 09:40 AM
THE BLACK JESUS
I will share here an E-mail sent to a Pastor after he depicted Jesus Christ as resembling the character that was starring in the Blockbuster motion picture, The Passion of The Christ. We realized as true Scholars of the Bible and, also amature Historians that many were not very happy about Mel Gibson's picture.
Hence the contents and dialog via E-mail with Pastor Brown, whose church I will not mention in the context of this display of bigotry.
Mr. Brown:
Though you may not have intended to prove a racial superiority again, your depiction of Him is inaccurate. I have one question, which is, if the ethnicity of The Christ is not important, then why was it changed? I have asked many that are theologians and not one of them seemed to have an answer.
For those of us who believe that God manifested himself as a human and that human had to have an ethnicity, and that ethnicity was of African stock, we have been told all manner of nonsense as to why this should not be important.
Mr. Brown, maybe you personally have not used this to propagate a superior position however many Europeans have and used this information from the great depiction of David by Michelangelo to in Rome to be an European.
This was the start of the lies that have been told to the world. I believe that also the mention of Rome in the Bible is in the New Testament of the Bible. Rome is no consideration in the ethical identification of the “Bible Writers”.
As the Original African Study Bible quotes and I will share with you. “ We can now return to the question of the race of Jesus of Nazareth. His mother, Mary, was Afro-Asiatic and probably looked like a typical Yemenite, Trinidadian, of African American of today. Consider a few inescapable factors that challenge the traditional perception of the Madonna and Child. In Matt.2:15 and Hos. 11:1 we find the words, “out of Egypt, I have called my son. “ The passage is part of the notorious flight into Egypt, which describes Mary and Joseph’s attempt to hide the one that King Herod feared would displace him. Imagine the divine family as Europeans hiding in Africa! This is quite doubtful. (Egypt has always been part of Africa, despite centuries of European scholarship which has diligently sought to portray Egypt as an extension of southern Europe.)
Literally hundreds of Shrines of the Black Madonna have existed in many parts of North Africa, Europe, and Russia. These are not weather-beaten misrepresentations of some original white Madonna, but uncanny reminders of the original people who inhabited ancient Palestine at the time of Jesus of Nazareth and earlier. The “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” of the Negro spiritual was in fact quite black.
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were neither Greek nor Roman. With the marvelous oils and watercolors of the painter’s brush, the world gradually witnessed the rebirth of Jesus, as medieval and Renaissance artist made him suitable for the portrayal of Christianity as a “European” religion. Thus there developed a brand new manger scene, with the infant Jesus and his parents reimaged. Ancient darker, and clearly more African, icons, were discarded or destroyed.
Many in the 1990’s who think of a black Jesus as an oddity or scandalous distortion of historical facts insist that Jesus was Semitic, or Middle Eastern. However, to call Jesus Semitic does not take us very far, because this nineteenth-century term refers not to a racial type, but to a time that the European academy coined the term Semitic, it also created the geographical designation called the Middle East- all in an effort to avoid talking about Africa! This academic racism sought to de-Africanize both the sacred story of the Bible and Western Civilization.
So, you see Mr. Brown there is no reason that anyone who says they they love Jesus would take the truth and try to misguide it with more lies and try to distort the birthright of the Savior of the world. White and Black Christians alike are some of the ones who have cause what the study bible calls “the injustices have caused insurmountable suffering and pain. It is the collective consensus of the translators and interpreters of this version of the Bible that this cycle of darkness must be broken, for the truth is the light, and with the truth all captives shall be set free.” In my opinion, freeing one from the nuisances of racism, bigotry, hatred, and ignorance.
Mr. Brown, I was a Buddhist for 15years and, I was touched by the word of God through the reading of a minister from Africa who wrote a book, that as I read it, I thought it was one of the most crazy writings that I had read about someone’s journey in Christ and that book believe it or not opened my mind and assisted to convert me to Christianity. Afterwards the Lord himself has put this on my heart to speak on the ethnicity of Jesus Christ because it will change the hearts of people who have some hang ups on religion and race.
I hope that I have enlighten you Mr. Brown because I come from the heart and not to be abrasive at all but men of God should know that this is important and tell the truth. Pastor Rod Parsley went have way but I don’t think that he has the heart to tell the whole truth. I hope that you will study and will tell the truth.
Respectfully Yours,
John Harrison
Posted by: John Harrison | February 19, 2006 at 05:31 PM
THE BLACK JESUS
I will share here an E-mail sent to a Pastor after he depicted Jesus Christ as resembling the character that was starring in the Blockbuster motion picture, The Passion of The Christ. We realized as true Scholars of the Bible and, also amature Historians that many were not very happy about Mel Gibson's picture.
Hence the contents and dialog via E-mail with Pastor Brown, whose church I will not mention in the context of this display of bigotry.
Mr. Brown:
Though you may not have intended to prove a racial superiority again, your depiction of Him is inaccurate. I have one question, which is, if the ethnicity of The Christ is not important, then why was it changed? I have asked many that are theologians and not one of them seemed to have an answer.
For those of us who believe that God manifested himself as a human and that human had to have an ethnicity, and that ethnicity was of African stock, we have been told all manner of nonsense as to why this should not be important.
Mr. Brown, maybe you personally have not used this to propagate a superior position however many Europeans have and used this information from the great depiction of David by Michelangelo to in Rome to be an European.
This was the start of the lies that have been told to the world. I believe that also the mention of Rome in the Bible is in the New Testament of the Bible. Rome is no consideration in the ethical identification of the “Bible Writers”.
As the Original African Study Bible quotes and I will share with you. “ We can now return to the question of the race of Jesus of Nazareth. His mother, Mary, was Afro-Asiatic and probably looked like a typical Yemenite, Trinidadian, of African American of today. Consider a few inescapable factors that challenge the traditional perception of the Madonna and Child. In Matt.2:15 and Hos. 11:1 we find the words, “out of Egypt, I have called my son. “ The passage is part of the notorious flight into Egypt, which describes Mary and Joseph’s attempt to hide the one that King Herod feared would displace him. Imagine the divine family as Europeans hiding in Africa! This is quite doubtful. (Egypt has always been part of Africa, despite centuries of European scholarship which has diligently sought to portray Egypt as an extension of southern Europe.)
Literally hundreds of Shrines of the Black Madonna have existed in many parts of North Africa, Europe, and Russia. These are not weather-beaten misrepresentations of some original white Madonna, but uncanny reminders of the original people who inhabited ancient Palestine at the time of Jesus of Nazareth and earlier. The “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” of the Negro spiritual was in fact quite black.
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were neither Greek nor Roman. With the marvelous oils and watercolors of the painter’s brush, the world gradually witnessed the rebirth of Jesus, as medieval and Renaissance artist made him suitable for the portrayal of Christianity as a “European” religion. Thus there developed a brand new manger scene, with the infant Jesus and his parents reimaged. Ancient darker, and clearly more African, icons, were discarded or destroyed.
Many in the 1990’s who think of a black Jesus as an oddity or scandalous distortion of historical facts insist that Jesus was Semitic, or Middle Eastern. However, to call Jesus Semitic does not take us very far, because this nineteenth-century term refers not to a racial type, but to a time that the European academy coined the term Semitic, it also created the geographical designation called the Middle East- all in an effort to avoid talking about Africa! This academic racism sought to de-Africanize both the sacred story of the Bible and Western Civilization.
So, you see Mr. Brown there is no reason that anyone who says they they love Jesus would take the truth and try to misguide it with more lies and try to distort the birthright of the Savior of the world. White and Black Christians alike are some of the ones who have cause what the study bible calls “the injustices have caused insurmountable suffering and pain. It is the collective consensus of the translators and interpreters of this version of the Bible that this cycle of darkness must be broken, for the truth is the light, and with the truth all captives shall be set free.” In my opinion, freeing one from the nuisances of racism, bigotry, hatred, and ignorance.
Mr. Brown, I was a Buddhist for 15years and, I was touched by the word of God through the reading of a minister from Africa who wrote a book, that as I read it, I thought it was one of the most crazy writings that I had read about someone’s journey in Christ and that book believe it or not opened my mind and assisted to convert me to Christianity. Afterwards the Lord himself has put this on my heart to speak on the ethnicity of Jesus Christ because it will change the hearts of people who have some hang ups on religion and race.
I hope that I have enlighten you Mr. Brown because I come from the heart and not to be abrasive at all but men of God should know that this is important and tell the truth. Pastor Rod Parsley went have way but I don’t think that he has the heart to tell the whole truth. I hope that you will study and will tell the truth.
Respectfully Yours,
John Harrison
Posted by: John Harrison | February 19, 2006 at 05:48 PM
THE BLACK JESUS
Mr. Brown:
See what I mean; You have the audacity to write to me in this manner, the manner to say “with all due respect, Jesus came from the tribe of Judah.” I do understand the term with all due respect, do you? He was from the tribe of Judah, that is just my point. Was David of the same tribe? Was Solomon from the same tribe? I hope that you know where to find the Genealogy of Jesus.
I have never attended any Seminary School and I hope for the sake of the school that you may have attended that they also, because of the bigotry and racist views, the European man cannot phantom Jesus being of African stock.
I feel sad for you because you are the leader of a flock of God’s children and you will not even investigate the fact that Jesus was of African stock. So, you will lead the people by allowing them to believe the lies that have been imparted as part of the so called word. What I will do now for you is to take you to the scriptures so that maybe in your confused and misinformed heart you will maybe read your Bible and see for yourself.
With all due respect, I will share an article written by some scholars that will run circles around you sir. I dare you to do the research. Now the reason that I continue to try to reach your heart is because I think that you can change your mind if given enough empirical proof and information, I hope for the souls that you are leading. And, sir, if you don’t change the information that you are imparting to them, Hell is somewhere you will be visiting when the time comes.
Again.
Respectfully Yours,
John Harrison
Posted by: John Harrison | February 19, 2006 at 05:49 PM
Although film, books and art depict most biblical characters as blond and blue-eyed Europeans, a growing body of research indicates that Blacks or people who would be considered as Blacks today were among the major actors in the Bible, which is generally called "the greatest book of all time."
"Over the years, African-Americans have been introduced to a form of Christianity that was largely recast through the European culture," says Dr. Cain Hope Felder, a New Testament language and literature professor at the Howard University School of Divinity and the author of several books on the subject. "We are not creating something new. We are going back and recovering what was always there."
What was always there, Dr. Felder and other religious experts say, is incontrovertible evidence that noted biblical figures, such as the Queen of Sheba, Moses' Cushite wife Zipporah, Prophet Jeremiah's right-hand man Ebedmelech, and Sarah's Egyptian handmaiden Hagar, are among the many royal Black personalities mentioned in the Bible.
Although evidence on the presence of Blacks in the Bible dates back to the 18th century, only in the past 25 years have Black scholars and ministers made major breakthroughs on a subject that has been practically ignored or suppressed by White religious authorities. Modern research, however, is based on the findings of Black historians like William Leo Hansberry and W.E.B. DuBois, who identified major Black biblical characters more than 50 years ago.
Moreover, some scholars say, it has taken them just as much time to convince Black Americans of their findings.
"Black people have been duped into running from the Bible, thinking it was the White man's book," says the Rev. Walter A. McCray, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Chicago and author of two volumes titled The Black Presence in the Bible. But in fact, Rev. McCray says, "Many notable biblical personalities were Black."
Scholars base their characterizations of biblical figures on a few basic hypotheses set forth, in part, by Dr. Charles B. Copher, professor-emeritus of Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta and a leading authority the historical analysis of Blacks in the Bible. These assumptions are that 1) race was not the social and political issue that it is today, 2) most Bible activity took place in areas historically populated by people of color, such as the near Middle East and Northeast Africa; 3) "blackness" can be determined by scriptural references to skin color, Black ancestry and features characteristic of Black peoples.
Based on this criteria alone, "You'd have to say that the vast majority of peoples referred to in the Bible would have to be classified as Black," Dr. Copher says. Another school of thought holds to the view that only those people belonging to ancient Africa can be identified as Black.
In any case, Black preachers, scholars and historians are determined to establish the presence of Black kings, queens, war leaders and women of the Bible as part of missing links in Black history. "The question isn't where are the Blacks in the Bible," Dr. Felder said during a telephone interview, "but where are the Whites?"
"The information has been there for the reader all along," adds Dr. Renita J. Weems, an Old Testament assistant professor at Vanderbilt University who specializes in biblical hermeneutics. "To the extent that African-American people identify with their African heritage, I think that they can take pride in [the fact] that African people were very much embedded in the founding of the Judeo-Christian traditions."
Although there are differences of emphasis, Black scholars and an increasing of White biblical scholars agree on the eight most widely accepted Black personalities in the Bible:
* The Queen of Sheba. The queen, who visited King Solomon and marveled at his wisdom, was queen of Ethiopia and Egypt. In scripture, she is called "the queen of the South." Scriptures: I Kings 10:1; II Chronicles 9:1; St. Matthew 12:42.
* Zipporah. She was Moses' Cushite wife. It is said that Moses' siblings, Aaron and Miriam, did not like her. Some say it was because of a family spat. Others claim it's because Zipporah, daughter of Jethro, was Black. Scripture: Numbers 12:1.
* Ebed-melech. This Ethiopian eunuch saved the life of Jeremiah, the prophet. Scriptures: Jeremiah 38:7-13; 39:16.
* Ethiopian Eunuch. This unnamed eunuch received a spiritual conversion and a better understanding of the Scriptures after speaking with Philip. Scriptures: Acts 8:26-40.
* Hagar. She was Sarah's Egyptian handmaiden, and she eventually had Abraham's first son, Ishmael. Scriptures: Gen. 16:1,3; 21:9.
* Pharaoh Tirharkah. He was an Ethiopian king. II Kings 19:9.
* Asenath. She was the Egyptian wife of Joseph, given to him by the Pharaoh. Asenath and Joseph had two sons, Manessah and Ephraim. Scriptures: Gen. 41:45.
* Simon of Cyrene. He helped Jesus carry the cross. Cyrene was an ancient city in Libya, Africa. Scriptures: St. Mark 15:21.
In determining the race of biblical characters, religious scholars consider legends, languages, Bible translations and other historical manuscripts. But there is some disagreement.
Although few, if any, believe in the "curse of Ham," which was used as a justification for slavery, some experts, like Dr. McCray of Chicago, maintain that Blacks are indeed descendants of Ham, the youngest of Noah's three sons. Ham -- translated from Hebrew to mean "hot, heated or Black" -- was called the father of Canaan in the Bible.
Canaan, along with Cush (or ancient Ethiopia), Mizraim (early Egypt) and Phut are considered to be Ham's direct offspring.
If this is true, according to Dr. Copher, Dr. Felder and other scholars, at least one book of the Bible was written by a Black man, namely Zephaniah. Called the "son of Cushi," Zephaniah was counted among the minor prophets of the Bible.
In addition to agreeing that Zephaniah was Black, some read King Solomon's lyrical prose in The Songs of Solomon and conclude that he, too, was a Black man and that this song-like book was devoted to his relationship with the Queen of Sheba. In the book's first chapter Solomon's female companion proclaims, "I am black, black, but comely... look not upon me because I am black, because the sun has looked down upon me."
If Solomon, King David's son, was Black, some scholars reason that Jesus Christ himself -- according to the genealogy outlined in the first chapter of St. Matthew -- was Black. Other observers, not as convinced by this logic, just conclude that he was not White.
"Jesus was definitely a person of color. He was not Anglo or White, but that doesn't mean that he was Black either," adds Dr. Weems, who sees the benefit of dialogue on Blacks in the Bible as long as it does not lead to ethnic chauvinism.
And what about the Three Wise Men who carried gifts to Jesus? In fact, the Bible makes no reference to the number of wise men who greeted Jesus and his parents that day. It only states that the wise men were from the east -- east of Bethlehem, that is. And many scholars believe that these "wise men," magicians or the Magi as they are best known, were all from Egypt.
These arguments have whetted the interests of a growing number of Blacks and have prompted the production of several books, and even Bibles, that address the subject.
Black churches are also recognizing the power of physical religious images. Some assemblies, like the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem, are discussing the idea of replacing their stained-glass windows and wall paintings, which depict biblical character's as Whites, with multicultural images. Other churches, like Saint Sabina Catholic Church in Chicago and Moore's Chapel A.M.E. Church in St. Petersburg, Fla., have already executed such plans. "It's the height of paradox for Black people to experience as much racism that we do during the week and then to go to our most holy place and see all of these White images of the so-called holy families," Dr. Felder adds. "We want to see more multicultural images and more Black images that are more correct."
Although there is evidence that Blacks were major contributors in ancient, biblical times, religious scholars say the major point is that the Bible depicted a multicultural world. "Whites are in the Bible as Greeks and Romans. Asia is mentioned and so is Hispana," says Howard University's Dr. Felder. "I think it's this rich mosaic of diverse people in the Bible that makes it very compelling."
Posted by: John Harrison | February 19, 2006 at 06:12 PM
here, let me make it simple for all of you which believe there is a black jesus and why there isn't a black jesus.
the world doesn't acknowledge a black jesus for the reason jesus doesn't exist. it was a false religion created by the european, and just like everything else the european brought; it plagued, and it continues. to believe in a black jesus is quite ignorantand to continue and persue this is a waste of time. yes, the world is still racially motivated to supress minorities, but it has nothing to do with black jesus. instead of doing all this and persuing a ghost which you cant see, touch, smell, hear, or taste why don't you acknowledge yourself as a powerful being greater of those that came before you and end the belittlement of your pride?
Posted by: Dorian | March 20, 2006 at 04:37 PM
A muslim point of view...
Jesus didn't have blond hair and blue eyes but also wasn't black. He was semitic. By the way, it does not matter what he looked like. Because he was just a prophet and God sent prophets many times to many different people.
Posted by: Shakir | April 06, 2006 at 02:33 PM
i feel what u are saying all the way and im happy that at the same time u dont sound racist thats good and deep down inside i feel that he is black to but i pray and i hope u pray that if he is white with blue eyes and features of a white man that u still accept him know matter what cause only he knows best but i see what u are saying i mean he could be any color no man alive has saw him so therefore cant nobody say anything he could be arabic he could even be chinese anything remeber thats jesus u talking about his father created all of dis so therefore we all could be wrong but i see what u are saying doe i dont know why whites act like dat that act like they the only race in the world and they really look down on us in detroit so trust me i know and the thing about blacks is that we are willin to accept if jesus is white but white aint and that i dont understand so that makes me think that jesus could be a man of color cause we was always taught that he was white so therfore i know we will love him no matter what but we cant say the samr about the others so u doing the right thing but just keep and open mind hit me back im only 21 and if u saw me im not even gone say dat if a white man saw me they would think i had that must interest in god at all cause i got tattoes all over me and tats of gunz but what they dont know is that i love jesus christ to death and i want to go to heaven and that im only human we all make mistakes but i love jesus so hit me back and let me know what u think
Posted by: kirk harris | April 13, 2006 at 02:39 PM