Exclusively in the new print issue of CounterPunch

HOLLYWOOD AND THE CIA — Film historian Ed Rampell details Hollywood’s entangled relationship with the CIA and the Pentagon; HOUSES OF THE DEAD: Nancy Kurshan exposes the cruel human rights offenses taking place inside America’s vast gulag of Control Unit Prisons; BROTHERHOOD OF SUMMER: David Macaray charts the history of the most powerful union in the US: the Baseball Players Association; TAR SANDS COME TO AMERICA: Steve Horn explains how the Keystone Pipeline debates have diverted attention from Big Oil’s other plans to transport Alberta’s oil into the US. PLUS: Jeffrey St. Clair on CONSTITUTIONAL ENTROPY; Mike Whitney on HOW THE BANKS TARGETED BLACKS; Chris Floyd on THE RISE OF BRITAIN’S TEA PARTY; Kristin Kolb on THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE; Kim Nicolini on the FILMS OF WILLIAM FRIEDKIN; and Lee Ballinger on POETS VS. THE ONE PERCENT.

Weekend Edition Feb 27-Mar 01, 2004

Black Like Christ

A White Jesus During Black History Month?

by THOMAS C. MOUNTAIN

A white Jesus during Black History Month? I find it more than a little ironic that during February, Black History Month, we are being bombarded with images of a white Jesus in the trailers for Mel Gibson’s film.

Jesus, the Annointed One (Kristos), was a Jew, a member of the Semitic peoples. The historical record is very clear, unequivocal actually, that 2,000 years ago the Semites were a brown, dark brown or black people with tightly curled to woolly hair. The one phenotype that Jesus the Annointed One (Kristos), or any of the disciples for that matter, would not have been was a Caucasian, a white man.

How are we ever going to come to grips with racism in this country if we continue to deny people of color their historical place? How could white people hate people of color if they were taught Jesus would pass for black if he were to rejoin us today?

Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Mohammed, the founders of the major religious movements, all were people of color.

Isn’t it time we set aside our prejudices and recognize this and start taking the first steps in eliminating racial hatred and bigotry in our society?

THOMAS C. MOUNTAIN is coordinator of the Hawai’i Black History Committee.

He can be reached at: mountaint001@hawaii.rr.com