The Black Messiah – Book and Interview 1968

the black messiah blog
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The Black Messiah was published in 1968.  It was taken from sermons that my father made about black power and the black Jesus. I have all of those sermons am thinking about putting them online in the coming year.

I remember taking my copy with me when I went on my cross country bus/train/plane trip after graduating from Wayne State University.  At the train station in San Francisco, as I waited to catch a train to D.C., a young white guy came up and started talking to me. He asked about the book but mainly he wanted to talk about waiting for his girl friend (or a woman he hoped would be his girl friend) coming in on the next train.

I also remember lending my mother-in-law my copy when she was visiting us in Simpson County, Mississippi.  She didn’t finish reading it before she was scheduled to take a flight back to St. Louis. She carefully covered the book with a brown paper bag  cover because she didn’t want anybody to see the cover.

Below, Rev. Albert B. Cleage, Jr., interviewed by Scott Morrison, Mutual News (New York:   Radio Station WOR-AM, November 1968)

6 thoughts on “The Black Messiah – Book and Interview 1968

  1. Yes indeed!!! No doubt this book caused quite a stir among theologians across this country including the person interviewing your father — LOL! I would LOVE and welcome the opportunity to hear your father’s sermons and interviews!

  2. It is truly an honor hearing Jaramogi’s (Rev. Cleage) voice again. His words are prophetic as his commitment to social change was phenomenal. Jaramogi definitely was one of the most profound leaders of the 20th century. His actions matched his words. His influence is still a major factor around the world. I don’t know if the commentator knew that Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were personal friends and associates of his. The three of them had a big meeting in Detroit in 1963 to discuss New Directions for the Black Church. Give Thanks…Ase

    1. Thank you for your comment RahZulu. I love hearing my father’s voice too. He met Malcolm and MLK and appeared on different programs with them both but they weren’t personal friends going to each others house and chatting on the phone and like that. I never heard about the 3 of them charting the future of the black church. In 1963 he and MLK were both speakers after the March to Freedom and I believe he and Malcom both spoke at the same event that year but not all three in any one place.

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