Newsweek Examines Oprah Winfrey's Break with Reverend Wright Church
Posted May 6, 2008 
In an article to be published in it's May 12 print edition, Newsweek magazine probes Oprah Winfrey's history with the controversial Reverend Wright and the Trinity United Church in Chicago. The media mogul was a member of the church for two years in the '80s and off and on during the '90s, but then severed her ties with the church. Newseek's Allison Samuels tries to pinpoint why.
The article cites two sources that claim Oprah was always somewhat uneasy with some of the more inflammatory statements Wright would make from the pulpit (such things as the now infamous indictment of the United States goverment for intentionally spreading the AIDS virus).
"Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," said one longtime friend, who wanted to remain anonymous. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church."
Another anonymous friend told the magazine that Oprah also left the church because the talk show queen was weary of organized religion as a whole.
Naturally, reports that Oprah's break with Trinity was directly linked to the church's occasionally controversial sermons prompts again the question numerous politcial pundits have been asking for weeks now: Why didn't Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama do the same?
An Obama campaign advisor attempts to answer that question, saying "Early on, he was in search of his identity as an African-American and, more importantly, as an African-American man." The advisor also requested anonymity. "Reverend Wright and other male members of the church were instrumental in helping him understand the black experience in America. Winfrey wasn't going for that. She's secure in her blackness, so that didn't have a hold on her,'' he added.
In an article to be published in it's May 12 print edition, Newsweek magazine probes Oprah Winfrey's history with the controversial Reverend Wright and the Trinity United Church in Chicago. The media mogul was a member of the church for two years in the '80s and off and on during the '90s, but then severed her ties with the church. Newseek's Allison Samuels tries to pinpoint why.
The article cites two sources that claim Oprah was always somewhat uneasy with some of the more inflammatory statements Wright would make from the pulpit (such things as the now infamous indictment of the United States goverment for intentionally spreading the AIDS virus).
"Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," said one longtime friend, who wanted to remain anonymous. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church."
Another anonymous friend told the magazine that Oprah also left the church because the talk show queen was weary of organized religion as a whole.
Naturally, reports that Oprah's break with Trinity was directly linked to the church's occasionally controversial sermons prompts again the question numerous politcial pundits have been asking for weeks now: Why didn't Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama do the same?
An Obama campaign advisor attempts to answer that question, saying "Early on, he was in search of his identity as an African-American and, more importantly, as an African-American man." The advisor also requested anonymity. "Reverend Wright and other male members of the church were instrumental in helping him understand the black experience in America. Winfrey wasn't going for that. She's secure in her blackness, so that didn't have a hold on her,'' he added.
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