Chicago, Italy
This large and influential church is a long-time pillar of Chicago's South Side, and the former home to one very famous congregant, '''Barack Obama''', who here found his religion and was baptized. Trinity United, to the dismay of its congregants, rocketed to international infamy in the space of sec
onds during then Senator Obama's presidential campaign, when news outlets got their hands on a fiery sermon by the then pastor Jeremiah Wright. In the now famous clip, replayed endlessly for weeks across the cable news networks, Rev. Wright cried out, "God damn America!" The ensuing characterization of the church was hardly fair, with the short clip shown out of context, and the context itself being one very much alien to most Americans, who had not had any experience of the often radical social justice traditions of the African-American Church. In part because he was unhappy to see his former congregation harassed by reporters, and in part because his increasingly flamboyant pastor was continuing to embarrass and hurt his campaign, Obama left the church, allowing things to calm down over time, and for the congregation to get back to its purposes of worship and charity.
Listen to the audio guide for Trinity United Church of Christ Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off