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MARCH 27,1997 _ AUGUSTA FOCUS
Black actor endures death
threats for portraying Jesus
By David Briggs
AP Religion Writer
AUGUSTA
The Palestinian Muslim woman
in the cafeteria at Bethlehem Uni
versity and the Israeli official in
his Jerusalem office each grew in
creasingly uncomfortable as they
discussed the plight of Christians
in the Holy Land.
At first, they stridently defended
their countrymen’s treatment of
Christians. But each gradually
conceded there is some basis for
Christian concerns that they are
discriminated against as a minor
ity, both among Jews in Israel and
Muslims in the West Bank.
Surprisingly, given their differ
ent backgrounds, each had the
same parting comment to an
Americanreporter: The treatment
of Palestinian Christians can be
compared to the way blacks are
discriminated against in the
United States.
It hardly qualifies as a defense of
the persecution of Palestinian
Christians, the living descendants
of the founders of the faith. But
such criticism does take on a par
ticular resonance as one considers
the early expressions of prejudice
that resulted when a black man
wasrecently cast to play Jesusina
Passion play in New Jersey.
Somber anonymous threats from
callers saying, “You're dead. I'll
get you,” were phoned in to the
Park Theatre in Union City. Five
tour groups canceled their reser
vations. Others wanted toresched
ule for a show in which a white
actor played Jesus.
All this animosity directed
against an actor who is a devout
Bible reader, and who says his
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Somber anonymous threats from callers
saying, “You're dead. I'll get you,” were
phoned in to the Park Theatre in Union
City. Five tour groups canceled their reser
vations. Others wanted to reschedule for a
show in which a white actor played Jesus.
main desire on stage is that the
Holy Spirit shine through him in
his portrayal of the last days on
Earth of the founder of Christian
ity.
Desi Arnaz Giles says the idea of
playing Jesus — someone around
whom people mold their lives and
the lives of their families — is
petrifying.
What he discovered in the preju
dice that surfaced with his cast
ing, however, was a test of faith.
" In the play, he speaks the bibli
cal words of Jesus encouraging his
followers to love their enemies. In
the most powerful scene, as he is
Catch the CSRA Black Expo,
April 12, at the Augusta State
University Athletic Complex.
Look for the Augusta Focus table!
Spirit
dying on the cross, Jesus says the
words from the Gospel of Luke,
“Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do.”
Now, in the wake of death
threats, Giles was being asked to
live those words.
“It really gave me an opportu
nity to put my Christianity to the
test — dealing with those who
hate me,” he said.
“I’vejust been thankful that the
feelings have come out. It’s al
lowed me to testify to the true
meaning of being a Christian.”
In recent decades, with the en
couragement of many churches
Bethel African Methodist
..1.. Episcopal Church ..I.
623 Crawford Avenue
Augusta, Georgia 30904
Rev. Larry W. Hudson, Sr. Pastor
Office: (706) 736-4060
Sunday Wednesday
9:30 Sunday School 7:00 Bible Study
11:00 Worship Service
seeking to adapt their faith to dif
ferent cultures, black, Hispanic
and Asian Christians haveincreas
ingly filled their churches and
homes with representations of
Jesus that are more reflective of
their communities.
Giles said he has heard from
several blacks who say, “The Bible
is not for us because there are no
blacks in there.”
However, Giles, who alternates
the lead role with a white actor,
says Jesus should transcend color.
“The color of Christ hasno bear
ing on what the message of Christ
is about,” he said. “I would rather
African-Americans love Christ for
who, rather than for the color, he
was.”
And as for the people who have
objected to a black man playing
Jesus, Giles will not let that deter
him.
“I’'ve got tobe about my Father’s
business.”
McKinney seeks
harmony with Jews
B In the wake of a
divisive campaign laced
with accusations of
racism on both sides,
the black Congress
woman sets to heal
open wounds.
DECATUR, Ga.
(AP) U.S. Rep. CynthiaMcKinney
is taking steps to repair relations
with Jews in her Georgia district
after a racially divisive campaign
last fall, The Atlanta Journal-Con
stitution said in today’s editions.
Earlier this month, the black
Democrat spoke at the Orthodox
Congregation Beth Jacob syna
gogue in the suburban Atlanta
Fourth District, whereshedefeated
‘Jewish Republican John Mitnick in
% November.
In January, Ms. McKinney at
tended an overnight retreat for
young black and Jewish leaders.
She was praised for her appear
ance at the synagogue, if not for
dealing directly with some of the
issues that dominated the cam
paign.
“I’m not sure she answered some
ofthelingeringdoubtstoeveryone’s
satisfaction,” said Ed Nemeth, presi
dent of the synagogue’s men’s club.
“But overall, people were delighted
that she spoke.”
Nemeth and a report in Atlanta
Jewish Times said Ms. McKinney
invoked the name of slain Israeli
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to
encourage Jews to maintain a dia
logue with Nation of Islam leader
Louis Farrakhan, a source of con
flict during the political campaign.
Shealsoboasted of what she called
her “100 percent voting record on
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Rev. Alex R. King
1630 Fifteenth St. Augusta, GA 30901
(706) 733-9430
Sunday: Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service 11:00 a.m.
Ist Sunday Evening 6:30 p.m.
Wed: Praise Bible Study 7:00 p.m.
Thurs: Senior Services 10:00 a.m. :
Day Care Center:
6:45 a.m. -5:30 p.m.
z e 18/
Some called Him the Christ,
Some called Him a prophet,
Some called Him an ordinary man,
What do you call Him? :
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Israel.”
The Journal-Constitution said
Ms. McKinney would not agree to
an interview about the synagogue
appearance and neither would sev
eral prominent Jewish leaders.
“There are still a lot of hard feel
ings from the campaign, not just
from Jewish voters, but from white
voters,” said Beth Shapiro, a Demo
cratic political consultant.
“Her problemsin theJewish com
munity don’t begin and end with
me,” Mitnick said.
Ms. McKinney, who represented
the majority-black 11th District for
four years before it was redrawn
under court rulings against districts
being drawn along racial lines, won
58 percent of the vote in her new
district, which is one-third black
and two-thirds white. The Fourth
District has a sizeable Jewish popu
lation that is predominantly Demo
cratic.
Accusations of racism were ram
pant in both the Democratic pri
mary and the general election cam
paign.
Mitnick played up Ms.
McKinney’s refusal to disavow
antisemitic remarks by Farrakhan
and one of his aides. In turn, her
father, state Rep. Billy McKinney,
called Mitnick a “racist Jew.”
Kenneth W. Stein, a Democrat
and Middle East expert at Emory
University, endorsed Mitnick in an
open letter that took issue with Ms.
McKinney’s voting record on Is
rael.
An admirer of Ms. McKinney,
Sherry Frank, said the congress
woman has made a considerable
effort to improve her relations with
Jews. Ms. Frank, Southeast area
director of the American Jewish
Committee, organized the January
retreat.