TRAYVON MARTIN CHURCH NATIVITY SCENE SPARKS CONTROVERSY
|
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad on December 30, 2013 MSNBC.com--A church nativity scene featuring a bleeding Trayvon Martin is stirring up controversy in southern California. The outdoor display at the Claremont United Methodist Church spotlights a black-hooded dummy—in place of where baby Jesus would typically be – slumped over and with blood spilling from his chest into a red pool that reads “A Child is Born, a Son is Given.” The artist and congregant John Zachary told msnbc that he wanted to spark a conversation about gun violence. So, he chose to center his controversial piece on Martin, the slain Florida teen who was shot and killed by volunteer neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in February 2012 (Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter). Zachary first presented his idea to a church committee, which gave the thumbs up to the project. “My feeling about it is that we have so many guns in our country and there are so many killings and it’s unique to our children. And I think that people still need to talk about it in a reasonable manner until there’s something done about it,” Zachary said, insisting he was not trying to replace Jesus with Martin. Rev. Dr. Sharon Rhodes-Wickett, the lead pastor at the church said that while some have appreciated the nativity scene, the church has received many vitriolic calls and emails about the piece – even one “condemning us to hell.” Others have taken to the church’s Facebook page to voice their criticism, calling the nativity scene “blasphemous” and “disgusting.” “It’s a difficult piece to look at, so I understand people’s negative reactions…But on the other hand, I’m a privileged person who doesn’t have to live with gun violence and it just seemed to me that it didn’t feel right to say we shouldn’t do this,” said Rhodes-Wickett. “What does it mean for Christ to come into our world if he doesn’t come to the most difficult parts?” This isn’t the first time the church, which has about 450 members, displayed controversial nativity scenes. Previous ones featured war refugees in Iraq while another showed an African-American woman in a prison holding a baby. In 2011, there was a depiction of three couples, two of them gay, holding hands under the words “Christ is Born.” Rhodes-Wickett said that piece was vandalized, but as a result several young families decided they want to join the progressive church. The nativity scene went up on Dec. 8 and will be there until Jan. 5. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Siebra Muhammad
A Registration Clerk/Specialist, New Orleans Public Schools Other College... class of 2001 Member Since November 2008 |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest Blogs
 |
FREE Valentine's Day E-Cards Available! ♥️Happy Valentine's Day! ♥️
♥️ Free Valentine's Day E-Cards Link: https://www.pinterest.com/shykerialifleur/valentines-day-greetings
♥️ What to Write In Va ...more
Shykeria Lifleur • 128 Views • February 11th, 2026 |
 |
BLACK OWNED BEAUTY SUPPLY ASSOCIATION (BOBSA) AND JUNIQUES AD SERVICE CREATES DFY 30 SEC DISTRIBUTION SERVICEANNOUNCEMENT
Juniques Ad Service, a proud Juniques Company, is excited to share a powerful new collaboration with the Black Owned Beauty Supply Organization. Through this collaboration, members and s ...more
rickey johnson • 104 Views • February 11th, 2026 |
 |
MEDIA ALERT! USA -Call for Submissions- Gumbo for the Soul: Women of Honor with PowerMEDIA ALERT! USA
-Call for Submissions-
Gumbo for the Soul: Women of Honor with Power is currently under development by the visionary team of Gumbo for the Soul International®.
This a ...more
Beverly Johnson • 107 Views • February 10th, 2026 |
 |
Keeping the Faith!!!! 10 Videos, MindMap, CheetSheet, and so much more to discuss FAITH!!!!https://learners.juniquesadservice.com/courses/offers/21e32619-5774-44e2-93d9-a3df7d93a778
Welcome to the course for You!!! Keep The Faith
Video 0- Introduction
Video 1 Why Faith is So Import ...more
rickey johnson • 277 Views • February 9th, 2026 |
 |
RON CARTER & RICKY DILLARD Is Taking Church To The Jazz Club With New Single "Open My Eyes"@RONCARTER #RONCARTER@RICKYDILLARD #RICKYDILLARDLegendary in the genres of Jazz and Gospel music, the "Maestro" Ron Carter and the "Choirmaster" Ricky Dillard are taking church to the Jazz club with t ...more
LaMarr Blackmon • 150 Views • February 9th, 2026 |
Popular Blogs
 |
Divorce in America in 2009 – What’s love got to do, got to do with it?
Join Brother Marcus and the cast and the crew of the Brother Marcus Show live this Sunday evening on February 1, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m. for another hot topic in our community! “Divorce in America in 2009 ...more
Brother Marcus! • 70,796,572 Views • January 27th, 2009 |
 |
VISINE ALERT!!!Seemingly innocent medication such as Visine eyedrops are used by people to concoct a mixture with similar effects as a date-rape drug.
When mixed with alcohol and taken orally, the eyedrops can l ...more
Siebra Muhammad • 118,226 Views • May 23rd, 2009 |
 |
"Chain Hang Low" check out the real meaning of the Lyrics!Recently there is a new artist out of Saint Louis that goes by the name JIBBS. Jibbs debut single "Chain hang low" has a history that most people are not aware of. The particular nursery rhyme that th ...more
Tyhesha Judge-Fogle • 75,040 Views • November 9th, 2006 |
 |
HBCU Marketplace Gifts: Divine 9 Premium Fraternity / Sorority Playing CardsVendor: Charles Jones
Item Price: $20.00
Price Includes Shipping: Yes - Shipping Included
Item Description:
Pantheon Series - Divine 9 - Premium Playing Cards (choose Gold Series or Silve ...more
How May I Help You NC • 61,511 Views • December 2nd, 2018 |
