Citizenship in Jesus and the Disinherited: From Black Internationalism to Whiteness on the Contemporary Border

This article argues that Thurman's engagement with citizenship in Jesus and the Disinherited is a helpful resource for addressing contemporary realities of racism and US citizenship. The article traces the historical context of Black internationalism that shaped Thurman's religious and political perspective, and examines how a discussion of citizenship frames Thurman's argument in the book. This work analyzes Thurman's call for an "unscrambling process" to overcome "White necessity." The article concludes that Thurman's work can address contemporary realities of racism and citizenship. To do so, it considers the current socio-political and cultural experiences that are presently being played out on the San Diego border, which demonstrate how Whiteness and citizenship status have become conflated.