We, the undersigned, are calling on filmmaker Mel Gibson, his production company Icon Productions, and the creative team behind The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection to reconsider the continued portrayal of Jesus Christ as a white man.

Historically and biblically, Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jewish man born in Nazareth — not a white European. For centuries, portraying Jesus as white has contributed to cultural erasure, religious distortion, and the false elevation of whiteness as divine. This portrayal is not only inaccurate but spiritually and psychologically harmful to communities of color across the world.

Religious films are powerful tools that shape beliefs, values, and imagination. By continuing to depict Jesus inaccurately, this film reinforces racial bias, white supremacy, and a long history of colonialism within faith traditions that should uplift all people equally.

 
🧠 Who Was Jesus — Really?
Contrary to centuries of whitewashed portrayals, the Bible and historical context show us:

Jesus was born in ancient Judea (modern-day Israel/Palestine) and raised in Nazareth.
He was ethnically Jewish, from the tribe of Judah — a descendant of Abraham, David, and other Hebrew patriarchs (Matthew 1:1–17).
His family fled to Egypt (Africa) after His birth (Matthew 2:13–15), meaning He likely blended into the African population at the time.
He practiced Jewish customs, worshiped in synagogues, and followed the Torah (Luke 4:16, John 2:13).
In the bible it clearly says Jesus was the complexion of Middle Eastern or African descendant, not as a white man. Jesus was a dark-skinned Semitic man — a product of a region rich with Middle Eastern and North African identity.

📖 Biblical Descriptions of Jesus’ Features
Even prophetic and symbolic scriptures challenge white portrayals:

“His hair was white like wool... and his feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace.” – Revelation 1:14–15
“The hair of his head was white like wool...” – Daniel 7:9
These verses describe woolly hair (a texture associated with African heritage) and deeply bronzed skin, not the pale features shown in most Western art and film.

✊🏽 Why This Matters
When Jesus is repeatedly shown as white, it:

Erases the truth of His ethnic identity
Disconnects people of color from their sacred history
Upholds a dangerous narrative that divinity is tied to whiteness
Damages the spiritual and cultural self-image of marginalized communities
It’s time we honor Jesus for who He truly was — not who Western culture imagined Him to be.

📢 We Demand:
A public acknowledgment of the historical and cultural inaccuracy in portraying Jesus as white.
A commitment to racial and historical authenticity in religious films.
Inclusion of diverse theological and historical voices in future depictions.
 
We urge Mel Gibson and his team to take responsibility for the enormous influence this film will have on millions. Use that power not to reinforce falsehoods, but to honor truth — and to promote healing across all cultures and faiths.