The passing of Dr. James Cone on Saturday, April 28, 2018 has resulted in a rollercoaster of emotions for me. I became aware of his transition while driving through the mountains of West Virginia. Realizing that driving with tears in my eyes and streaming down my face was not safe I took the first exit I could. Dr. Cone also had that effect on me while he was alive. He stirred a range of human emotions including pain, joy, pride and determination. His writings, his sermons the professional relationship and friendship I was fortunate to share with Dr. Cone are influences I will carry in my heart, my spiritual journey, and my work for the rest of my life.

My company, Black Pearl Media Works, is working on an independent feature-length documentary on Black Liberation Theology. Clearly, this film could not be made without the guidance, participation and support of Dr. Cone. He and I started working on the film in March of 2017. After reviewing a three-page synopsis, Dr. Cone and I with guidance from Fred Davie, Executive Director of Union Theological Seminary, and Dr. Cone’s special assistant, Victoria Furio, developed a plan, schedule and found resources to film an interview with Dr. Cone. Concurrently Dr. Cone also committed to reading the treatment I was writing for the film. I requested that he mark it up the way he did his student’s papers. He laughed and said, “Be careful what you ask for.”

The interview took place July 18, 2017 in Lampman Chapel at Union Theological Seminary. The crew set up the preceding evening. It was imperative that we be ready as soon as Dr. Cone arrived. He and I developed a great relationship when I executive produced, “This Far by Faith,” the final series for Blackside Films. It is ironic that my mentor, Henry Hampton, the founder and executive producer of Blackside Films, never saw the series he conceived, and Dr. Cone will not see my film entitled “God of the Oppressed.” He graciously granted permission to use his book title as the title of the film. I was honored that he made time for my film project. His plan for the summer was to do nothing but work on what he referred to as his final book.

Leading up to the interview when he had time we would chat about writing; how difficult it was and how it can always be better and improved. While preparing for the interview and researching the film, I read Black Liberation and Black Power (1969), The Spirituals and the Blues: An Interpretation (1992), God of the Oppressed (1975), The Cross and the Lynching Tree (2013) and many of his essays and articles. In all of his work, Dr. Cone argues for a theology constructed from the experiences of Black people who understand God’s role in liberating those crying for the pain to end. I wanted him to know I studied his work and was prepared. Consequently, a couple of times I framed questions with quotes from his books. Finally, he said, “I know what I wrote, just ask your questions and I’m going to say what I want to say.” He was pushing me to think about my film and what I wanted it to say.

My final question for him was, “If God is a god of the oppressed, why are Black people still oppressed?” He said as he wrote in The Cross and the Lynching Tree, “Suffering naturally gives rise to doubt. How can one believe in God in the face of such horrendous suffering as slavery, segregation, and the lynching tree? Under these circumstances, doubt is not a denial but an integral part of faith. It keeps faith from being sure of itself. But doubt does not have the final word. The final word is faith giving rise to hope.”

The entire interview was incredible and the crew was infused with emotion and spirituality. Afterword he signed copies of his books. My final word to him as we embraced was, “Thank you, Dr. Cone, we have great love and respect for you, and we appreciate your many contributions to the spiritual journey of Black people.” He thanked the crew and me and walked away in his quiet dignified manner. Physically he walked away but spiritually and through his incredible body of work he will always be with me.

Article from the Washington Post

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