On The Nightly Spirit, host Darlene McCoy welcomed activist and filmmaker Matthew Pridgen for a powerful conversation rooted in faith, justice, and truth. What followed was more than an interview. It was a sobering reminder that racial injustice is not just a political issue. It is a spiritual one.
Pridgen shared how his journey began in Charleston, South Carolina, where he was raised in a conservative, affluent white family. He spoke openly about growing up Republican, attending elite schools, and living only a few miles from Black neighborhoods that faced a very different reality. That contrast changed his life.
A Calling to Advocacy and Mentorship
More than a decade ago, Pridgen and his wife started a mentorship group on Charleston’s East Side. There, he came face to face with the deep wounds of systemic racism. He described meeting young people full of promise, yet trapped in systems that seemed built for their failure. For Pridgen, this was not theory. It was personal. He saw children who reminded him of his own, but with fewer opportunities and heavier burdens.
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Exposing Deception: The Making of Sins of Our Fathers
That awakening became the foundation for his advocacy and his film, Sins of Our Fathers. During the interview, Pridgen explained that the film was created to confront deception in the white Christian community. He argued that many believers have ignored or justified injustice for generations, from slavery to Jim Crow to modern political systems that continue to harm Black communities.
Pridgen spoke with urgency about how racism has been normalized, excused, and even dressed up in religious language. He challenged the idea that poverty in Black communities is caused by laziness, pointing instead to long-standing structures of oppression. In his view, the truth is clear: people are often blamed for surviving inside systems they did not create.
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Darlene McCoy’s Faith-Fueled Perspective
McCoy met that message with deep understanding and conviction. Throughout the conversation, she affirmed that what Pridgen described is not new to Black America, but it remains necessary to say aloud. She called racism a principality, a spiritual force that has shaped systems and mindsets across generations. She also praised Pridgen for using his voice in a way that reflects the heart of God, even when the message is difficult.
One of the strongest moments in the interview came when McCoy encouraged listeners not only to watch Sins of Our Fathers, but to let it stir them toward action. Her message was clear: truth must lead to responsibility.
This conversation on The Nightly Spirit was both a warning and a call. For faith-based listeners, it offered a challenge to reject silence, confront deception, and stand for justice. Awareness is not enough. If we believe God cares about the oppressed, then we must care enough to act.