Lamont Jackson and James Ware. Faith, Fire & Fellowship: Black Men Confront Church, Power, and Purpose

In this powerful and unfiltered episode of YANA: You Are Not Alone, host James Trice welcomes two dynamic voices into the conversation—Lamont Jackson and James Ware—for a raw, Spirit-led dialogue about faith, identity, and the state of America. What does it mean to pursue biblical literacy in a time of political division? How should the Church respond when theology is weaponized to justify hate? And what does it truly mean to be a Black man—and a Christian Black man—in America today? Lamont unpacks the urgent need for deeper theological understanding, drawing from the legacy of thinkers like James Cone and his groundbreaking work, The Cross and the Lynching Tree. Together, the brothers wrestle with hard truths about white supremacy, evangelicalism, and whether unity in the Body of Christ is truly possible. James Ware brings the perspective of a retired U.S. Army veteran, reflecting on service, sacrifice, systemic racism, and the difficult questions facing Black men considering military enlistment today. The conversation moves boldly through politics, patriotism, and the painful tension between love and justice. The episode pauses to honor the legacy of Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) on the anniversary of his assassination, reflecting on prophetic truth-telling, courage, and the cost of conviction.