A former Atlanta fire chief who sparked controversy with his homophobic views a decade ago is back in the spotlight this week after a speech where he said it was God’s plan to allow Africans to be brought to America as slaves.
During Monday’s Black History Month celebrations hosted by the Georgia Department of Labor, Kelvin J. Cochran, a black man, took the stage to explain how his religious views fit with the history of the founding of the state.
In an uncredited YouTube video, Cochran begins his patriotic speech by declaring that America “was a part of God’s divine plan from the beginning of time.” Then, in the midst of his remarks, he talks about slavery, implying that everything in American history is part of his “story.”
“Slavery in America did not catch God by surprise,” Cochran said. “In his sovereignty, God … allowed Africans to be brought to America as slaves. Africa was on the eve of social, spiritual and economic catastrophe and famine — still going on today. So, He brought 6 million Africans to America through the Middle Passage as slaves.”
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Cochran compared African slavery to slavery in Israel, saying, “Just as it was God’s plan to enslave the nation of Israel”, God’s sovereignty “allowed Africans to be enslaved in America”.
He also quoted a verse from Genesis when God told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved and mistreated for 400 years.
He also noted that slave owners insisted on teaching slaves Christianity, and that slaves would gather outside of churches to hear sermons for worship.
In 2013, Cochran, the Atlanta Department of Rescue fire chief, gave his subordinates a copy of his self-published book, “Who Told You That You Were Naked?”
This included homophobic comments such as gays and those who have sex outside of marriage being “naked”, evil sinners and evil people. He also described homosexuality as a “sexual perversion” and compared it to bestiality.
In October 2014, the Deputy Fire Chief raised concerns about the book, and the following month, Cochran was suspended for 30 days without pay for failing to obtain approval or give proper notice prior to the book’s publication.
Following his suspension, Cochran launched a campaign claiming he had been fired because of his religious beliefs, which eventually led to his termination in January 2015.
