African-American playwright and author J. California Cooper passed away this past weekend at the age of 82, according to EBONY. In the 2012 interview posted above, Cooper talks about her lifetime of work and she notes, "In my stories, I was not afraid of or ashamed to talk about God. I wasn’t trying to be too bold, it’s just that I love Him. And I know He said, ‘If you’re not afraid of me, I won’t be ashamed of you.’"

Spirituality was an important part of Cooper’s work as a storyteller. Her work includes the 1984 short story collection "A Piece of Mine" and the 1986 collection "Homeade Love." 

The University of Minnesota has a more detailed biography and collection of interviews with Cooper.