Dr. Albert “Doc” Jones, founder of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers, dedicated his life to uncovering lost histories beneath the ocean. When his team found the Henrietta Marie, the first recovered slave ship, he set out to honor those lost at sea. This film celebrates his mission to recover forgotten stories and preserve them for future generations.
Before the Reel South YouTube premiere of the film, Reel South digital producer Heather Nunerley connected with the filmmaker Matt Kay to get his perspective on the importance of his film and the behind-the-scenes details of creating "Black Godfather of Scuba." Stream "Black Godfather of Scuba" on Reel South's YouTube today.
Heather: How does Doc Jones’ work highlight the importance of preserving history through exploration?
Matt: Dr. Jones's work highlights the importance of preserving history through his brave and trailblazing exploration. Alongside other pioneering divers, he co-founded Diving With a Purpose (DWP) - taking risks to rediscover history, and then memorializing them. It puts these often-forgotten histories back into current conversations. And plays a vital role in keeping these stories alive today to remind people of their origins. As Jay Haigler, one of the lead divers in DWP, says in the documentary, “Everything has an origin story. So for me, the Henrietta Marie is the origin story of slavery. The cargo hole of the slave ship is very, very dark. You feel the gravity of the greatest crime committed in the history of the world. At the same time, you feel and you experience the greatest triumph of the human spirit. The resilience.”
Heather: What role do divers and explorers play in uncovering and honoring lost histories?
Matt: Divers and explorers are crucial in honoring lost history as they undertake the tall tasks of locating precious sites. For marine archeology this involves conducting tens, sometimes hundreds, of dives to uncover a site. It can literally be like finding a needle in a haystack, and often with sonar mapping you think you might have found the site, but when you go down, it could be a big pile of rubbish, like a scrap heap of metal or even a whale carcass.
In many ways, they are like gatekeepers. They provide the key to unlocking elements expanding our reality of historical truths. In the documentary, they memorialize the Henrietta Marie slave shipwreck site by placing a plaque, facing East towards Africa, symbolizing that those lost have not been forgotten. Preserving legacies in this way often takes years and can be costly. They also honor these discoveries by bringing them back into public consciousness and conversations. This act is so special as it not only preserves memory but also keeps these stories alive.
Heather: How does "Black Godfather of Scuba" affect traditional narratives about Black history?
Matt: Black scuba divers are rare and it's not something you come across often. Doc Jones, through the Underwater Adventure Seekers, started the first black dive club and to this day one of the oldest dive clubs in the world. All of which he started during the Jim Crow segregation era. He’s been disrupting the narrative by winning diving competitions and teaching people to dive at a time when Black Americans weren't even supposed to swim in the same spaces as white Americans. As well as showcasing Black excellence in scuba diving, his organization has taught more than 500 black children to swim. And trained divers to become underwater archaeologists.
Heather: What is the behind-the-scenes story of how you decided to make this film or discovered the subjects of the film?
Matt: I'm an avid scuba diver myself. It's my favorite thing to do, second only to filming. In my 15 years of diving, I've hardly ever seen any other black scuba divers unless they were locals in the places I was diving. Seeing older archival footage of these black divers traveling and exploring was really empowering. I came across an article in National Geographic on DWP (Diving with a Purpose), and Doc Jones. It was only one paragraph but Doc Jones seemed like a superhero to me and it peaked my interest. Then, I reached out to Doc, rang him up, and he was kind enough to indulge my interest and agree to be filmed by this crazy English guy!
Heather: What do you hope the Reel South audience learns from or gets out of the film?
Matt: Hopefully our film highlights the amazing divers and the incredible work Diving with a Purpose does. I make films to give platforms to others that are disrupting the narrative and Doc Jones has been doing that his whole life. It’s a joy to witness how one man can take a passion and a dream and achieve so much. I hope that viewers come away with an appreciation for Doc Jones and his work, his ingenuity, and his creativity in being able to build this family, this network, and this organization.
Heather: On a personal note, what are you currently working on that you'd like to share?
Matt: I’ve got a couple of exciting projects brewing! At WOLF (Walks of Life Films) my documentary company, we’re continuing our collaboration with Diving with a Purpose, working on a feature film about one of their latest discoveries. This project delves into themes of espionage, corruption, and Black enterprise, capturing the spirit of revolutionary trailblazers. This energy is very much alive and still pulsing through our work. We're also expanding the narrative we began in 'Little Miss Sumo’ and working on a feature about a pioneering female wrestler. It’s an exciting time, and we are looking forward to continuing to ignite conversations, challenge perceptions, and hopefully inspire others along the way.
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