Herbert L. Woods, my Father
“My father, Herbert L. Woods, was the Chairman of C.O.R.E in the 1960's in Washington DC. When asked a few years ago by some young black men, "What should we have done, as a people, after the Civil Rights movement?" Daddy's answer came quickly.
"We need to return to the church, the black church, and unearth the beliefs, assumptions, the source of our tragedies! The church brought us up to that point, but it will never take us any further until we do that as a people."
"Why have we not done it? Have you?"
Daddy's eyes burned with conviction as he gestured with clenched fists, and said, "Black folks own their tragedies, and going into the church is a scary thing because black people own their tragedies!" In the following silence my father sat clutching himself, as if he were the embodiment of the odd paradigm.
I am deeply engrossed in this work. I had my time within the black church, and with deep sadness I learned in my twenties and thirties, with force, the truth of Daddy's assessment. I have learned to live what I have overcome. I have had to unearth and ceremoniously shed the elements of dysfunction unique to Black American's from my own being by unlearning what I knew: the first lesson of power. Fortunately, there is a collective of spirits around the globe engaged in this work able to assist who assisted my development. But unlearning, an act of power, is only one first step, and I have learned to employee ceremony, and rituals of empowerment into this work in collaboration with others because there is no savior, and there are no lone wolves. There is only us, and help within the white, red, brown and yellow peoples, and the teachings, insights, and relationships they hold with specific energies, and medicines.
My journey began in the darkest part of my time on Earth. Artists paint their canvas black. One notable artist, painting her canvas black, explained to me in her studio, "...all life comes from the dark." The mystery of night taught my spirit many things, but before I can introduce the deeper part of reconciliation and healing; baby steps...” -Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories
Wow. I think you sat and bled while you wrote this. Thank you. I need to silently ponder this.
ReplyDeleteAh, bless you. Elizabeth, I did and I do. There is so much, as a son, I need to put on paper for others benefit.
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