C. Jerome Woods
Artist’s Quote
I am buzios thrown, Ifa’, Orixa, home goings, Sankofa in flight
The most beautiful pearl, the deepest of night.
I am the one; that one
The darkest berry with the sweetest juice
I am the one … the community
The unity.
I am the dual spirited ancestral guide across astral waters
I am the one, that one
The Black one!
Luminary’s Quote
In high school, I came out to my friends as queer. My entire world opened up; this was a monumental step toward unveiling my truest self. – Patrisse Cullors
Cullors, Patrisse. “A Black Lives Matter Leader Opens Up About Marrying Her Partner,” Esquire, June 2016.
Bio
C. Jerome Woods hails from Louisiana and is a retired special education teacher, published poet as well as collector and archivist of Black life and culture. He works towards enriching the lives of local and world communities. Mr. Woods is active in promoting the United Teacher Los Angeles/Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, organizes tributes for Black artists, and volunteers his expertise and service to cultural and community groups.
He is the founder and director of the Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project; an organization established to chronicle the lives, times, and contributions of Black LGBT persons and that of their significant others.