I was a student when I first came to Greensboro nearly 50 years ago. Having just completed a tour of military service, I left my home in rural eastern North Carolina and enrolled at N.C. A&T State University. My lessons there complemented the lessons I learned from the grassroots residents with whom I began working. As a student activist, I was among many others – including the woman I would marry – committed to making our country live up to its ideals. Today, my wife Joyce and I are still living that commitment, right here in the city that’s been our only home the entire 42 years of our marriage.
In addition to our two daughters, three granddaughters and one grandson, we have been blessed with the opportunity to work together with special friends including the Rev. Z Holler on building a place to foster and model a spirit of beloved community. Through struggles, setbacks, victories, celebrations and even tragedy, we have forged an amazing set of connections that cross lines of race, gender, gender preference, age, belief, and social and economic circumstances.
Exciting things are happening, and in many ways I’m still a student, learning from and with the extraordinary people with whom I’m fortunate enough to be working in community. For us that means in authentic, mutually affirming, equitable, non-dominating relationships. In many ways the Beloved Community Center is a school, with enrollment open to all who want to add their own unique gifts to the myriad resources we’re leveraging in our ongoing work to build enduring community in Greensboro and beyond. Explore our site to learn more, and do join us.