OG Told Me...

“Respect your women.”- Augusta Lee Collins, Bay Area Blues Hall of Fame guitarist.

I asked Dr. Woody Carter,

“If you had the ear of the youth, given your expertise, what would you tell them?”

OG Told Me: 

“The one thing I would tell young people: Learn how to meditate. Make it a discipline.”

“we’re all instruments- out of tune; if you we’re to tune a violin- you’d have to use a tool to move those wooden pegs on the side of the object. Meditation is the process of bringing you in tune with yourself.  In order to be in tune- you have to be open; receptive to be tuned.”

Dr. Woody Carter, has been the Executive Director of the Bay Area Black United Fund since 1997. In a brief interview at a coffee shop near Oakland’s Lake Merritt, Dr. Carter told me about the history of his organization, his educational background, and his experience with love.  

Baba Carter, 68 and still paying student loans, said he will finally pay off his remaining debt of 5, 000 dollar this upcoming Fall.

Dr. Carter holds four college degrees, including one from the Howard University. Fitting, for that’s where his mother and father met, it’s the same place he was born, and happens to be the college I attended.  

Dr. Carter told me about his most recent degree: doctorate in theological narratives; using stories to study the intergenerational connection within African Americans. He cited studying the Bible, Amiri Baraka’s work, and W.E.B. DuBois’ writings; among other stories. He drove the same point home that W.E.B. DuBois touched on in the book, “The Souls of Black Folks”, stating that we are both African and American, and those polar opposite entities have created an unresolved spiritual dilemma within us as a people.

Mr. Carter spoke about politics, religion, working in Oakland, growing up in New York, and freedom rides through the South. He told me about his degrees and his enlightenment through meditation; but nothing compared to his love story… 

At his 5^th wife’s memorial service in November of 2011, he told the story of how he and her, a beautiful lady by the name of Jennifer, fell in love…

He told me that same story during our interview at the cafe…

After four prior marriages, he wasn’t interested in finding another wife, but the lady he had been spending time with had begun to feel a certain way…

“I want to get married” said Jennifer. 

Woody responded with a line that he’d been telling himself over and over in preparation to defend himself from falling in love again,

“I’ve been married 4 times…uh … doesn’t that tell you something?”

He said his line, and she didn’t even acknowledge it, she just kept on about wanting to get married. She waited for thirty minutes until she brought it up again…

“And about your prior marriages: those other women just knocked the kinks out… I’m going to get the best years out of you.”

They were married 11 years. Dr. Carter told me,

“I knew she was the one because at that point, I didn’t have an answer, I just there sat quietly.hahaha…”

(Meditating. Open to being tuned… I thought to myself. ) 

Dr. Carter autographed a copy of his book, “Theology for a Violent Age”, we shook hands, and parted ways…

I asked the well dressed Wendell Clark, a man from Sacramento who happened to be walking down Lakeshore Ave. in Oakland on a Saturday morning, what he would say to the youth if given the opportunity… and he had this to say (sang) …

OG Told Me: “Stay in school. I dropped out in middle school, and I can’t read or write … and now I do this all day…”

(He pointed to the makeshift trailer full of cans attached to his bicycle.)

I recently had the opportunity to interview Gregory Wells. Wells, a native of West Oakland, a middle school dropout, and a man set to make 60 years of age this December- “the day after Christmas”, he stated proudly as he showed me his California ID card…

OG continued to tell me about how he has been sober for the past 10, going on 11 years; and then he showed me Alcoholic Anonymous tokens to prove it. And then, to prove that he once was an addict, he named a laundry list of drugs he was once addicted to… 

When I asked Gary Shields, ”Based on your life experience, what would you tell young people? “, OG told me:

“We were created to be servants, channels of wisdom, peace, power, patience, mercy, undeserved forgiveness, grace, understanding, favor…”

Shields, owner of God’s Gym in Oakland, CA. continued on to rattle off a list of manmade objects, such as stoplights, which were also created with the intention to serve people.  

He stated that through creating and serving, we take a step into the “mind of God.”

He concluded that point with saying, “… But If I don’t first serve myself, how can I serve others?… Balance is key.”

The deeply spiritual, athletic trainer, and community servant- Mr. Shields made sure to highlight the importance of personal time, driving it home with something I needed to hear:

“Solitude is water. Everybody needs it.”

I went to introduce myself to Bill Russell … OG told me:

Me: Hello Mr. Russell, my name is Pen.

Mr. Russell: Pen … did you catch him?

Me: Uhhhh … catch who?

Mr. Russell: (pointing at my long beard) The gentleman who stole your razor!

….

It was an honor to walk around McClymonds high school today with Bill Russell, an American icon. The 11 time NBA champion, Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree, and West Oakland home boy reeks of good humor. 

…

Nearly a year ago I attended a dinner in which a number of well respected names in Bay Area sports gathered to pay homage to Mr. Russell.

During the event, Mr. Russell stated something that resonates with me to this day…

“We learn to make a shell for ourselves when we are young and then spend the rest of our lives hoping for someone to reach inside and touch us. Just touch us—anything more than that would be too much for us to bear.” - Bill Russell. 

His name is Raymond Bellinger, and he is quick to notify you of 3 things. 1. He is a war Vet. 2. He is from New Orleans. And thirdly (once again), his name is Raymond Bellinger, spelled with an “E” (He showed me his ID) and that is a French name.

Mr. Bellinger, who I often see at the same bus stop, caught my attention as I was taking a photo of this “tumble-weave”. “Now she’s really in trouble”, he said in a raspy yet jokingly tone as my camera clicked.

After laughing at his joke, I introduced myself. I asked Mr. Bellinger the same question I’ve been asking elder Black men in community for almost a year now: “If you had the ear of the youth, what would you tell them?”

No longer joking, Mr. Bellinger eloquently replied: “I was raised by grandmother and my uncle. They were good people,everything they taught me allowed me to get this far…God bless their souls.”

I followed with the question: What was it that they taught you?

On cue, he recited the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come, 
your will be done, 
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us. 
Lead us not into temptation, 
but deliver us from evil. 
For the kingdom, 
the power and the glory are yours. 
Now and for ever.

Amen.