BLCD News Flash!
News Flash: BLCD* has many feet—walking and running.
News Flash: BLCD has wings—has been seen flying high, sharing support, sprouting liberation!
MY! Oh my, oh my, oh my!
I write to tell you—I cried all the way through East Coast BLCD. I cried as I got the reports about West Coast BLCD.
I got texts and photos and videos and news flashes from Midwest/Mid South BLCD, led by Cliff Jones. Apparently it was outrageously awesome.
Somebody said, “I don’t know how to tell Barbara that this was the best BLCD ever!” I said, “Tell that person that this is as it should be. Every BLCD is supposed to be better than the last.” And so it seems that BLCD is happening in just that fashion.
Alysia (Tate) told East Coast folks, “You might have noticed that I am not Barbara Love.” They laughed. They had indeed noticed. She said, “No, I am not Barbara Love. I am Alysia Tate. There is only one Barbara Love, and that is good. BLCD doesn’t need another Barbara Love. BLCD needs Alysia Tate and you and you.” They understood her point. They were totally with her, and they rose up into a powerful and transformative BLCD.
Olivia (Vincenti) walked into West Coast BLCD full of power, energy, brilliant thinking, and encouragement. She pulled the group into “a step-by-step painting of an eloquent picture of re-emergence and liberation.”
[Fela Barclift will be leading the BLCD for Europe at the end of October 2016.]
Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list
for leaders of African-heritage people
(Present Time 185, October 2016)
* BLCD stands for the Black Liberation and Community Development Workshops—RC workshops for African-heritage people, held annually for the last thirty years. Until 2004 there was one workshop each year, led by Barbara Love, the International Liberation Reference Person for African-Heritage People. Beginning in 2004 there was an International BLCD every third year, led by Barbara Love, and Regional BLCDs in the intervening two years, led by Rudy Nickens, Rachel Noble, Waveney Richards, and Dorann Van Heeswijk. This year a new team—Fela Barclift, Cliff Jones, Alysia Tate, and Olivia Vincenti—began leading the Regional workshops.