James E. P. Woodruff

James Edward P. Woodruff was born in Trinidad and emigrated to the United States when he was two years old.^[1] He went on to graduate from Fosdick-Masten Park High School.^[2] In 1957, he graduated from the State University of New York in Buffalo.^[3] During the summers in college, he worked as the boys' director at the Cold Springs Community Center YMCA.^[4] He earned his master's degree in divinity from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in 1960.^[3] In June of that year, he was ordained at St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo.^[2]

Woodruff was the first chaplain and campus minister at the St. Anselm's Episcopal Center, starting in 1961.^[5] St. Anselm's hosted Black students from Fisk University and Tennessee A&I State University^[6] and was called "a meeting place for 'undesirables' by Mayor Beverly Briley.^[6] Woodruff and his wife, Nancy, taught Black history at "Liberation Schools" in Nashville, Tennessee.^[7][8] Some of these schools were held at St. Anselm's.^[5] Later, this program was recommended for closure by the Nashville police captain who believed that the schools taught "Negro youngsters hatred for whites."^[9] This perception led to the eventual closure of the liberation schools.^[5]

In 1967, Woodruff was sent to work on an "urban mission" in Philadelphia.^[10][11] During this project, he did not have a formal congregation and also worked as the assistant director of the Diocesan Department of Communications.^[12] Woodruff was tasked with community outreach to Black Christians.^[13] He gave speeches about Black and African history, emphasizing the need for a "tradition of black heroes."^[14][15] He also called for reparations for Black people.^[13] His preaching connected with people who felt left out of the political process and with those working towards civil rights.^[16] When he preached, he often wore a full robe and sometimes a dashiki.^[13] In Philadelphia, they called him "Friar Tuck."^[13] Bishop Franklin D. Turner called Woodruff "a sort of Malcolm X of the Episcopal Church."^[16]

After 1968, Woodruff became a member of the Union of Black Episcopalians.^[17] He was the leader of the Union in 1969 and served as executive director between 1974 and until 1979.^[3][18]

When Woodruff was ministering to prisoners in Graterford in 1972, he met conman, John Ackah Blay-Miezah.^[19] Blay-Miezah, who seemed to have connections to the government of Ghana, told Woodruff that he needed help restoring the country's wealth.^[19] Woodruff helped secure Blay-Miezah's release from prison.^[19] Later, in 1973, Woodruff would go into business with Blay-Miezah and visit him in London.^[20] Woodruff described his business work as developing trade relations with Ghana and "traveled extensively" during this time.^[3]

In 1972, Woodruff published a book of essays called Race War In America (OCLC 333409).^[16] He also contributed articles to Negro Digest.^[21]

Woodruff had a daughter, two sons, and a stepson.^[3]

In 1991, Woodruff became a cab driver and worked for the Philly Cab Company.^[22] On November 30, 1995, he was the victim of an attempted robbery and was shot in the neck.^[22] After the shooting, he was paralyzed.^[3] He died of renal failure in Warrington on January 30, 2002.^[3]

• Yeebo, Yepoka (2023). Anansi's Gold. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781635574739.

• Race War In America - via Internet Archive