At the Feet of our Elders: Dr Wornie Reed

Dr. Wornie Reed, a man writing his own history 

“I will not wait on anybody to see or do something.” These are the words of Dr. Wornie Reed – words that became his life’s motto and helped guide him obtain his PhD. Reed was born in 1938, in McIntosh, AL, to Wornie and Dorothy Reed. Living in the south during that time helped to shape the Wornie Reed of today, he says.  

He graduated high school in 1955 during segregation. Three of his homeroom teachers were related to him. And Reed declares blacks were better educated back then, especially about their history, including the civil rights movement. He vividly remembers the murder of Emmett Till. 

Going to college at Alabama State University, Reed would become involved in the bus boycott. In December 1955, a few months after starting college, he began to see flyers highlighting Rosa Parks, encouraging blacks to cease from riding buses. That same month he would meet Parks and a small town preacher back then by the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Reed and King would develop a relationship based upon the work both men began to do. Reed tells stories of trying to get his roommates and friends to go with him to hear King speak at Dexter Avenue Church. They refused the invitation. He also met with King a month before his assassination. Reed says his mother and King had a major impact on his life. 

Reed would graduatecollege in 1959. Some of his first jobs were at the United States Census Bureau where he worked to create the 1960 census working as a computer programmer. He decided he would work hard to receive a promotion. However, a promotion did not come his way and at the age of 24, he would leave the Census Bureau and go to work for IBM. He would spend majority of his time in their New York office before retiring in 1971. During his time at IBM, he was heavily involved in the Black Power Movement so much so that when King was assassinated in 1968 he did not return to IBM for weeks and no one approached him to ask why. 

Reed says he left IBM because his involvement in the Black Power Movement began to increase. The movement, he says, was extremely important to him. 

His involvement in the struggle would introduce him to many greats including Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and two people who hardly are mentioned in the history of black people in America by mainstream historians – Dr. John Henrik Clarke who Dr. Reed refers to as his professor and Queen Mother Moore who referred to Reed as “my son.” Clarke was a leading historian that many describe as a master teacher of African History and a friend to people such as Malcolm X. Queen Mother Moore was a leading activist who worked with people such as Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X. Reed and Queen Mother Moore met at the Black Power Conference in 1968.            Dr. Reed would go on to affect the world of academia through African studies and creating research centers at colleges and universities. Such institutions include the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Morgan State University, Cleveland State University and the University of Boston Massachusetts. He is currently a professor of Sociology and Africana Studies and director of the Center for Race and Social Policy Research at Virginia Tech. 

 “Changing the hearts and minds of racist people is a waste of time,” he says. “We must fight to change policies that enable racist acts and racist people.” Throughout his 81 years of life, Dr. Reed has done and said things that could have ended his life many times like so many activists of his generation. However, he has been blessed to still be here, he says. 

Dr. Reed has lived a tremendous life. He is letting his work speak for him. If we can learn anything from Reed it is never wait to do what you feel is right and necessary no matter the consequences. “I will not wait on anybody to see or do something,” he says. 

“I will not wait on anybody to see or do something.” These are the words of Dr. Wornie Reed – words that became his life’s motto and helped guide him obtain his PhD. Reed was born in 1938, inMcIntosh, AL, to Wornie and Dorothy Reed. Living in the south during that time helped to shape the Wornie Reed of today, he says.

He graduated high school in 1955 during segregation. Three of his homeroom teachers were related to him. And Reed declares blacks were better educated back then, especially about their history, including the civil rights movement. He vividly remembers the murder of Emmett Till.  

Going to college at Alabama State University, Reed would become involved in the bus boycott. In December 1955, a few months after starting college, he began to see flyers highlighting Rosa Parks, encouraging blacks to cease from riding buses. That same month he would meet Parks and a small town preacher back then by the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Reed and King would develop a relationship based upon the work both men began to do.  Reed tells stories of trying to get his roommates and friends to go with him to hear King speak at Dexter Avenue Church. They refused the invitation. He also met with King a month before his assassination. Reed says his mother and King had a major impact on his life. 

Reed would graduate college in 1959. Some of his first jobs were at the United States Census Bureau where he worked to create the 1960 census working as a computer programmer.  He decided he would work hard to receive a promotion. However, a promotion did not come his way and at the age of 24, he would leave the Census Bureau and go to work for IBM. He would spend majority of his time in their New York office before retiring in 1971. During his time at IBM, he was heavily involved in the Black Power Movement so much so that when King was assassinated in 1968 he did not return to IBM for weeks and no one approached him to ask why. 

Reed says he left IBM because his involvement in the Black Power Movement began to increase. The movement, he says, was extremely important to him. 

His involvement in the struggle would introduce him to many greats including Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and two people who hardly are mentioned in the history of black people in America by mainstream historians – Dr. John Henrik Clarke who Dr. Reed refers to as his professor and Queen Mother Moore who referred to Reed as “my son.” Clarke was a leading historian that many describe as a master teacher of African History and a friend to people such as Malcolm X. Queen Mother Moore was a leading activist who worked with people such as Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X.  Reed and Queen Mother Moore met at the Black Power Conference in 1968.            Dr. Reed would go on to affect the world of academia through African studies and creating research centers at colleges and universities. Such institutions include the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Morgan State University, Cleveland State University and the University of Boston Massachusetts. He is currently a professor of Sociology and Africana Studies and director of the Center for Race and Social Policy Research at Virginia Tech. 

 “Changing the hearts and minds of racist people is a waste of time,” he says. “We must fight to change policies that enable racist acts and racist people.” Throughout his 81 years of life, Dr. Reed has done and said things that could have ended his life many times like so many activists of his generation. However, he has been blessed to still be here, he says. 

Dr. Reed has lived a tremendous life. He is letting his work speak for him. If we can learn anything from Reed it is never wait to do what you feel is right and necessary no matter the consequences. “I will not wait on anybody to see or do something,” he says.