By his own admission, Clyde Ford has never shied away from hard conversations.
“I don’t believe you should create spaces where all you hear is an echo chamber of what you already believe,” he said. “What I believe is that you should create resilient people who can listen to whatever anybody else has to say. That doesn’t mean they necessarily believe it or agree with it, but they can listen to it.”
It makes sense that Ford, 73, has devoted much of his career to sharing stories many Americans don’t know — or perhaps want to forget. He’s the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books, the most recent of which highlights “hidden voices” in African American history. His forthcoming book, tentatively called “A High Price for Freedom,” is due in 2026.
“I see my role, if anything, as an elder reminding people who are trying to make a difference in the world we live in that we can do this,” Ford said, “but we have to keep looking at our past.”
Ford has been widely lauded for his efforts: He’s the 2006 recipient of the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award in fiction, a 2019 recipient of the prestigious Washington Center for the Book Award and a well-respected speaker. In 2021, he became director of HarperCollins’ Martin Luther King Jr. Library Publishing Project.
To folks in Bellingham, however, Ford is a former Western Washington University professor, avid boater and beloved member of the community. Village Books Co-Founder (and longtime friend) Chuck Robinson described Ford as a “gentle, caring soul.”
“It’s pretty remarkable what he’s been able to do in his life,” Robinson continued. “And the community has benefited so much.”
From mysteries to mythology
Though Ford is best known for his writing and speaking engagements, he’s no stranger to re-invention. The New York native started his career as a software engineer for IBM, where his father also worked, then trained in chiropractic medicine and psychotherapy. In 1990, Ford moved to Bellingham following a divorce and set up a private practice.
Today Ford is an accomplished author, having contributed to publications including Cascade PBS and Literary Hub. His books span topics from body-mind healing to African American history, racial healing and even environmentally-sound boating practices.
Robinson is particularly a fan of Ford’s Charlie Noble mystery series.
“I think I’ve read almost all of his books, and I’ve enjoyed all of them,” he said. “They have varied so much over the years.”
Ford’s interests might seem eclectic if not for one uniting theme: mythology. His 1999 book, “The Hero with an African Face,” is an in-depth exploration of African folklore, highlighting universal themes — creation, the circle of life and the hero’s journey — and their relevancy in today’s world.
“Mythology, to me, is the key that unites everything I’ve ever done and everything that I continue to do,” Ford said. “Because myth is really how it is we go about trying to bring ourselves in accord with the world that we live in.”
‘Voices that most people don’t hear’
Ford’s writing is regarded for its ability to bring hidden histories to life. His most recent book, “Of Blood and Sweat: Black Lives and the Making of White Power and Wealth” (2022), is memorable for its vivid depictions of real people — including Anthony and Isabella, two of the first Africans brought to North America in the early 1600s.
Ford’s 2019 book, “Think Black,” began as a straightforward memoir about his father’s work at IBM. But at the urging of his editor, Tracy Sherrod — whom Ford described as “one of the luminary African American female editors” — Ford would learn about IBM’s founder, Thomas J. Watson, who supplied technology to Nazi Germany.
“Writing ‘Think Black’ was really quite a gift, because it allowed me to reconnect with growing up with my father, who was the first Black software engineer in America,” Ford said. “What I did not know before I wrote that book was IBM’s deep background in some of the worst aspects of human history in the 20th century.”
Ford said “A High Price for Freedom” is, in some ways, a follow-up to “Of Blood and Sweat.” Ford said its title was derived from the phrase uttered by Jimmie Lee Jackson before his 1965 death in Selma, Alabama.
“He was shot by a white state trooper during a protest for voting rights, and he said to his nurse: ‘Isn’t this a high price for freedom?’” Ford said. “And I thought, what a really wonderful title for a book, because the book is really about hidden voices — voices that most people don’t hear.”
Ford and Martin Luther King Jr.
Ford’s acute lens on history makes him a natural fit for his newest role: director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library Publishing Project. Established in 2021, the project is an agreement between HarperCollins and the King estate to exclusively re-publish King’s previous materials, as well as new materials inspired by his work.
These new materials include children’s books, writing practice journals and the “On” series, which groups King’s works by subject. The first installment, “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Love,” was published in October 2024.
The project also republishes King’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech with forewords from figures including Poet Amanda Gorman and King’s surviving children. Ford said this effort “[brings] a speech which many people think they know into a context of the current age and helps people better get a sense of how King’s legacy should survive — and still does survive — today.”
In a 2023 Los Angeles Times op-ed, Ford wrote about King’s role as an “inconvenient hero.” King is remembered as a peacemaker — but as Ford points out, he was also a “troublemaker” who challenged America to “undergo a radical revolution of values to live up to its ideals.”
The power of conversation
Ford is a talented orator in his own right, having given more than 20 talks as a member of the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau. Executive Director Julie Ziegler said Ford was one of the most popular speakers during his tenure and reached more than 2,000 people.
“He is such an upbeat, optimistic, dynamic but honest presenter,” Ziegler said. “You’re always learning something new when you’re experiencing one of Clyde’s talks, in a way that feels comfortable but challenging at the same time.”
In the presentation “Biased Code: Technology and Human Rights,” Ford draws on his knowledge of IBM to explore the possibilities of equitable tech. Another presentation, “Let’s Talk About Race,” provides participants with basic tools for difficult conversations, then prompts them to pair up with someone they ordinarily wouldn’t speak with.
And while Ford is no stranger to events in Bellingham, he prioritizes giving talks to underserved populations, including in rural towns and prisons. He’s even been a guest on conservative radio shows.
“There are so many aspects of the last election that I don’t fully understand, but I do know this: With a more educated public I don’t think we would have had the same result,” Ford said. “And so it really is up to us to do what we can to educate people.”
Making a difference, one person at a time
To cultivate his own sense of resiliency, Ford has looked to Hindu and Buddhist meditation practices, where the object is “not to be attached to what you would like to happen [or] what you’re afraid might happen, but to find a path in the middle that allows you to simply be present.”
One of his spiritual teachers put it more plainly: To go through life successfully, become a really good surfer.
“If you’re going to be at the top of the wave, that also means you’ve got to be at the bottom,” Ford continued. “The real challenge is: Don’t fall off the surfboard.”
Ford might not be a surfer in the literal sense, but his love for the water is well-documented. Boating is what initially drew him to the Northwest; on a sunny winter’s day, you can find him working on his boat, Mystic Voyager, in Squalicum Harbor. To Ford, its maintenance is another form of mindfulness.
“I can’t think of a better place to love boating and to be a boater than Bellingham,” Ford said. “For me, it’s heaven.”
That’s not to say Ford turns a blind eye to Bellingham’s challenges. In a 2021 Crosscut column, he spoke about the cross-burning he witnessed here in 1994, as well as the racial covenants crossed out in the deed to his home.
But Ford is also aware of Bellingham’s possibilities. In the early ‘90s, he established the city’s first-ever Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. Its success illustrates one of Ford’s long-held beliefs: Bellingham is small enough that one person can make a difference.
“For me, personally, I’m a writer, I’m an author, I’m a speaker. That’s how I can best reach out,” Ford said. “[By] my age, I have learned that’s what I do best — and I think that people should do what it is they do best to reach out to others.”
Ford will give a talk about his experience boating in the Pacific Northwest on Thursday, May 8 at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal (355 Harris Ave.). The event is presented in partnership with the Community Boating Center and The Bronze Chapter, and proceeds benefit the organizations’ efforts to support equitable outdoor recreation access. Info: boatingcenter.org.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
