Clarence Washington: The Pursuit of Joy

By Cassandra Baptista

On one of the last warm Saturdays of the year, Clarence Washington, 74, rode his bike to his favorite spot in Boston, the Kelleher Rose Garden in the Back Bay Fens. Leaves and fallen rose petals rustled on the ground, as this Renaissance man shared a glimpse into his vibrant life.

He took a seat on a bench with a view of the Museum of Fine Arts—the launching pad for his paid scholarship to study art in Europe.

“Always, I am experimenting and discovering,” Washington said, as he took off his shoes and let the sun warm his feet. In his life, he has acted, written poetry, painted, and he currently teaches art at Tufts, but he considers himself mostly a singer and drummer. His shockingly blue eyes squinted as he stared at the sky. It is clear he is not easily defined by himself or by anyone else.

Washington laughs easily, but is guarded and protective over his history. Even the details of his birth are ambiguous—his birth certificate from West Roxbury bears no name. He explained a series of happenstances in his life: living next door to the inventors of the first stereo, traveling Europe with British royalty, seeing communist leader “the red flame”, and walking into a meeting held by Malcolm X.

But despite his broad range of experiences, Washington explains his life is at “ground zero”: he feels he is now more connected to himself and the world around him than ever before. His music, art and philosophy on life are strongly rooted in his spirituality. Washington pointed to a wilting rose and said, “What will happen to that rose after it falls down? It will regenerate.”

“In terms of life and death, I don’t believe in either. If there’s no life or death, no before or after, what there is is what you do with your now.”

He gestured with his hands, his fingers individually tied with rubber-bands, like little reminders, to strengthen his fingers for percussion. He tapped the back of the bench, demonstrating how he plays the conga.

Even though he feels secure with who he is now, Washington said he doesn’t claim to have it all figured out.

“I don’t know what my life was about,” Washington said, “but I know this much: joy is the one thing we are all searching for. Joy is a groove. Joy moves and expands like heat. You have to replenish it. Joy is it. Whatever you’re doing, ask yourself, ‘Are you having a good time?’ If you have joy, nothing will ever be against you.”