Jamila J. Woods

State Delegate, 26th District, Maryland House of Delegates

Backstory

By Sue Coyle

Jamila J. Woods believes being of service to others is simply what she is meant to do. It is in her blood, she says, having traced her ancestry far enough back to have Harriet Tubman on her family tree. But it also stems from her experiences—first and foremost her childhood.

“I was brought up in foster care for the first 12 years of my life. I experienced every type of abuse that you can probably imagine,” she says. “Something inside of me knew that I wanted to prevent other people from having to experience what I and my siblings I grew up in foster care with experienced.”

Woods earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, followed by a Master of Divinity and then an MSW. Her work since has used all three, as she has been a social justice advocate, served as a pastor, started her own church, and much more. It was not until others encouraged her, however, that Woods decided to run for political office.

“I ran because people basically told me ‘you need to do this,’” she says. Still, she hesitated, worried that she was too far along in her career and struggling with several personal losses, including the death of her son.

It was the possibility to effect change on a larger level that fueled her forward. Much of Woods’ work in office (and outside of it) is about mental health. “As you know, mental health services have improved and increased over the years, but people still do not understand how important it is,” she says.

Unsurprisingly, since becoming a state delegate, Woods is most proud of the passage of H.B. 0404, also known as Gabriel’s Law. It is named for Woods’ son. The law requires law enforcement agencies to conduct or submit a request to the appropriate agency for a wellness check without unreasonable delay. It also requires the appropriate emergency services to conduct the check with law enforcement.

Today, Woods is focused on continuing her work advocating and legislating for more awareness, understanding and action around mental health. Despite her concerns before she ran for office, Woods is confident now that “I am where I belong. It took me a long time—almost 60 years of my life,” she says. “I thought I was too old. I thought I couldn’t be effective, and now I’m in office, (and) I realize I was built for this.”