Multicultural Diversity: Opening Our Hearts

By Rev. Dr. Patricia Anne Wilson-Cone

"Employing her own voice and the voices of her colleagues and students, Dr. Wilson-Cone invites readers to look deeply into their own souls and spirits to discover the roots of multicultural diversity in their own lives. In the midst of today’s forces which tend to denigrate various cultures and ethnicities, this valuable resource is a light in the darkness and ought to be in the possession of those who seek to explore openness and inclusiveness in the teaching and learning process.”

Rev. Cameron Byrd, D.Min.
Retired Certified Educator
Association for Clinical Pastoral Education

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796011425

Book preview

MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY:

OPENING OUR HEARTS

Image%2084.jpg

REV. DR. PATRICIA ANNE WILSON-CONE

BS, MLS, MDiv, DDiv, PhD

Copyright © 2019 by

REV. DR. PATRICIA ANNE WILSON-CONE BS, MLS, MDiv, DDiv, PhD.

ISBN:                  Hardcover                     978-1-9845-7223-3

                            Softcover                       978-1-9845-7224-0

                            eBook                            978-1-7960-1142-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 04/03/2019

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Praise For Multicultural Diversity: Opening Our Hearts

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

SECTION 1: POEMS

Poems By Dr. Patricia A. Wilson-Cone, Other Pastors, And Friends

SECTION 2: SERMONS, NOTES ON SERMONS, AND REFLECTIONS

Sermons, Notes, And Reflections By Dr. Patricia A. Wilson-Cone And Others

SECTION 3: PRESENTATIONS

Presentations And Talks By Dr. Patricia A. Wilson-Cone, Other Pastors, And Medical Colleagues

SECTION 4: PRAYERS

Special Prayers By Dr. Patricia A. Wilson-Cone, Other Pastors, And Colleagues

SECTION 5: TRIBUTES

TRIBUTES, EULOGIES, AND REMEMBRANCES OF INFLUENTIAL AND INSPIRATIONAL SOULS

Section 6: Powerpoint Presentations

Powerpoint Presentations By Dr. Patricia A. Wilson-Cone

About The Author

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my grandparents, the late Deacon Gene Cone and Mrs. Carrie Cone. They taught me the importance of loving, respecting, and caring for all of God’s people, regardless of race, ethnicity, faith, and gender.

I knew the importance of Loving All of God’s People as I grew up in Cocoa, Florida, and attended Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, where I was baptized at age 7. It was this church in which I attended Sunday School, Church, Baptist Training Union, and Prayer Meeting. I went to church so much that I remember saying as a child, When I get grown I’m not going to church. Now look at me today. LOL LOL LOL.

Thank you, Grand Mama and Grand Daddy.

Special Dedication to my 5-year-old son, Deacone, a Tibetan spaniel (smile).

Deacone met me at the door during this writing and put me to sleep at night by resting on my feet.

doggy.jpg

PRAISE FOR MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY: OPENING OUR HEARTS

Dr. Patricia Wilson-Cone has written a book of inspiration, poetry, and sermons by her ministerial colleagues to intrigue your mind, conscious, and inner being. In reading Multicultural Diversity: Opening Our Hearts, your mind and heart becomes open to dialoguing with yourself first, your family, your co-workers, and your cohorts. You will be challenged, confronted, and imbued with a new meaning of what did I do and what shall I do with my stance on Multicultural Diversity.

When Dr. Pat founded the Massachusetts Black Librarians Caucus in 1978, served Librarian in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida’s library system, and as Secretary for the NACCP Chapter in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida during the late 70’s and 80’s, she had this same burning desire in her heart to speak up for the just and the unjust. She knows and affirms what it means to work with diverse backgrounds. Her heart has always been open for Multicultural Diversity. Read this book today and respond to Dr. Pat’s CALL to Multicultural Diversity: Opening Our Hearts.

Samuel F. Morrison

Founder, African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Ft Lauderdale, FL

Director, Broward County Library System

Diversity Champion Award, Urban League

NAACP President Award 1998

Honorary Life Member American Library Association & Fla Library Association

Chaplain Educator Wilson-Cone has taken a creative approach to multicultural awareness and sensitivity through prose, poetry, observations, and reflections. Her insights are clear and provocative, providing her own interpretations while opening up dialogue about how one’s individual experience and perceptions intersect with the cultural interpretations and experiences of others.

- Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton

Retired ACPE Educator

Presiding Bishop, Fifth District, The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

PRAISE FROM SORORITY MEMBERS

Alaska Deltas Dining To Read

Our book club Dining to Read consists of a group of sorority sisters who gather monthly to discuss a book and share fellowship over a good meal. Each member is in charge of her own book selection. Rev. Dr. Patricia Wilson-Cone surprised us all when she handed us a draft of a book she was planning to publish. She gave each of us a copy of Multicultural Diversity and an assignment. We were asked to take notes on thoughts we had as we read.

We met the following month to discuss our thoughts. For most of us, the book was written in an unfamiliar genre. We needed more clarification of Rev. Dr. Pat’s purpose. The statements in her Introduction come from our discussion. The Introduction nicely lays out what she means by culture and sheds light on what she wishes her audience to do reading her book.

Dr. Pat has gathered sermons, speeches, personal notes, and poetry that have impacted her personally. She calls herself an activist—and she is. During book club discussions, she is the first to say, What can we or should we do about this? And many of the topics in the book address ideas she feels need action. She asks readers to consider the ideas and wide-ranging subject matter from our unique multicultural diverse perspectives. Our book club agreed that this book is a genuine and important contribution to multiculturalism and understanding. We are proud to have Dr. Pat as our Soror.

Sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Alaska Alumnae Chapter, Anchorage, Alaska

September 27, 2018

- Wanda Wilson, Manager AT & T

- Dr. Marie English, Pediatric Dentist

- Elsie E. Lester, Retired Chemistry Professor

- Lori A. Colbert, Mendel Colbert & Associates, Inc., Shareholder

- Corinne Akers, Retired Public School Teacher

- Renee Wardlaw, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, Senior

Director of Corporate Compliance and Associate General Counsel

- Janderia Burrell, Teacher, Alaska School District,

Anchorage, Alaska

- Tina Johnson-Harris, A. J. Dimond High School Principal,

Anchorage School District, Anchorage, Alaska

- Dr Felisa Wilson, U. S. Air Force Medical Physician, Joint Base

Elmendorf–Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska

- Rev. Dr. Patricia A. Wilson-Cone, Clinical Pastoral

Educator, State of Alaska

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A special thank you to Rev. Dr. Gina Casey for the cover design and for all the good work in editing the initial manuscript.

Special thank you to Dr. Marie J. English for all the times I lived in your home during my annual 15 consecutive-year retreating. It was there in your living room where I ENJOYED the VIEW of those beautiful mountains. They helped me to center down to pray, and writing really flowed through me onto the page.

Thanks to Mrs. Rosa L. Foster for picking me up every day. Then there was News Year’s Day and your husband, known by you as Mr. Billy and me as General William Foster, who took the time to mentor me to becoming a Major and then Lt. Col Chaplain in the U.S. Army Chaplaincy Corp. during my retreat time. And you drove me around places in Anchorage, Alaska … it was during those times that my writing energy continued to evolve.

Thank you, Shiloh Baptist Church, Anchorage, Alaska, where I first started taking notes of sermons preached by Rev. Edwina Brown, Rev. Dr. Alonzo B. Patterson, and Rev. Undra Parker and other clergy persons.

Thank you to my present pastor, Rev. Dr. Jill F. Bradway, Pastor of First American Baptist Church for saying YES to your sermons to be published in this book and YES to me as your Associate Minister. Thank you for the opportunity to serve in my Calling at your church.

Thank you, Rev. Donald, for all of your Unitarian teachings and introducing me to the books of Dr. Howard Thurman, whom I resonated with when I lost the will and desire to write. Donald, I never would have made it without you by my side and empowering me to becoming a Certified Educator in ACPE. Thank you for a wonderful relationship and for teaching me that life is GOOD.

Thank you, Sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., especially the Farwest Region where I previously served as the Farwest Regional Chaplain, and to my home chapter, where I now serve the Alaska Alumnae Chapter here in Anchorage, Alaska. For hearing my prayers and allowing me to pray with you, your family, and for you and the times you prayed for me and empowered me to write this book.

Thank you, Sam Morrison, Director of Ft. Lauderdale Library System, for hiring me as a librarian. This gave me the light to write.

Thank you, Thenila—some call you Nila, some call you T, but I call you FAMU Friend who heard me, believed in me, and affirmed me to write this book. You’ll never know what those phone calls meant.

Dr Janice E. Kelsh, you are AWESOME and such a joy and inspiration in my life. You empower me to do better daily.

Ms. Dorothy L. Milton, I can’t say thank you enough for all your care, support, and empowering words of wisdom. A special thank you to your family sharing with me as a family member.

Thank you, Providence Alaska Medical Center, for saying YES to me and allowing me to publish you in a variety of ways in this book. Special thanks to the Spiritual Care and CPE Team.

Thank you ACPE colleagues and, of most importance, thank you all ACPE students who have said YES to my publishing your sermons and wisdom, to be used as an EACH-ONE-TEACH-ONE concept for other ACPE students.

Thank you, Rev. Dr. Hallie Lawson Reeves, my first CPE supervisor, who believed in me, encouraged me, and gave me the opportunity to grow and blossom.

Thank you, Dr. Noelle Sterne, you’re the GREATEST.

I really do have a family to be