| Open My Eyes Open My Soul: Celebrating Our | | | | song.I use humor from my own diverse cultural |
| Common Humanity, is a special collection of poetry | | | | background and I created a silent film from one of the |
| and stories, with contributions from people of all walks | | | | stories "Danny", who was a foster child that was |
| of life. The book includes entries from celebrities such | | | | loved by and then taken away from his best-friend, |
| as Maya Angelou, Margaret Cho, Muhammad Ali, Dr. | | | | Abby Warmuth.We have happily found the possibilities |
| Bernie Siegel, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others, along | | | | to this book.... endless.I even used the book to conduct |
| with a diverse group of contributors.I am very proud | | | | a four hour employee diversity training, for a Fortune |
| and humbled to have been a part of the creation of | | | | 500 company's diversity council, on communication |
| this wonderful anthology, along with my co-creator, | | | | skills, pulling heavily from an entry by Lynise Harris titled |
| Yolanda King, who is the daughter of Dr. Martin Luther | | | | appropriately "The Perfect Lesson".I was also able to |
| King Jr and Coretta Scott King, who graciously wrote | | | | engage the audience by soliciting volunteers to act out |
| our books foreword.It excites me beyond words to | | | | some of the other readings in the book. I feel the |
| see this book being used in ways we didn't even | | | | bonds we formed that day, learning together as a |
| perceive, during its' creation. Since the book was | | | | team, will last us a life time.The messages in our book |
| published, in December 2003 by McGraw-Hill, we have | | | | touch people on what I call a heart level. When the |
| received much feedback on the many ways they are | | | | emotions are stirred and new perspectives are shared, |
| using our book, as a teaching tool.Diversity trainers, in | | | | people tend to sit back and reflect on the message. |
| the areas of Human Resource, jumped at the chance | | | | They are not being preached to, but enlightened to a |
| to purchase many copies of the book and start using it | | | | new way of thinking. Then they can do their own |
| as diversity training material for their | | | | self-examination of their soul and find areas where |
| organizations.Roger Rosas wrote us this message: " I | | | | they can make positive and proactive changes. Often |
| just finished reading your book "Open My Eyes, Open | | | | times the stories resonate with the reader because |
| My Soul" and I would like to tell you how magnificent | | | | they have had similar situations occur in their life.Our |
| your book is. I am a Diversity Project Manager for | | | | approach is different than preaching or mandating new |
| Liberty Mutual and your book has make me see | | | | regulations. Not that there isn't a place for those tactics, |
| Diversity in a total different prospective. I am also a | | | | but using this book, Open My Eyes Open My Soul, |
| member of the Houston Human Resources | | | | seems to inspires a common sense way of treating all |
| Association and member of the Diversity Committee. I | | | | of humanity with respect. I am not talking about treating |
| am plan to give your book as a gift to each member | | | | everyone the same, but with the same level of |
| of the Committee. I know that they all will enjoy it as | | | | respect.I believe the lessons in this book enlighten |
| much as I do."In addition to the workplace, people are | | | | people, who may not have known they were treating |
| using our book in churches and many classrooms | | | | others different than themselves, so that they can |
| nationwide.Shanedria Ridley, M. Ed wrote us this note | | | | connect and create more harmonious |
| "As a national educational consultant (and former | | | | relationships.Obviously, you may think as the |
| schoolteacher) who is frequently called upon to devise | | | | co-creator, I'm just a wee bit biased. However, what |
| solutions to instructional challenges, I am constantly | | | | you may not know is how much I have learned from |
| seeking materials and sources that can positively | | | | our contributors and how much I feel I have grown as |
| impact our great and troubled generation. | | | | an individual, since taking this project on.I can honestly |
| Illiteracy and intolerance continue to gnaw away the | | | | tell you that I had no foresight into being a diversity |
| foundation of our educational institutions, the training | | | | trainer prior to the creation of this book. However, I am |
| grounds for our future leaders. Your book serves as | | | | loving this experience and I plan to continue spreading |
| an antidote to both of these societal ills."This response | | | | the word of the benefits, when using Open My Eyes, |
| has prompted us on a journey to create a study guide | | | | Open My Soul as a diversity training tool.© |
| and online courses for diversity training as well as a | | | | Copyright 2005 Elodia Tate all rights reserved. |
| curriculum for educators, in the classroom.Both | | | | Permission to reprint granted with full article reprint, |
| Yolanda King and I have been able to creatively build | | | | author credit and a link back to my site.To contact |
| keynote presentations, on the topic of diversity, pulling | | | | Elodia Tate visit or email Elodia Tate is a best-selling |
| from just a few entries in our book each. Yolanda pulls | | | | author and professional speaker, who is known for |
| from her skill of an actor and dramatizes the readings | | | | using humor & story telling to connect with her |
| of Muhammad Ali, and Stevie Wonder. She also turned | | | | audience. She enjoys speaking to small groups as well |
| one popular poem "Agape" by Jimmi Ware, into a rap | | | | as large audiences. |