MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY

This volume of poems, essays, prayers, and presentations focuses on activism and faith.

The book opens with a selection of poetry that ranges in topic from the religious and the political to the secular, touching on current issues like the Black Lives Matter movement and the state of health care in the United States. Many of the poems—and, indeed, the sermons and notes that follow—are written in all capital letters and include emoticons to emphasize their importance to the writer or speaker. A section on presentations includes pictures of slides with notes and deals with issues like “Caring for Racist Patients,” which is relevant to Wilson-Cone’s work as a clinical pastoral educator. Many of the collected writings are centered on the author’s various communities, including her sorority and her religious family. Some of the pieces included are written by like-minded colleagues of Wilson-Cone’s, including a sermon by Chaplain Jamez Terry on discovering his transgender identity and his queer family. A section dedicated to tributes and obituaries encourages readers to eschew the cultural fears of end-of-life planning. Though many of the writings in this collection seem almost too personal to be intriguing to a wide audience, the author’s ardent belief in multiculturalism of all kinds is readily apparent. Her righteous anger and fervent admiration shine through in her poetry, and her prose is clear and easy to understand. She is committed to her faith in a Christian God, but her work could easily speak to any reader who believes strongly in social justice.

A multifaceted collection that encourages readers to think deeply about diversity in all its forms.