wfn.org | UCC People of Color Leadership Development Program

[George Conklin <gconklin@wfn.org>]

United Church of Christ
Office of Communication
700 Prospect Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44115
contact: Barbara Powell
phone: 216-736-2222
email: powellb@ucc.org
http://www.ucc.org

PROVIDENCE, RI - July 6 1999 - 

People of Color Leadership Development Event
by Curt Miller
        “We see hope for the call of the United Church of Christ to be a
multiracial, multicultural church,” says the Rev. Lillian Valentin de Rico.  De
Rico and her husband, Ferdinand, see that hope in the young people they’re
working with at General Synod 22. 
        The Ricos are cocoordinators of the People of Color Leadership
Development Program.  Forty young people are studying, worshiping, laughing,
dancing, crying, and staying up late together during GS22 at Beneficent UCC in
Providence. 
        There have been ups and downs. Program participants and other UCC young
people are staying at Johnson and Wales University dorms.  According to Lillian
de Rico, a young UCC white kid from Iowa saw the People of Color leadership
development sign and said, “I’m from Iowa  I’m racist. Ha ha ha.” No one else
laughed.  The white kid ascended the stairs and repeated the “I’m from Iowa”
line.  He laughed alone again. 
        Okay, that’s it for bad news.  Good news bubbled all around a Sunday
night “cultural celebration” of the program.  Native Americans purified
themselves with “sacred sage.” Hispanics taught others salsa dancing. Pacific
Islanders, Asians and African Americans shared and celebrated their cultures as
well. Marcus, of the HoChunk Nation of Black River Falls, Wis., did a little
standup comedy. “These young people are special  because they are proud of who
they are,” said Lillian. 
        The Ricos really lit up telling about what happened after the planned
program. First, young people from the Rhode Island Conference invited the
people of color group to fellowship. “They wanted to feel that family they
could see was happening” among the young people of color, said Lillian.  Then
the Missouri delegation wanted some of that “family,” too.  So all of them got
together in a lounge at Johnson and Wales. Too bad the kid from Iowa wasn’t
there, God love him.
        General Synod 22 inaugurates a new turn for the People of Color
Leadership Program. Grants from the American Missionary Association and the
Commission for Racial Justice are funding a twoyear program that began with
this “summit” in Providence.  Three regional leadership events will follow over
the next two years.
        The Council of Hispanic Ministries, Council for American Indian
Ministry, PacificIslander and Asian American Ministries and United Black
Christians each nominated 10 young people to attend the GS22 summit.  What are
these young people showing that makes them potential future United Church
leaders?  “Their dedication, living their faith, hunger for the Word,” said
Ferdinand Rico. “These kids have an open heart. They want to learn.”