[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 24 (Monday, February 10, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E185-E186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING RHONDA WHITE-WARNER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 10, 2014

  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary life of Minister Rhonda White-Warner, a former minister 
and a social activist. Known throughout the Bay Area as a scholar, 
teacher, activist, preacher, and as a dedicated mother and grandmother, 
Minister White-Warner has left an indelible mark on our community. With 
her passing on January 15, 2014, we look to the outstanding quality of 
her life's work and the inspiring role she played in many lives through 
her community activism and as a spiritual leader.
  Born and raised in Oakland, Minister Rhonda White-Warner's passion 
for helping people began at a young age. After graduating from Oakland 
Technical High School in 1969, she received her Masters of Divinity 
from the American Baptist Seminary of the West, graduating with the 
highest GPA in her class and advancing to candidacy for a Doctor of 
Ministry degree at the San Francisco Theological Seminary. Minister 
White-Warner graduated with honors and received the Jessie Drexler 
Award for outstanding competency in Biblical Studies.
  Minister Rhonda White-Warner had a profound sense of dedication to 
helping the people in her community. As HIV/AIDS began to take its toll 
on the community, she knew it was important for faith based groups to 
step up and take action. She helped to establish the East Bay HIV Faith 
Collaborative. This collaborative is comprised of a group of HIV/AIDS 
advocates who educate and provide tools to African American Faith 
leaders. Aside from managing programs for HIV/AIDS, Minister White-
Warner also worked to address domestic violence and mental health 
services.
  Minister White-Warner also appreciated and promoted the arts. During 
the 1990s, she published a monthly magazine called Tibbets. This 
publication served to promote African American arts. Later, she became 
a founding member of the Oakland Ensemble Theatre in 1993, which 
established itself as the sole professional theater company in Oakland.
  Minister Rhonda White-Warner has left a lasting imprint on our 
society and communities of faith. She was a charter member of the 
Womanist Symposium Project at the Graduate Theological Seminary in 
Berkeley, California. This project engages womanist theology within the 
context of Black women in the local church setting. Their mission is to 
energize African American women to live positively and productively, as 
well as to empower and liberate African American women in the context 
of biblical scripture.
  Today, California's 13th Congressional District salutes and honors an 
outstanding individual and social activist, Minister Rhonda White-
Warner. As an Oakland-native, Minister White-Warner's efforts have 
truly paved the way for minorities and impacted so many lives 
throughout the nation. I join all of Rhonda's loved ones in celebrating 
her incredible life. She will be deeply missed.

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