http://issuu.com/tallahasseewoman/docs/aug_sept2015_online/1
Click link above to view Tallahassee Woman Magazine’s August/September issue. My small debut is on page 57, but I am nonetheless grateful to be included!
The feature highlight’s community organization PACE Center for Girls/Leon which originated in Jacksonville. Ironically, one of my first freelance articles in 2001 was on PACE Jacksonville and appeared in the community news section of the Florida Times-Union.
Penny Dickerson 2015
It was a tremendous blessing to contribute my creative energy in the form of a poem to Bishop Rudolph McKissick, Sr.’s 45th Anniversary Celebration. Comforting was my friend Vincent Brown’s comment that he has never known me to write a poem that rhymes. That would be correct, but I knew I had to appeal to a cross-section of generations and ages who could understand and appreciate the familiar nuances of our Bishop who has been at the pulpit’s helm for Bethel Baptist Institutional Church for 45 years. Now that’s what I call serious, ministerial service.
Oddly, I have had few personal encounters with Bishop Sr., but he’s one of those souls whose spirit you can capture from his morning messages, his presence, his willingness to be so accessible to his flock, and his genuine zeal for the Lord and the people of God. He’s humble, consistent, real, often humorous, and incredibly compassionate. (I hope the poem conveyed that!)
He is a Pastor’s Pastor and a Bishop’s Bishop. While I actually do write in rhyme (slant rhyme, off rhyme, internal rhyme), I leave “end rhyme” to the one and only master of the craft and that was Robert Frost. It is actually very difficult to do without sounding “trite and/or elementary.” Sometimes there are occasions where our gifts find their dutiful place and purpose and in the writing of this poem, I must say, metaphorical genius was neither required nor necessary.
Incidentally, I didn’t read the poem the evening of the Florida Theater spectacular tribute. I was unsure if I’d even be able to attend so another church member rehearsed diligently and delivered eloquently and beautifully. Kudos! I don’t know her name, but thank you for representing my work and uplifting Bishop.
It was a dignified and professionally produced theatrical production and more than adequately served as an integral part of a weekend long celebration for a man whose life and legacy have, and will continue to make a difference.
Much love and respect to you Bishop, Sr. and thank you for being such a blessing to me and countless others.
Penny Dickerson 2011
BY PENNY DICKERSON
FLORIDA COURIER
Black families from across the country upped the ante on the traditional Labor Day weekend barbecues by opting to attend the 2015 Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando.
Dubbed both a “fam fest” and “fan fest,” the reunion attracts a cross-section of generations who convened by the thousands for four days, Sept. 3-7, to enjoy a free expo, seminars, celebrity appearances and soulful performances. Nostalgia reigned as families got up close and personal to meet their favorite stars from shows that spanned decades like the casts of “Good Times,’’ “Living Single,’’ and the youth cast from the ABC primetime hit “Black-ish.’’ Continue Reading »
Daytona to stop asking about criminal convictionsBY PENNY DICKERSON
DAYTONA TIMES
Daytona Beach joined a growing number of cities around the country this week when it officially announced it was banning the box on applications that asks if someone has been convicted of a crime.
Applicants applying for city employment can now be assured they will be assessed based upon their qualifications versus potential discrimination for having a criminal record of a misdemeanor or felony. Continue Reading »
Ready for Jazz in the Gardens stage
BY PENNY DICKERSON
FLORIDA COURIER
Jazz in the Gardens will kick off on March 18-20 with a star-studded lineup that includes Usher, Aretha Franklin, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Michael McDonald, Average White Band, Kool & the Gang, Fred Hammond, and Brian Culbertson.
Along with internationally known artists, the multi-day concert at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, will introduce attendees to homegrown favorites like artists CriStyle Renae, Lavie, and regulars on the Broward County nightclub scene – April Raquel and Kouture Band. Continue Reading »
BY PENNY DICKERSON
FLORIDA COURIER
Nine Florida teens were among 100 high school students selected to participate in the ninth annual Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence magazine. Selected from an applicant pool of thousands, the blessed nine participated in a four-day, all-expense paid, hands-on educational and mentoring opportunity held March 3-6 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista.
(L-R) High school students Victoria Tinney of Zephyrhills, Fla. and Kirby Gilmore of Cutler Bay, Fla. explore the world of marine life with the help of education programs instructors, March 4, 2016, during an animal care and marine biology workshop at Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine at Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The ninth annual event March 3-6, 2016, is a career-inspiration program for distinguished high school students from across the U.S. and includes interactive workshops, motivational seminars, hands-on creative experiences and fun at Walt Disney World Resort. (Gregg Newton, photographer)
Representing four separate quadrants of the state were Tyrah Rumph (Orlando); Maurice Morrison (Ocala); Steshawna Thomas (Middleburg); Alex Gregory (Port Charlotte); and Victoria Tinney (Zephyrhills). From the Miami area: Kirby Gilmore, Justin Gonzalez, K’deja Correa and Valeria Hansen.
Harvey on dreams
The student’s dreams and collegiate goals were as diverse as their ethnicities, which contributed to the Class of 2016 comprising one of the academy’s most diverse groups. Continue Reading »
Penny Dickerson 
