Tate, Elodia 1963–

(Elodia Evans, Elodia Tate-Evans)

PERSONAL: Given name is pronounced "e-low-dee-a"; born August 22, 1963, in Fort Stockton, TX; daughter of James (an auto mechanic) and Dora (in retail sales; maiden name, Pena) Tate; married Marvin Evans, April 4, 1987 (divorced January 31, 2004); children: Danae Tate, Devaun Evans, Dionne Evans, Derek Evans. Ethnicity: "Hispanic, Caucasian, Native American." Politics: Democrat. Religion: Christian.

ADDRESSES: Office—P.O. Box 578325, Modesto, CA 95357. Agent—Jeff Kleinman, Graybill & English, 1875 Connecticut Ave., Ste. 712, Washington, DC 20009.

CAREER: Expert Financial Services, Redwood City, CA, mortgage broker, 1984–88; Lamas Loan Group, Tracy, CA, loan officer, 1988–92; Adobe Mortgage, Manteca/Modesto, CA, owner and mortgage broker, 1992–94; writer, health coach, and public speaker, Modesto, CA, 1995–; Modesto Magic Basketball Association.

WRITINGS:

(With Yolanda King) Open My Eyes, Open My Soul: Celebrating Our Common Humanity, foreword by Coretta Scott King, McGraw-Hill (New York, NY), 2003.

Contributor to books, including Chicken Soup for the African American Soul. Some writings appear under the names Elodia Evans or Elodia Tate-Evans.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Infinite Paths to Wellness: Stories and Resources to Offer Hope, Health, and Humor; research on alternative health.

SIDELIGHTS: Elodia Tate told CA: "I love storytelling to teach. I feel it is much better to tell a story than to preach. That way, the ones who hear the story with their hearts can do their own self-examination of the soul. I believe telling a story, either written or spoken, can change perceptions much more easily.

"I am Hispanic, Caucasian, and Native American, and my children are part African-American. However, I look more Caucasian, which allows me to be a 'fly on the wall' in certain environments and hear things that show me, even though we have come a long way, we still have a long way to go. That is my reason for reaching out to Yolanda King and writing Open My Eyes, Open My Soul: Celebrating Our Common Humanity.

"I had a health condition for years that was finally diagnosed as lupus/SLE. I took a natural approach, and the lupus has been in remission since 1995. That is what led to my interest in alternative medicine or natural health."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Black Issues Book Review, July-August, 2004, Lynette C. Velasco, review of Open My Eyes, Open My Soul: Celebrating Our Common Humanity, p. 31.