Dr. Ronald B. Lonesome was born in New York City on December 6, 1941; to Nancy Lonesome- Harris, He was raised by his mother; whom he described as his inspiration for the pursuit of education and the appreciation of the arts.
Dr. Ronald B. Lonesome was a noted psychiatrist.
Ronald was educated in the New York City public school system and received his undergraduate degree from The City College Of New York City.
Year: 1964 – 1968
A family member's experience at a psychiatric hospital was the impetus for Dr. Lonesome's interest and subsequent career in psychiatry. In his pursuit of a medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine. Dr. Lonesome found his classroom courses and clinical training both trans formative and fascinating. After completing his medical degree in 1968, Dr. Lonesome accepted a rotating medical internship at the Los Angeles County General Hospital. then a part of USC Medical Center.
His year in California during the early days of de-institutionalization and the closure of state-run mental hospital, gave him firsthand knowledge of the consequences of releasing patients into communities that lacked appropriate social and health services and supportive housing.
Year: 1970
Dr. Lonesome observed the role street drugs and alcohol had in compounding treatment outcomes for these former patients. With this experience, he began his psychiatric residency at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, which was part of the Columbia University Medical Center.
His distinguished career as a psychiatrist, with board certifications in psychiatry and addiction medicine, includes nearly three decades of working in addiction psychiatry.
He was a former Dean of the Black Addictions intuition, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, AND a published authority on African American addiction and Mental Health.
Dr. Lonesome had been able to become open and willing to acknowledge himself as a gay or same gender loving man.' He had been a member the Harlem based group LGBT Faith Leader of Africa Descent. The group allowed him to bring together his Christian faith, as a member of the Riverside Church in New York City with his sexuality,' in order to resist homophobia in our community and in many of our places of worship and in many families.' He was a long standing active member of the Marantha Group of The Riverside Church. In addition, he was active in many other groups in The Riverside church.
Dr. Lonesome retired from active practice in 2008, in which he remained active as a community volunteer to his passing in 2020.
How to Apply:
The Dr Ronald B. Lonesome Award is presented by Maranatha, one of the Ministries of Mission and Social Justice at the Riverside Church, which is committed to serving God by fostering greater understanding while promoting equity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Same-Gender Loving, and Allies.
The completed application must be submitted though the electronic online process. No paper application will be accepted. All required attachments must be submitted at the same time your application is submitted.
The deadline for filing is May 26, 2025. Only complete applications can be considered. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Your application will be reviewed by members of the Maranatha Scholarship Committee. Selection will be based on the Eligibility Criteria listed below.
Eligibility Criteria:
• All applicants must be attending The City College of New York (CUNY) or Howard University as a fulltime student in the Fall of 2025. The student may be working toward a vocational school Certificate of Completion, Associate, Baccalaureate, or Master's degree. The student must have a 3.5 GPA (please provide transcript).
• Be self-identified as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and / or Transgender.
• If you are selected, you must attend the Riverside Church Pride Sunday Breakfast Celebration on Sunday, June 29, 2025. The scholarship will be presented at this event.
• Remember! Keep a copy of your application for your records.
Questions may be directed to The Riverside Church Missions and Social Justice Office at msj@trcnyc.org