News & Press
EOL Press Kit
1. Professional Profile
2. Presentation, Lecture, & Workshop Credits
3. Media Coverage & Columnist/Contributing Writer Credits
Contact: Gloria Anderson, 913-433-3877
andersongl@umkc.edu
AUTHOR/SPEAKER – GLORIA THOMAS ANDERSON, LMSW
The African American Spiritual and Ethical Guide to End of Life CareWhat Y’all Gon’ Do With Me? (Let’s Talk About It):
Gloria Thomas Anderson, a master’s degreed social worker and clinical instructor at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Social Work, is an African-American international author and motivational speaker. Anderson teaches cultural diversity and practicum integration courses, has authored three books, and presents and lectures on a wide range of social service and inspirational topics. Additionally, she developed and wrote a population-based cultural competency training manual for mental health and social service professionals.
Her books, Passion For Your Purpose – Discovering Peace, Direction and Balance in Your Life; While I Wait, an inspirational book of original poetry; and her most recent publication, The African American Spiritual and Ethical Guide to End of Life Care: What Y’all Gon’ Do With Me? (Let’s Talk About It), are examples of Anderson’s lifelong commitment to helping others through knowledge and inspiration. In addition to her own online column, “Inspiring Insights”, Anderson has been a contributing writer for other websites and hardcopy newspapers and magazines.
Anderson’s publication ,The African American Spiritual and Ethical Guide to End of Life Care: What Y’all Gon’ Do With Me? (Let’s Talk About It) (“The Guide”), is the culmination of her personal experience with elderly relatives, extensive primary and secondary research for her master’s degree project, and a groundbreaking educational paper she wrote to address the end-of-life care issues specific to African Americans. The Guide discusses spirituality in the context of three key influencing factors— the African-American culture, history, and generational family values. In the process of developing and writing The Guide, Anderson became a subject-matter expert and presented her paper in 2006 to the North American International Conference on Spirituality and Social Work in Ontario, Canada. Her paper was also published in The Society for Spirituality and Social Work Forum. In the Kansas City metro area, Gloria has teamed up with Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care to distribute the booklet in the hospice’s nine-county service area in an effort to increase awareness of end of life options to African American communities.
A native of Kansas City, MO, Anderson has presented workshops and/or lectured in Canada and many cities throughout several states in the US. She has been a radio talk show host and guest featured on various television/radio shows and in print media for her books and accomplishments. She was also commissioned by the N.A.A.C.P. for an inspirational literary piece. Most recently, Anderson presented for Children’s Mercy Hospital, the National Association of Social Workers’ 2008 “Show Me” Annual Symposium, and Kansas University Medical Center Ethics Committee. Recent articles written about her end of life project by Hospice Foundation of America, The Best Times Magazine, and Minority Nurse Magazine can be read online.
Anderson is a Certified Facilitator and Diversity Trainer. In 2002, she became a Certified Behavioral Consultant through the Institute for Motivational Living in New Castle, PA. She received her FastTrac Facilitator certification from the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, MO in 2004. Anderson is also a self-made entrepreneur as Founder and President of Heart Tones™, a company that offers educational and inspirational workshops/presentations, products and writings, and an online inspirational column at www.hearttones.com. Her professional affiliations include the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Society of Social Work Leaders in Health Care (SSWLHC), and Council of Social Work Education (CSWE).
2. PRESENTATION, LECTURE, & WORKSHOP CREDITS
Recent Presentations
End of Life Guest Lecturer, Kansas University Medical Center-Ethics, Kansas City, MO, June 17, 2008
End of Life Presenter, National Association of Social Workers, Osage Beach, MO; March 28–30, 2008
End of Life Guest Lecturer, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, March 13, 2008
Former Presentations
• North American International Conference on Spirituality and Social Work, May, 2006
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (End of Life paper)
• UMKC Women’s Council Board of Directors, Kansas City, MO, September, 2006
• Student National Medical Association, at University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS, November, 2006
• UMKC, Masters Social Work Program, November, 2006
• Park University, Bachelor Social Work Program, November 2006
• “EnVision the Possibilities” KXVI Radio, Talk Show Host, Gloria Anderson, Garland, TX, 2003–2004
• Executive Women in Government, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Write Now 3! SIBAYNE CONFERENCE, Baltimore, MD, 2003
• United States Postal Service, APLUS, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Tru-Pearl Event Planners, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Women That Soar Organization, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Pioneering For the Future, Women’s History Month, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Concord Baptist Church, Women’s Program, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Women in Longview Day Conference, Longview, TX, 2003
• Women In Action, Nation of Faith Retreat, Ft. Worth, TX, 2003
• Training For Excellence Conference, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Fellowship of Professional Women, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Celebrating Sister Friends Book Club, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Rainbow Days, Performance Camp Broadway, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Black Expo–Literary Café, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Barnes and Noble–New Writers Panelist/Advisor, Cedar Hill, TX, 2003
• Christian Arts Forum Writers Conference, Seattle, WA, 2003
• Black Images Book Bazaar, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Jokae’s Book Store, Dallas, TX, 2003
• Maxwell Books, Desoto, TX, 2003
• Joy Unlimited, Seattle, WA, 2003
• Carol’s Essentials, Seattle, WA, 2003
• Women’s AGLOW Teen Retreat Roanoke, VA, 2002
• New Life Christian Books, Lynchburg, VA, 2002
• Heaven and Earth Bookstores, Virginia Beach, VA & Richmond, VA, 2002
• BookEnds, Forest, VA, 2002
• Christian Book Shop, Lynchburg, VA, 2002
• New Life Family Bookstore, Roanoke, VA, 2002
3. MEDIA COVERAGE & COLUMNIST/CONTRIBUTING WRITER CREDITS
Recent and Former Media Coverage
March 4, 2008––Kansas City, MO
Radio Station KPRT, “Winds of Change” Talk Show:
Host Dacia Moore
February 2, 2008––Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Star, “FYI Book Club” Participant
Jan 26 2008––Kansas City, MO
Radio Station KPRT, Eric Wesson's “Make You Wanna Holler” Talk Show:
Guest Host, Delores Jones
Jan 27 2008––Kansas City, MO
Radio Station KGGN, John Anderson's “Legacy Alive” Talk Show:
Guest Host, Arlivia White
2003––Dallas, TX
Radio Station KHVN, “Community Forum” Talk Show:
Host, Robert Ashley
2003––Dallas, TX
DFW Heritage, A Lifestyles Newspaper for the 21st Century Christian
(Now owned by Black America Today)
2003––Dallas, TX
Comcast Cable Channel 27A, “The Wilmer Blacknall Show”:
Host, Wilmer Blacknall
2002––Lynchburg, VA
Local Television, Whitehead Media, “Conversations with Andre” Talk Show:
Host, Andre Whitehead
2002––Longview, TX
East Texas Review, Newspaper
2001 & 2002––Lynchburg, VA
The News & Advance, Newspaper
1998––Bedford, VA
Bedford Bulletin, Newspaper
Columnist/Contributing Writer Credits
– www.hearttones.com (Personal inspirational web site since 1999)
– “Inspiring Insights for Your Soul and Spirit” (Monthly email column free to anyone; 2001 – Present, 1000+ subscribers)
– www.ezinearticles.com (Contributor, 2006 – 2007)
– www.surewoman.com (Contributor, 2006 – 2007)
– Fort Worth Black News (Contributor, 2003 – 2004), Fort Worth, TX
– Formerly Black Economic Times (Contributor, 2003 – 2004), Dallas, TX
– Today’s Virtuous Woman Magazine (Contributor, 2003), Dallas, TX
– Renaissance Woman’s Digest (Contributor, 2002 – 2003), Alexandria, VA