Career Highlights

Numerous schools and libraries throughout the United States (references provided upon request) 

    • AVENUES “Team/Staff Building With Stories” Hannibal, MO  
    • Moberly Area Community College Moberly, MO  
    • Quincy Park District Quincy, IL  
    • Oral & Moral Storytelling Conference Hannibal, MO  
    • Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence conference Springfield, IL  
    • Quincy Museum Folk Arts Festival Quincy, IL  
    • Fort Leonard Wood Literacy Festival Waynesville, MO  
    • Sikeston Cotton Festival Sikeston. MO  
    • Northern Appalachian Storytelling Festival Mansfield, PA  
    • Chillicothe Chautauqua Chillicothe, MO  
    • Raintree Arts Council’s River Lore Intergenerational Project Elsberry, Louisiana and Winfield Missouri Schools  
    • Women’s Center of Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL  
    • Salt River Folklife Festival Florida, MO 
    • Nebraska Storytelling Festival Omaha, NE  
    • Sioux Falls Storytelling Festival Sioux Falls, SD 
    • Old Courthouse Heritage Museum Sioux Falls, SD  
    • National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Conference Washington, DC May 
    • Mineral Area College Park Hills, MO   
    • Culver Stockton College Canton, MO   
    • Regional storyteller at numerous festivals 

 

 

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS AS A FEATURED TELLER

  • Big Muddy Folk Festival Boonville, MO 
  • Ironworld Button Box & Quilt Festival Minnesota 
  • Small Farm/Nutrition Conference Cahoka, MO 
  • New Salem Storytelling Festival (twice) St. Petersburgh, IL 
  • Vermont College Writer’s Conference Montpelier, Vt 
  • Storytellers’ Yagbe Milwaukee, WI 
  • Suncoast Writer’s Conference St.Petersburg, FL 
  • St. Louis Storytelling Festival (twice) St. Louis, MO 
  • NABS Festival Kansas City, MO 
  • Trails West St. Joseph, MO 
  • PBS St. Louis 
  • PBS Springfield, IL 
  • CSPAN (for portrayal of Mrs. Dred Scott during the Quincy, IL enactment of the Lincoln Douglas debates) 

REGIONAL TELLER HIGHLIGHTS

  • National Storytelling Network Annual Conference Kansas City, MO 
  • National Storytelling Festival Exchange Place Jonesborough, TN 
  • National Storytelling Network Featured teller Jonesborough, TN
  • International Storyteller in Residence Jonesbourough, TN
  • St Louis Storytelling Festival  
  • Maple Woods Community College Storytelling Festival 

INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHT

  • Traveling as an Education & Storytelling Delegate to the People’s Republic of China with members of the National Storytelling Network 1997 (Bejing. Gaochung City, Shanghai. Gung Vllage) 
  • Telling Stories at Shaanxi Normal University Xi’An, China 

AWARDS

  • “Distinguished Literary Achievement Award” from the Governor’s Humanities Council for my book, Stories From the Heart, “ Missouri’s African American Heritage.”
  • Griot’s Award from the Black History Museum in St. Louis
  • “Individual Artist of the Year Award” from the Missouri Arts Council 
  • Scholarship recipient to Southern Arts Federation Conference for Professional Development Training 
  • Oral Histories Project Grant through MAC/MFP administered by Clarksville, MO’s Raintree Arts Council 
  • Missouri Historical Society Research Grant (Brownlee Fund) 
  • MFP/MAC.MFS Storytelling in MO grant 
  • MO Master Folk Artist in the area of Storytelling 
  • National Association of Black Storytellers Life Member
  • HONORARY DOCTORATES DEGREE from The University of Missouri in May of 2015
  • Project Grants (as Executive Director of FGAC/Hannibal) 
  • Making A Difference Award (St. Louis Continental Society) 
  • Outstanding Leadership Award (Phi Theta Kappa) 
  • Outstanding Student of the Year 
  • Full Career Scholarship to Washington University, St. Louis 

EDUCATION

 

  • Honorary Doctorate Degree from The University of Missouri in May of 2015
  • Master Degree in Education (M.Ed.) University of Missouri, St. Louis 
  • Bachelor Degree in Psychology Washington University, St. Louis 
  • Certificate with honors in Journalism Washington University, City 
  • Associate Degree in General Education St. Louis Community College at Forest Park 

ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATES

  • Excellence In Teaching University of Missouri/Columbia 
  • Fundamentals of Arts Management Missouri Arts Council 
  • Conflict Resolution Training Certificate (Martin Luther King Center) 
  • Outstanding photography (President’s Choice) St. Louis Community College at Forest Park 
  • Student of the year (St. Louis Community College at Forest Park)