missouri humanities council

2010 Award Recipient

Dr. Reynaldo Anderson

Exemplary Community Achievement

Though change and growth in a community are two things that don’t come easily and without significant effort, Dr. Reynaldo Anderson, an assistant professor at Harris- Stowe State University, is an ambassador for both attributes in the St. Louis area, taking on the challenge to bring the humanities to his neighbors.

When Anderson and his wife moved to St. Louis ten years ago, the plan was to finish his doctoral research and her government commitment, and then probably relocate to somewhere like Chicago, Atlanta or Washington DC. However, after discussions with people they had made friends with; they changed their minds.

“Before we left, a friend of ours suggested we stay. He told us things wouldn’t get better if we didn’t participate,” Anderson said. “That’s why we’re here and raising a family. People are hungry for a sense of community, and arts and humanities often become the common threads that turn neighborhoods into communities.”

It’s hard to sum up all that Anderson has given to his community as a leader, a mentor, a constant student and a caring teacher.

“I have personally observed Dr. Anderson work tirelessly with Harris-Stowe State University students in and out of the classroom, community groups and individuals to further their understanding of history, language and philosophy through various presentations, critiques, public speaking and interaction,” said Shira Truitt, a colleague and friend of Anderson’s. “An ambassador for liberal arts, Dr. Anderson’s expertise is commonly utilized to ensure a balanced and perceptive approach that is reasonable and clearly approximates best practices and research.”

One of Anderson’s goals through his work is to bring the humanities to a larger, more diverse audience. Dr. Shereen Abdel Kader, a colleague of Anderson’s at Harris-Stowe has seen first hand the impact he has on both his students and his surrounding community.

“Above and beyond his distinguished characteristics, I believe what’s most inspiring about Dr. Reynaldo Anderson is his extraordinary passion and talent to understand, re-frame, apply and celebrate humanities,” Kader said. “This unique approach impacts an unlimited number of his colleagues, students and other audiences including community and social organizations which significantly enhance the understanding and appreciation of humanities to reach broader contexts.”

Anderson, for example, donated his time to be a keynote speaker for the Jinna Development Corporation’s awards ceremony honoring local grassroots organizations for their dedication to the growth and development of the youth in the St. Louis.

Another of Anderson’s many roles is as an executive member of the Missouri Arts Council in the Minority Arts Panel and Arts Education Panel. In 2009, Anderson and other council members and staff worked to procure resources from the American Recovery Act and utilized the resources to support the Arts community in the state of Missouri.

“We’re trying to engage members of the community to participate in the arts and the humanities and participate in the global competition for talent,” Anderson said. “The arts and humanities are what make a municipality more attractive to people with talent. They’re what makes people want to come here and are a large part of the economy.”

In addition to Anderson’s statewide work with the humanities, he is also member and advocate for C.U.R.E. International, a prison reform organization. He recently made a trip to Douala, Cameroon and, along with local human rights and religious organizations, documented human rights conditions at New Bell Prison. The report was presented at an international conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

“I hope that I had, in some small way, helped to encourage some kind of transformation of how prisoners might be treated,” Anderson said.

During his trip, Anderson also visited the Bamende state of the country of Cameroon where his family traced their heritage to the Tikar people.

“Traveling abroad, you learn that people aren’t so different in terms of what they want out of life—enough to eat, clean food, water, freedom and shelter and to live in peace,” Anderson said. “It helps to see things in broader terms. Things are not necessarily as complicated as they appear.”

Anderson currently serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the Black Caucus of the National Communication Association, a member of the Board of Directors for Imagine Career Charter Schools, a board member of the Saint Louis Prison Performing Arts and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and 100 Black Men Inc. In 2007, while serving as a community liaison for the Office of Workforce Supply and Diversity, he was appointed by Governor Matt Blunt to the Missouri Arts Council, and Missouri Faith- Based Initiative. Finally, Anderson is currently participating as a volunteer on the Cultural Competence Committee as part of the Curriculum Alignment Initiative of the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

Anderson is married to Dr. Denise Hooks- Anderson of Wellness Healthcare and Assoc. and has two daughters, Zari and Lauryn.