Reverend Velma Maia Thomas (born June 18, 1955) is an author and academic from the United States of America.
Reverend Velma Maia Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 June 1955 Detroit, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Howard University, Emory University, Georgia State University. |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Notable works | Lest We Forget: The Passage from Africa to Slavery and Emancipation |
| Notable awards | Alex Award (1998) |
| Website | |
| velmamaiathomas | |
Background edit
Thomas was born June 18, 1955, in Detroit, Michigan.[1] She received her bachelor's degree (journalism) from Howard University and master's degree (political science) from Emory University. She also holds a graduate certificate in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University.[2]
Thomas is an ordained minister at the Church of the Black Madonna in Atlanta.[3]
Career edit
Thomas's work focuses on African American history, specifically slavery and emancipation in context of the United States of America.[2]
From 1987 to 2000 Thomas worked at the Shrine of the Black Madonna Bookstore and Cultural Center in Atlanta. Here she created the Black Holocaust Exhibit, a collection on slavery in America.[4][5][6]
Works edit
From her work on the Black Holocaust Exhibit, Thomas published four interactive books on slavery and emancipation in the United States entitled:
- Lest We Forget: The Passage from Africa to Slavery and Emancipation (1997, Random House)
- Freedom's Children: The Passage from Emancipation to the Great Migration (2000, Random House)
- No Man Can Hinder Me: The Journey from Slavery to Emancipation Through Song (2001, Random House)
- We Shall Not Be Moved (2002, Random House)
Thomas also co-authored Emancipation Proclamation: Forever Free with Kevin McGruder (2013)[7] and was a contributor to Leroy Barber's book Red, Brown, Yellow, Black, White? Who's More Precious In God's Sight? (2013).[8]
Thomas was selected as one of a hundred distinguished Americans to contribute to the book Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Celebration of the Negro National Anthem (2000)[9] She also contributed a chapter to Albert Cleage Jr. and the Black Madonna and Child (2016)[10] and provided the introduction to Finding A Place Called Home: A Guide to African-American Genealogy and Historical Identity (1999).[2][11]
Thomas has contributed to various academic journals, notably the publication of The Odd Fellow City: The Promise of a Leading Black Town in the Journal of the Georgia Association of Historians.[5]
In 2012, Thomas was an expert and commentator for the PBS documentary, Underground Railroad: The William Still Story.[3]
Thomas has served as a distinguished scholar at the Penn Center in South Carolina and once served on the faculty of the University of South Carolina Beaufort.[2]
Awards edit
Thomas's first book, Lest We Forget, received an Alex Award in 1998 from the American Library Association.[12] Freedom's Children was a finalist for the 2000 Georgia Writer of the Year Award for Young Adult Books.[13] We Shall Not Be Moved received the 2003 Outstanding Contribution to Publishing Citation Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.[14]
In 2004 she won the Award for Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of An Archives from the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board.[13]
References edit
- ^ "Thomas, Velma Maia". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Faculty and Staff". University of South Carolina Beaufot. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Who's Who in the Film". Underground Railroad PBS. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ Jones, Charisse (2 April 1995). "Bringing Slavery's Long Shadow to the Light". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Author speaks on 150th anniversary of Emancipation Proclamation, Feb. 20". Covington News. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ Jenn, Nina King (7 February 1997). "It's better to give..." Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ McGruder, Kevin; Thomas, Vela Maia; Scott, Georgia (2013). Emancipation Proclamation "Forever Free". Urban Ministries, Inc. ISBN 978-1609978761.
- ^ Barber, Leroy; Thomas, Velma Maia (2014). Red, Brown, Yellow, Black, White: Who's More Precious In God's Sight?: A call for diversity in Christian missions and ministry. Jericho Books. ISBN 978-1455574957.
- ^ Bond, Julian; Wilson, Sondra Kathryn, eds. (2000). Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Celebration of the Negro National Anthem; 100 Years, 100 Voices. Random House. ISBN 9780679463153.
- ^ Clark, Jawanza Eric, ed. (2016). Albert Cleage Jr. and the Black Madonna and Child. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 117–134. ISBN 9781137546883.
- ^ Woodtor, Dee Parmer (1999). Finding A Place Called Home: A Guide to African-American Genealogy and Historical Identity. Random House. ISBN 9780375405952.
- ^ "Lest We Forget: The Passage from Africa to Slavery and Emancipation - YALSA Book Finder". YALSA. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ a b "GHRAB Award Winners - 2004" (PDF). georgiaarchives.org. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "BCALA announces 2003 literary awards winners". American Library Association. 26 February 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2017.