Dora and Denise Anderson with Clenora Hudson-Weems, PhD
Dora and Denise Anderson have committed themselves to a twenty-year struggle to address the wrongs that Denise suffered while employed at General Motors (GM) in Kansas City, Kansas. She was hired in 1982, under the protection of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, which was a predecessor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. After six and a half years of success as a GM employee, she suffered an on-the-job injury, which was brought about by GM’s negligence; however, they refused to allow her to return to work after receiving her medical release from her physicians.
Dora Anderson, founder of the Disabled Citizens Rights Society and President of the Missouri Black Farmers Association, is a longtime advocate for civil and human rights issues. For twenty years, she has fought relentlessly for the civil and human rights of her daughter, Denise, to work and live a normal life, despite her learning disabilities. She has also joined the struggle against the plight of Black Farmers and Landowners, kindred spirits with the plight of her daughter, in their on-going fight to keep their land for their children and future generations so that every generation does not start at zero. For the last seven years, she has been employed at Wal-Mart, following a fifteen-year employment at General Motors, where she took an early retirement when the plant closed, in order to avoid relocating with her two daughters, Doris and Denise.
Clenora Hudson-Weems, PhD, Professor and Author, is the first to establish Emmett Till Louis as catalyst of Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s; author of the Till Trilogy (Emmett Till: The Impetus of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, 1988; Emmett Till: The Sacrificial Lamb of Civil Rights Movement, 1994/2006; The Definitive Emmett Till: Passion and Battle of a Woman for Truth and Intellectual Justice, 2006; Plagiarism—Physical and Intellectual Lynchings: An Emmett Till Continuum, 2007); author of two Africana Womanism books (Africana Womanism: Reclaiming Ourselves, 1993; Africana Womanist Literary Theory, 2004); Editor of Contemporary Africana Theory, Thought & Action: A Guide to Africana Studies, 2007; co-author (with Wilfred D. Samuels, PhD) of Toni Morrison, 1990; and Soul Mates (her first novel), forthcoming.
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact:
Jennifer Shively, Publicity Coordinator
Tel: 800-839-8640, ext. 5282
Fax: 812-961-3133
Email: jshively@authorhouse.com
(When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)
The American Dream and the Whistle Blower in Print
A compelling true story of a mother and daughter’s fight against discrimination
KANSAS CITY/RAYTOWN, Mo. – Dora and Denise Anderson have committed themselves to a 20 year struggle to address the wrongs that Denise suffered while employed at GM in Kansas City, Kansas. The Rosa Parks of the Disabled Movement (published by Author House) recalls the mother-daughter struggle for justice.
Denise Anderson was hired in 1982, under the protection of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, which was a predecessor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. After six and a half years of success as a GM employee, she suffered an on-the-job injury, which was brought about by GM’s negligence; however, they refused to allow her to return to work after receiving her medical release from her physicians.
Their long, painful journey was financially costly as well, for they futilely pursued redress for years through the federal court system, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), etc. After failing to get justice through these venues, they sought redress through their union, the United Auto Workers (UAW), which also failed to correct the wrongs that GM had imposed upon Denise, despite the fact that they were faithful dues-paying members for many years.
This book vividly informs the public of the violations of the human/civil rights of an American citizen with a disability. Ultimately, however, it is a testament to the strength and endurance of the Andersons, as it both empowers them and others, as well as encourages them via raising their sense of pride in their recognition of the importance of their struggle for all. Dora Anderson, The Rosa Parks of the Disabled Movement, has become the symbol for the supporter of the 53 million disabled citizens in America, including veterans.
Dora Anderson, founder of the Disabled Citizens Rights Society and President of the Missouri Black Farmers Association, is a longtime advocate for civil and human rights issues. For twenty years, she has fought relentlessly for the civil and human rights of her daughter, Denise, to work and live a normal life, despite her learning disabilities. Co-authored by Clenora Hudson-Weems, Professor (UMC) has written several books including the Till Trilogy (Emmett Till: The Impetus of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, 1988; Emmett Till: The Sacrificial Lamb of Civil Rights Movement, 1994/2006; The Definitive Emmett Till: Passion and Battle of a Woman for Truth and Intellectual Justice, 2006; Plagiarism—Physical and Intellectual Lynchings: An Emmett Till Continuum, 2007).
AuthorHouse is the premier book publisher for emerging, self-published authors. For more information, please visit www.authorhouse.com.
Americans love an “underdog” story. Even more, we love a happy ending, and that’s the thing so glaringly absent in Dora Anderson’s, The Rosa Parks of the Disabled Movement. The intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act was to balance the scales of opportunity, but as Dora and her daughter Denise’s saga reveals, those scales are badly tilted. Dora and Denise have been through too much now to expect a happy ending, but a just one can still be written. All it takes is a nation that prizes the opportunity to do the right thing.
Barry Marrow, Oscar Award-Winning Co-Writer for Rain Man & Producer
Mrs. Anderson has a history of working with organizations and committees across the country, whose issue she has well supported, documented and covered. Their victims, like her daughter, have suffered extreme racial, sexual and other forms of discrimination,and their advocates have worked endlessly to bring their problems toa halt. Clearly, Mrs. Anderson's twenty-year struggle for justice, dignity and respect for her daughter, a disabled American citizen, strongly parallels her commitment, particularly to the plight of Black farmers and the struggle with our government, the US Department of Agriculture (USD), known to many as "the last plantation."
Lawrence Lucus, Pres, USDA Coalition, Minority Employees
This work, focusing on vicious discrimination against the disabled, is outstanding. It disrobes virulent human rights violations against the disabled by the corporate giant, GM, & the complicity of the corrupted & compromised major international union (UAW). We who now represent thousands of Mega Corporation workers in anti exploitations suits against their employers are well aware that often the kinder face of capitalist tyranny is a mask for a mean anti-worker program which economically cripples the disabled & other under-protected employees. Here Anderson describes practices by GM & UAW which violate the U.S. Constitution & international declaration of human rights.
Atty. Chokwe Lumumba, Civil/Human/Constitutional Rights Advocate
This book touches us in a place that we don’t want to visit. The David & Goliath syndrome takes on a new dynamic in the face of today’s economic/political turbulence. Notwithstanding this reality, the pivotal position of unions has long held a sacred position in the life of Black America from the days of Marcus Garvey (who himself was an organizer of workers both in Jamaica & parts of the Caribbean) to the sanitation workers in Memphis with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to the transit workers in New York City under the leadership of Robert Toussaint.
Kamau Khalfani, Executive Producer, Radio & TV Show, Wall St., NYC
"The Union" has played a key role in the economic life of working class people in America. This book highlights the growing patterns of certain "union bosses" sacrificing their rank and file on the alter of survival and political access. This action is forcing a confrontation between the rank and file and the "union bosses." At a time when unions are in need of a stronger member-driven leadership, we are in a sensitive moment when the real union leadership--the workers--must make their presence known and ensure the future of a much needed source of political strength and economic power in working class communities across the country.
Odette Manchado, Pres., Health/Humanitarian Employees Alliance Rights & Trade Local 707
Dora Anderson’s book is a comprehensive account of obstacles she and her daughter, Denise, encountered from the inabilities of Civil Rights Compliance Personnel to insure enforcement of the employment position of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Their advocacy for discrimination against farmers and land owners exposes similar obstacles to the enforcement of their ADA program responsibilities rights as well.
Lee Henson, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator, UMC
