Dr. Claudia Thomas, the nation’s first African American female orthopaedic surgeon, champion of diversity, and author of God Spare Life, is available for keynote presentations, lectures and workshops.
Speaking Topics:
- Overcoming Life's Challenges and Championing Diversity
- How and Why You Should Make Diversity Happen in Your Workplace
- The Healing Power of Faith
* Click for Topic Summaries
* For complete details, download the Speaker Kit (PDF; 1.1MB)
* Contact: D-D Flannery about booking Dr. Thomas for your event
Get to know Claudia:
prepared for the AAOS 2008 Diversity Award ceremony:
Video courtesy AAOS
Dr. Claudia Thomas is well known to audiences around the world for her innovative ideas on how to champion diversity in this country, with the goal that all facets of American society proportionately represent the gender and ethnicity of its population. Today, Claudia Thomas continues the work she started at Vassar in 1969, spreading the message that in all of life’s ventures, diversity is a requirement and faith is a resource and together, they are very powerful. Dr. Thomas is a specialist in areas of cultural change, diversity issues and spiritual healing.
* Summaries of Dr. Thomas' Speaking Topics:
Overcoming Life's Challenges and Championing Diversity —
Dr. Thomas’ greatest passion is to champion diversity in this country, with the goal that all facets of American society proportionately represent the gender and ethnicity of its population. Dr. Thomas shares the many challenges she has overcome in her lifetime and provides poignant examples of gender, race, class, faith and mortality issues in her presentations.
How and Why You Should Make Diversity Happen in Your Workplace —
Dr. Claudia Thomas has become a pioneer in creating opportunities for African American women and men in the medical profession and has been nationally recognized for her work in the promotion of racial equality and women’s rights. Her message focuses on the benefits of achieving diversity in all arenas. Claudia Thomas speaks to her struggle to rise above societal expectations of a woman of color – a poor Black girl growing up in a world of social change, and of her shining achievement of becoming the first African American female orthopaedic surgeon in the United States. Her lessons can be your lessons— let her show you how.
The Healing Power of Faith —
Dr. Thomas rode out the turbulence of coming of age as a college student in Queens, NY and at Vassar College, during the 1960s. Years later, while trapped in the jaws of a demonic hurricane, she clung to the arm of a sofa and prayed repeatedly, “God spare life!” and was saved. But as awful as Hugo was, it could not match the storm of the desperate illness that threatened her very life: kidney cancer. Dr. Thomas explores the role that the mind and spirit play in the healing of the body. In a world that was still bound by prejudice and anger, she learned the value of faith – faith in herself, faith in her upbringing, and faith in God. That lesson of faith, embraced and held tightly to her heart, guided Claudia through the tempestuous events that have unfolded throughout her life. She highlights those experiences with her own enduring faith and speaks on how you, too, can achieve it, and keep it alive in your life.
Upcoming Schedule and Past Appearances:
Here's a quick summary of Dr. Thomas' appearance schedule over the next 30 days. Scroll down for a chronological review of events since the release of God Spare Life, with details, photos, and future events.
June 2007
June 29 (morning) - Rochester, NY 
Tour of the Susan B. Anthony House historic site; bronze statues of friends and colleagues Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony in the park near her home
June 29 (evening) - Rochester, NY
Reception and reading (video at right) at the Country Club of Rochester
July 2007
July 21 - Washington, DC
Reception and book signing hosted by
The Caraway Group
August 2007
August 6 - The Villages, FL
Book signing at All Booked Up bookstore
August 11 - Dade City, FL
Appearance and book signing at
St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church
October 2007
October 15 & 20 - New York, NY
African American Legends
Interview with Dr. Roscoe Brown,
commander of the Tuskeegee Airmen
aired on CUNY TV 75
October 20 - Washington, DC
Appearance at Women's Tea and book signing
at Union Temple Baptist Church
October 21 - Washington, DC
Reception and book signing
at the Frederick Douglass Museum
TBD - Jefferson City, MO
Appearance and book signing hosted by GO Partners
TBD - Atlanta, GA
Appearance and book signing hosted by Spelman College
