A Detroit physician who worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr.
during the civil rights era will give two presentations at Grand
Valley as part of the Black History Month celebration.
During the early 1960s, William G. Anderson was president of the
Albany Movement, the first mass movement of the era to set a goal of
desegregating an entire community: Albany, Georgia. In December 1961,
King and Anderson were among hundreds of other protesters who were
arrested within one week.
Now past president of the American Osteopathic Association,
Anderson will give two presentations:
-- Thursday, February 24, noon, Kirkhof Center, rooms 2215/2216: “Living History: He Was There,” discussing his experiences and work with King.
-- Thursday, February 24, 7 p.m., DeVos Center, Loosemore Auditorium: “A View of the Past and the Hope of the Future,” discussing events in history that shaped the future for African Americans.
Both events are free and open to the public.
Anderson is also senior advisor to the dean of Michigan State
University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, and vice president for
academic affairs at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit. He graduated from
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and, after
practicing medicine in Georgia, conducted a successful group surgical
practice in Detroit until 1984.
Anderson and his wife published a book, “Autobiographies of a
Black Couple of the Greatest Generation.” Proceeds from sales benefit
the American Osteopathic Foundation for Minority Scholarships in
osteopathic medicine.
