Anthony Peterson has studied, taught and written about cultural and racial realities for more than 30 years.
Since 2004, he has designed and facilitated diversity workshops in corporate, academic and community settings.
Anthony’s diversity discussions took a personal turn in 2014 when he began documenting conversations with his white grandchildren regarding race. He hopes that those conversations serve as an invitation for others to tell their own racial stories.
With degrees in psychology and religious education, Anthony formerly served as an Adjunct Instructor in Ethics, Cultural Worldviews, and Biblical Studies at Trevecca Nazarene University. He also has extensive experience in the realm of editing and publishing, and is a contributor to the blog Rhetoric, Race and Religion.
Anthony is an Army brat who calls Hawaii home, but he continues work as an educator, writer, and editor in Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives with his wife of 25 years, Laura. They have four grown children and eleven grandchildren.
Selected Previous Presentations
- “Learning from Children: Truths about Race,” New Story Festival, Austin, TX
- “Listening to Children: Truths about Race,” Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY
- “Truths about Race,” Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
- “Diversity and Athletic Civility,” McMurry University, Abilene, TX
- “A Biblical Perspective on Multiculturalism,” Bryan College, Dayton, TN
- “The Meaning of Whiteness,” Community Workshop, Nashville, TN
- “Discovering Multicultural Communities,” Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN
Consultation and Facilitation Clients
- American Dental Association, Chicago, IL
- Granger Network, Evergreen, CO
- Good Research, El Cerrito, CA
- Technology Assistants, Nashville, TN
- Lake Grove Presbyterian Church, Lake Oswego, CA
- Dallas Children’s Theatre, Dallas, TX
- Nashville Public Television, Nashville, TN
- Spect app, Soft Skill CEO, FL
- Global Inclusion Online Forum, Dubai, UAE
When I was shaping the Culture and Diversity at Trevecca Nazarene University, Anthony was one of the first people that I called for help. I developed a program at Trevecca where I used Anthony to mentor and teach young African Americans how to adjust to a majority white campus. He has a wealth of experience that he uses to teach, motivate and inspire people to change their preconceived notions and assumptions about difficult topics.
Brodrick Thomas, Coordinator of Student Engagement and Diversity, Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville, TN]
Anthony is the embodiment of a team builder. He is always very supportive and available to assist in any way needed. Anthony conducts himself with kindness and professionalism.
Andy Lawrence, Director of Suicide Prevention, Centerstone, Nashville, TN
Anthony Peterson offers informed and helpful perspective on vital issues that stand at the forefront of our current cultural conversations. As he communicates about issues surrounding race in the United States he provides a thoughtful framework built alongside the reality of his own life experiences.
I first learned of Anthony through the recommendation of a colleague at Bryan College. As I looked further into the TEDx Talk he had given on racial issues, it became apparent that he had something very important to share with our campus. We invited him to come and speak to our entire student body. The insights he offered helped point to a better way forward in how individuals of different races relate to one another. Our campus was better for having heard from him.
I recall that the entire time of working and communicating with Anthony—before, during his visit, and after—he was a man of humility and grace. I count it a privilege to have interacted with him.
Jeff Eenigenburg, Grace Church, Greenville, SC
I came to know of Mr. Peterson several years ago when I watched his TEDx talk, “What I Am Learning from My White Grandchildren — Truths about Race.” I began showing Mr. Peterson’s talk in my social psychology courses and was very excited when I had the opportunity.
As a member of our college’s diversity team, I had the opportunity to invite Anthony Peterson to campus to spend several days leading anti-racism education training on campus. During Mr. Peterson’s visit, I was able to spend several days with him, getting to know him personally and professionally. I have seen Mr. Peterson speak to a group of approximately 800 students and faculty and staff members. He is a thoughtful communicator and maintained his composure with an audience that he knew likely included people who were hostile to some of his ideas.
I have also seen Mr. Peterson lecture to smaller groups of approximately 25 students and he was able to engage with them effectively. I had the privilege of co-teaching a class with Mr. Peterson, in which he demonstrated a high level of knowledge, comfort with the material, and confidence.
As a result of this co-venture, I have adapted my own style as an educator. Further, I observed him interacting with more intimate groups of students where he was able to answer difficult questions with poise and without defensiveness. In addition, I have read his written work and found his material to be well-organized, thoughtful, and clear.
My personal interaction with Mr. Peterson only served to increase my respect for him and his work and my own professional development has been enhanced by my collaboration with Mr. Peterson. I have found Anthony Peterson to be a man of utmost integrity who has great passion for learning, educating, and engaging with the community. He is hard working, dedicated, and committed to increasing awareness.
Änna Pettway, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology and Assistant Department Chair for Assessment, Houghton College, Houghton, NY