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Toni Y. Odom's unique background
in business, social work and communications has developed
her skills and made her a noted speaker, journalist, activist
and business owner. "My goal in life is to make my people
aware of their traditional greatness by empowering them and
promoting positive images of every facet of our lives."
Trained in Victim/Offender Mediation
and crisis intervention she has given seminars on self esteem,
race relations, conflict resolution, women's issues, black
history and economic development. As a board member of St.
Jane's Outreach Center, she has spoken to various women's
and youth groups and has also made presentations to sororities,
fraternities and church organizations.
Odom has appeared as a regular
on various St. Louis radio talk shows to discuss current issues.
She has organized programs, workshops and rallys for organizations
like the Black Media Coalition, the National Black United
Front, the Organization for Black Struggle and has met with
national figures such as Mohammed Ali, Alvin Poussant, Shirley
Chisholm, Randall Robinson, and Marcus Garvey Jr.
Formerly the Communications
Coordinator and the International Editor in Chief of the The
Aurora Magazine for her sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority,
Inc., she has also been the National Director of Publicity
for the National Pan Hellenic Council which includes the nine
historically African American fraternities and sororities.
Her communications backgrounds spans over twenty years as
a reporter and freelance journalist who scooped the major
dailies when she broke testimony of a witness to a second
gun in a police shooting incident. Working for St. Louis'
top radio station, KSHE FM, she not only supervised the stations
$12 million revenue but became a popular morning drive character.
She has received leadership
and service awards from Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Alpha Phi
Alpha Fraternity and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority as well as the
prestigious President's Award from the Black Media Coalition.
She has also received the acclaimed Peachtree Service Award
from VIPP(Volunteers in Probation and Parole) and other service
awards from Junior Achievement, Opportunity Clearing House
and the St. Louis Public Schools. She was awarded a Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Ohio State House of Representatives
and has also received a key to the city of Dallas, Texas.
Currently, Odom is the principal
of Ugogirl Web Hosting and Design and recently founded Between
Sisters, Inc. a nonprofit dedicated to helping women of color
to develop a more positive self esteem.
She has published her first
book,
Sistahs N’ SistahHood that was presented as a workshop
the African American Women On Tour and has received the Best
Non-Fiction book for 2001 from the Sister Circle Book Club
of Dallas/Houston, Texas. Her book has also been used for
women’s/African American studies classes at Olive Harvey-Chicago
City College and Northern Illinois University.
Odom currently resides in Los Angeles, California
and is a graduate of Marquette University. |
