Dr. Doris Derby, PHD., is an activist, documentary
photographer, filmmaker, and retired adjunct associate
professor of Anthropology at Georgia State University
(GSU), author, exhibitor, speaker and art collector. She
was active in the Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama Civil
Rights Movement, and much of her documentary photography
work reflects themes of social justice, civil rights,
culture, racism and activism of African-Americans during
that time. She was a working member of the Student
Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (S.N.C.C.), co-founder of
the Free Southern Theater, and later, the Founding Director
of the Office of African-American Student Services and
Programs (O.A.A.S.S.P.) at GSU from 1990 to 2012. Dr.
Derby's photography has been exhibited throughout the
United States, in France and the UK. Her photographs have
been published extensively in magazines, newspapers and
books, for example, in Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal
Accounts by Women in SNCC, to which she also contributed an
essay about her experiences in the Mississippi Civil Rights
Movement. She has a newly released book of her photographs
and poetry.
Dr. Derby lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her
husband, Bob Banks, an actor and retired Army Veteran. They
are both active leaders in their community and members of
local and national organizations.
Dr. Derby's personal
book collection, which contains over 1600 books by and
about African and African-Americans, will be included in
the CT & Octavia Vivian Museum and Archives Library.
DeAna is an Ordained Minister and Licensed Professional
Counselor. She is a graduate of Spelman college and
obtained her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health
Counseling from Mercer University. DeAna is the founder of
"180 Counseling Practice", a thriving professional trauma
informed counseling practice which utilizes Spiritual
guidance as well as evidenced based approaches. She
utilizes her professional skills to restore wholeness to
those who are oppressed.
DeAna is co-owner of BASIC
Diversity, Inc, the nation's oldest diversity training
firm, and is responsible for oversight of operations,
finances and administration. She is the daughter-in-law of
Dr. C. T. Vivian and officiated his funeral services. DeAna
is married to Al Vivian and they have two adult sons, Louis
and Coleman.