Karen A. Anderson’s Story

After teaching for eight years in Chicago’s inner city and acquiring a Master of Arts degree, Karen began utilizing her people skills in a new role as a Federal Probation Officer (1974). She worked with individuals convicted of federal offenses (probation or parole) as well as with individuals immediately following arrest as a Pretrial Services Officer to determine bail status.

She joined the US Army Reserves (1978) after initially joining the US Air Force Reserves and served for 9 years before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area.

It was during this time that Karen became politically sensitized to racial awareness, women’s rights (ERA movement) as well as the Gay Rights Movement (now identified as LGBTQ+) communities.

In 1985 during the throes of the AIDS crisis Karen decided to relocate from Chicago to San Francisco to seek involvement on the ground level of social awareness. It was in the Bay Area that Karen became an advocate for Black Women’s political involvement (BWOPA), Black community objection (NAACP) political education (League of Women Voters) local commissions – Oakland Human Relations Commission, 16th AD and the Alameda County Advisory Commission on Aging and the United Seniors of Oakland Alameda County, the Alameda Social Services Coalition, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club.

After completing studies in Training Design & Development she received her Human Resources and Development certification from UC Berkeley Extension in 1996.

After working for over 5 years to expand the mission of Lavender Seniors of the East Bay, Karen supported LGBTQ seniors by coordinating the Friendly Visitors Program. She resigned as a consultant to Lavender Seniors in 2022.

She is the recipient of the William “Brandy” Moore Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding dedication to the Black LGBT Community (2014), the East Bay Area Business & Professional Women Volunteer of the Year Award (2014), and the Black Women Organized for Political Action Ella Hill Hutch Chapter Honorees Award (2012).

She is a state licensed criminal investigator as well as a licensed spiritual practitioner with Church or Religious Science.

By 2023 and 50+ years of community involvement and advocacy, Karen continues her commitment to community involvement and has established the A&B Senior Connections, LLC to support members of minority communities in addressing the social needs of the future.