Dr. Sandra Hamer Smith

The author of Glory...the Hair is a native of Grand Junction, Tennessee, and Christian. Smith has been writing fiction since the mid-90s. She is an RTI teacher with Memphis Business Academy Charter School Network. She has an EdD in Educational Leadership from The University of Memphis, an EdS in Educational Leadership from Union University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Memphis, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from The University of Memphis.

Sandra worked with the Shelby County School system from 1999 to 2017, starting as a substitute teacher. Before teaching school, Smith was an overnight anchor/reporter at WMC-TV 5 in Memphis. She has 13 years of experience in broadcasting and has also worked as an assignments editor at TV 5 and WHBQ-TV in Memphis. Sandra has previously worked with Black Entertainment Television news as a freelance correspondent. In the Memphis market, Smith was a radio talk show host at WLOK-AM 1340, a writer for the Tri-State Defender in Memphis and Contempora Magazine in Nashville, Tennessee, and a DJ for WUMR-92 FM. 

In addition to being an author and speaker, Sandra is also a poet and playwright. She worked and helped to found Young Filmmakers Foundation. She was the director of this non-profit for 9 years. The foundation provided quality after-school and summer programs to inner-city youth at no cost to them or their families. Her play "Truancy" has been performed three times before Memphis audiences at the Rose Theatre on the campus of the University of Memphis.

Sandra is married to Sylvester Smith, a stepmom to Greg, and has a grandson. Dr. Smith is a member of the Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Golden Key International Honour Society, Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society, and Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society.