Ollie L. Jefferson, Ph.D., is a philosopher and historian that created and coined the expression "philosopHER" which is a new way of identifying culturally sensitive and conscious women in the discipline. Who are these women? Dr. Jefferson answers this question in her new book, PhilosopHER (see below). PhilosopHERs includes foremothers and ministry leaders of theology such as Bishop Dr. Ollie Mae Tyler who called Dr. Jefferson her namesake. Dr. Tyler was a trailblazing overseer of churches which included Dr. Jefferson's childhood church founded by her grandmother, Pastor Eddie B. Lanehart. Dr. Jefferson started teaching her first students when Pastor Lanehart recognized her creativity and zeal for teaching at 6 years old. She later grew to teach as a professor at leading institutions such as Howard University, George Mason University, University of Maryland at College Park, and Timeless Visual Works.

Dr. Jefferson is the Founder and President of Timeless Visual Works — The Inspirational Film Theater and Publishing Company. She formed Timeless Visual Works as a collegiate communication, culture, and multimedia organizations to offer masterclasses for aspiring and industry professionals to compete in a global marketplace while creating works of art. Timeless Visual Works film and theater productions include The Mommy Miniya and Me Show bringing humanity to mothers raising their children as single parents. Dr. Jefferson answers the question of why single parents making the choice to lovingly raise their children and sustain families are not the problem. Time Will Tell: Stages I, II, and III by Dr. Ollie L. Jefferson represents her lived experiences in the award-winning autoethnographic performances and publications produced by Timeless Visual Works. Dr. Jefferson is an international author and publisHER of several books, articles, and stage plays. Dr. Jefferson created and coined "PublisHER" as an expression to identify culturally sensitive and conscious women publisHers. Her research shows how narratives can change when culturally sensitive and conscious creators tell their own stories. 

Dr. Jefferson is a teacHER and preacHER which are expressions she further created and coined to identify women that model cultural sensitivity and consciousness in the field. Pastor Lanehart and Dr. Tyler are both teacHERs and preacHERs featured in the Time Will Tell Stage Collection by Dr. Ollie L. Jefferson. She has conducted research and sought solutions to problems illustrated in publications and creative arts. Her teaching philosophy fosters a compelling learning environment consisting of the creative art and science of education. Dr. Jefferson coined the term "exemplary representations" and formed the theoretical concept and model published in her monograph, African American Women in the Oprah Winfrey Network's Queen Sugar Drama: Exemplary Representations on Screen and Behind the Scenes. Exemplary representation models are examples or exemplars concerned with identifying solutions to problems for social and systemic change. For example, the positionality of culturally sensitive and conscious decision-makers countering on screen and stage stereotypes behind the scenes. Dr. Jefferson's philosophy illustrates exemplary representations as a practitioner in the field of communications. 

Dr. Jefferson further her creativity and research from undergraduate to graduate institutions at Johnson C. Smith University, Northwestern University, University of Wollongong in Australia, American University, Howard University, University of Maryland (College Park), and Timeless Visual Works. Her arts organization presents inspiring films, theater, and publications for audiences to become inspired. Dr. Jefferson created and coined "become inspired" as a Timeless expression for audience education, enlightenment, and entertainment.

Become Inspired...

Ollie L. Jefferson carried out studies both domestically and abroad. She collaborated with Dr. Douglas L. "Doug" Medin and Dr. Edward J. Wisniewski of Northwestern University to create an experiment that looked at contradicting studies on stereotypes. In addition, she took part in the National Institutes of Health's Minority Access to Research Careers Program.  During this time, she worked with Dr. Ruth L. Greene at Johnson C. Smith in her research on the health and aging of more than 300 racially diverse adults 55 years of age and older. 

Jefferson participated in an international research program at the University of Wollongong in Australia. Her research measured Alfred Adler's construct of attachment styles among birth positions by validating the Dispersion of Dependency Index scale proposed by her research advisor, Dr. Beverly Walker. Participants included 78 University of Wollongong first-year psychology students. The results indicated that each birth position had a medium (median between low and high) score of dispersed dependency. The findings operationally validated the Dispersion of Dependency Index as a measure. At the NIH-National Minority Research Symposium, Jefferson gave a research presentation.

Furthermore, Jefferson created and produced several campus community programs (Reaching for a New History and Mentor & Mentee for Incoming Student) and her first theatrical stage performance for the community at large as a new playwright (Can I Get a Witnesss).