Testimonials
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to T. Marie King for her exceptional guidance and facilitation during the Barr Foundation's Alabama Learning Journey in April 2023. T. Marie's presence and expertise made this experience truly extraordinary for our entire organization.
From the very beginning, T. Marie met us exactly where we were and skillfully bridged to where we aspired to be, aligning with our objectives. Her authentic approach allowed us to be equally authentic and open to the profound experience of being fully present in Alabama. It was evident that T. Marie genuinely cared about our growth and engagement throughout the journey.
T. Marie went above and beyond to ensure that she was fully available to us, even holding preparation sessions ahead of our travels to Alabama. She traveled to Boston for an in-person session at Barr's offices, even during a Nor'easter that delayed her return to Alabama! This level of commitment demonstrated her dedication to our learning and development.
One of the significant practices T. Marie helped us with was the art of deep listening. She facilitated ways for us to be open to unknown experiences without the need to over prepare, which she aptly identified as a defense mechanism. Through her guidance, we learned to shed our preconceived notions and truly embrace the transformative power of the journey.
The Barr Foundation's commitment to learning journeys stems from the belief that stepping out of our day-to-day routines and connecting with others provides invaluable opportunities for growth, reflection, and connection. By immersing ourselves in Alabama, we delved into the history of Black people in this country and explored the deeply rooted systems of oppression and racism that persist today. T. Marie expertly connected this historical context to our work in Boston/New England, helping us understand how addressing these challenges and opportunities can contribute to our collective equity journey.
This was a wonderful and meaningful experience for our entire organization. T. Marie's guidance and facilitation played a pivotal role in shaping our understanding, sparking introspection, and fostering meaningful connections with one another. The impact of this journey will undoubtedly resonate with us for years to come. We are immensely grateful and have found a true friend in T. Marie.
L. Harwell
Vice President of Administration, Barr Foundation (Boston, MA)
Dear T. Marie,
It was an absolute pleasure to meet you this summer. In all honesty, sometimes I'm a better talker than listener, but you are one of the most intriguing speakers I have ever encountered. I appreciate you constantly emphasizing the importance of the different perspective and the different experience. THAT stuck with me. Thank you for dedicating your time to a group of leaders who I truly believe are committed to growth, no matter how hard the process is at times. You sure make an hour go fast!! I will be reaching out and following up because it's one thing to feel empowered, but to actively empower other people is a gift only from God. Looking forward to staying connected to you and to Breakthrough.
Humbly, Y. D.
Greetings Ms. T Marie,
I am Ms. B and I want to say thank you for coming to speak with us from the beginning of Breakthrough to the ending of Breakthrough. I learned so much wisdom and knowledge from you. One thing I am taking away from you is the phrase: "Eat the meat, Throw the bone away". I appreciate this statement so much because we tend to focus on the negative aspects of vibes instead of the good stuff we have done so far in our work this summer. I grew so much this summer and I have been my genuine self the entire summer because that is what helps me build my relationships with the students. You helped me realize how important communication really is and in order to grow as a leader I would need to elevate myself. I also want to say thank you for putting the perspective of respect into place when we work with others because that's so important to have in eye view. Thank You so much once again! We appreciate all that you do for Breakthrough!
Sincerely, B.D.
Dear T. Marie,
My name is L, I am a senior history major at Birmingham-Southern College. Thank you for speaking to us. You were amazing, per usual. I am so thankful you took the time out of your day to give us a debrief on leadership styles and skills needed as leaders. You were supportive of us as young people growing into leaders. It was inspiring to know that we hold so much power and we weren’t alone in the hardship of community work. Thank you for giving us confidence in ourselves. Sincerely,
L.
Not everyone can lead an honest, candid and impactful discussion on racial reconciliation, but T. Marie King can. She led our church leadership group through an exercise to uncover our personal biases and the results were dramatic --- authentic conversations began, hearts and minds opened, and we received more positive feedback from church members on her program than from any other that year. T. Marie used her own testimony, humor and even pop culture to push attendees far from their comfort zones, all while maintaining an environment where all races were honored and valued. She also gave practical ways we could incorporate diversity into our daily lives. T. Marie King’s message is powerful, essential and undeniable.
— Trudi Mullins
T. Marie has been an integral part of Jones Valley Teaching Farm's growth in Equity, Diversity, Bias, Healing, and Inclusion over the last two years. Her workshops are tailored to meet organizations where they are while encouraging and challenging us to dig deeper. I am grateful for the leadership, support, and talent she provides and I know we will be better for it - both internally and in how we deliver our programming in the years to come.
-Amanda Storey, Executive Director: Jones Valley Teaching Farm
T. Marie created a space in which staff members felt they could honestly share their responses to the work and their concerns. She listened and intuitively guided the conversation, so that staff then felt empowered to tell their own personal stories of trauma, grief, and oppression in a safe space. Her guidance opened up a broader conversation on race, access, privilege, and perception we never would have reached had we led the conversation alone. She has become a touchstone for the Museum in thinking through how we can truly be an inclusive space. It starts with listening and it leads to empowering and amplifying the diversity of voices in our Museum family to then reach and connect with the communities we serve.
- Rachel White, Curator of Education: Birmingham Museum of Art
T. Marie King graciously agreed to be our guest speaker for MB Listens despite the difficult circumstances created by COVID restrictions. Discussing bias and attempting to build bridges between people with differences is challenging under normal circumstances but T. Marie King managed to create and deliver an interactive presentation over zoom that touched many people despite the obstacles. T. Marie King has a natural gift for communicating hard truths in a manner that people can hear them. Her approach combines compassion, sincere honesty, extensive knowledge and experience in a way that the audience can lower their defenses and take in what she is offering. We appreciate T. Marie’s willingness to bring her skills to our event.
-Laura Steele, Vice Chairperson and Treasurer: MB Listens
We hosted a virtual workshop with T. Marie King for our congregation. It was a transformative experience for those involved. Even on Zoom T. Marie managed to facilitate a meaningful and intimate conversation and I am confident everyone walked away with valuable new thoughts and insights. I really appreciated her follow up with excellent resources also, which prompted conversations about continuing education. Don’t miss a chance to work with T. Marie King in your community!
-Margaret Norman, Engagement and Collaboration Coordinator: Temple Beth El, Birmingham, AL
Year after year, we've been able to count on deep discussions that plant seeds that continue to bloom throughout the year. Each new session unravels a new level that leads to a larger and ongoing discussion related to empathy, racial relations, and leadership. A session with T. Marie is intentionally designed to leave us with more questions than answers, practical and bite-size next steps on our role in the world, and a goal to form relationships with those who are so different from us in order to better understand ourselves.
Mariohn Michel, Executive Director: Breakthrough Birmingham
"Our organization benefited immensely from T. Marie's skilled
facilitation, empathy, and deep knowledge of unconscious bias in the
workplace. T. Marie consistently gave thoughtful, nuanced answers to
complex questions around living out diversity, equity, and inclusion
in our daily lives and as colleagues. T. Marie is an impressive and
inspiring leader that really knows how to hold conversations and
encourage people to not just reflect but take action."
-Kate Irick, Kiva
Dear T. Marie King,
I am writing to thank you for your time spent with us Teaching Fellows here at Breakthrough the past couple weeks. I know I can speak for all of us when I say that your words of wisdom certainly will be helpful throughout this summer, and something I personally will carry with me throughout the rest of my career, whether that be in education or otherwise. Your time with us certainly was not taken for granted. As someone who is not from the South, your advice of how utterly important it is to do the research to understand new communities we are entering, is something I took to heart. The environments you were describing are ones that I wish to create in my classroom; educating while being supportive. I have been thinking a great deal of the fact that in order to grow, you need to welcome uncomfortableness and accept your own ignorance. I think I have been blind in the past when it came to that acceptance, but you made me realize that I have a responsibility to the relationships I am trying to create to see all the people I wish to advocate for. I sincerely appreciate the time you have given us and hope I get the privilege to hear you speak again soon!
Thank you again, I.C.
Dear T. Marie,
My name is L.H. I am a senior history major at Birmingham-Southern College. This summer, I will be teaching 9th grade writing at Breakthrough Birmingham! This is my third summer working with BTB, so I have seen you speak a lot. It's amazing, though, how every time you speak, it gets more powerful and I learn even more from you! Both sessions you spent with us were amazing. I appreciate your attention to reminding us that we are guests in this community and to be great guests we must educate ourselves on man-made disparities and recognize our own ignorances to better ourselves. I also really loved your session on discovering who we are in order to become advocates and leaders for our communities. You truly inspire me to be the best person I can be for our scholars and push me to help better those around me.
Thank you so much, L.H.