Mary C. Parker (she/her) is a Black woman raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia and has focused on race equity because she wants to live in a world that humanizes young Black boys and Black girls where their joy isn't dimmed by racial injustice. 

Mary’s commitment to justice led her to found Just Collaboration in 2015, a business informed by scholarly research that utilizes play to add levity in unlearning bias and dismantling racial oppression one laugh at a time. As an independent scholar, Mary has researched and published on identity, comedy, and structural racism and taught as an Instructor and Special Visiting Faculty at Drama conservatories at Higher Education Institutions. 

Mary has performed in international improv comedy festivals in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Richmond, VA, and played on Seattle, Portland, London, Pittsburgh-based improv teams. She is a grant-funded Executive Producer of the Black Anthology Project (B.A.P.) whose work documents experiences and stories from Black improvisers.

Through her scholarship, public service, coaching and consulting work, Mary has supported over 10,000 students, education administrators, government workers, and theater professionals in communities across 4 continents. Mary has been recognized as a Say Hey! Honoree, Dignity, and Respect Campaign Champion, a Get Involved, Inc. Western PA Rising Star, and as her Dad’s favorite daughter. 

Mary fervently believes that not all mac and cheese is created equal and is currently working on her one-woman show, “Masters of My Life.” Learn more and connect with Mary at www.marycparker.com.