Meet
Dr. Tommie Mabry
Dr. Tommie Mabry is an international speaker, nationally recognized educator, and best-selling author whose story of resilience and transformation has inspired audience worldwide. As the author of A Dark Journey to a Light Future, A memoir and three other impactful books, Dr. Mabry shares a powerful message of hope and perseverance. His achievements have been celebrated on platforms like USA Today, PBS Network, The Jennifer Hudson Show, and FOX Soul, among others.
​
​Growing up in one of Jackson, Mississippi's toughest neighborhoods, Tommie faced significant challenges early on. By fifth grade, he was arrested for breaking into the state fairgrounds and spent much of his school years suspended or expelled. A judge once predicted he would end up dead or in prison within five years - a statement that ultimately became a turning point. Through basketball, Tommie found a new path, traveling with an AAU team and becoming the first in his family to graduate high school in 2007. Despite being shot during his senior year, he persevered an earned a full basketball scholarship to Missouri State University - West Plains.
Tommie graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Education from Tougaloo College and went on to earn an M.A. in Child Development. In 2020, he completed an Executive Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education at Jackson State University. His journey came full circle when he was hired as a teacher by the same Jackson Public School District that once expelled him.
Today, as the founder of the Tommie Mabry Company, Dr. Mabry travels the globe, inspiring students, educators, and leaders through his compelling story and actionable insights. His latest book, Perspective! The Secret to Student Motivation and Success, earned him the prestigious Corwin New Voices Award in 2022. In 2025, he was recognized as one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Men in Business.
Dr. Mabry lives by the motto, “I cannot walk in my future with my foot in my past,” embodying his belief in the power of transformation.
"Mr. Mabry I was deeply honored to listen to you speak today on your life and how you succeeded because you didn’t let people control who you were and that touched me and caused me to make up my mind right then and there that I need to continue to follow my dream and become somebody one day. I always let people get to me and tell me I can’t make it because I am not that smart but I know what I’m capable of doing and I know that I’m a very smart young man…
Today listening to you made me change my whole mind set and now I believe in myself and know that I can do it and I may have struggles in Math but I believe that with God all things are possible."
Letter from a High School Student
Be Confident, Be Determined, Be Motivated, Be Yourself (Tommie Mabry)
1994-99
Kicked out of 7 Elementary Schools
1999
Locked up for Business Burglary (Age 11)
1999-2003
Started getting tattoos eventually covering entire body
2001-2002
Permanent Gold Teeth (Age 13)
1999-2003
Kicked out of 3 middle schools
2003
Repeated the 8th Grade
2007
Gunshot wound while skipping school (Grade 12)
Timeline of the Life of Dr. Tommie Mabry
"Never Give Up On Hope"
1994-99
Kicked out of 7 Elementary Schools
1999
Arrested for breaking and entering (Age 11)
1999
Started getting tattoos eventually covering entire body
2001-2002
Permanent Gold Teeth (Age 13)
2007
1st High School Graduate of his family
2007
Received a Full College Basketball Scholarship
2011
Elected Mr. Tougaloo College (Well known HBCU)
2011
Earned a BA in Education
2015
Published "If Tommie Can Do It, We Can Do It" Book
2015
Founded Tommie Mabry Company
2016
Director of Enrollment at Tougaloo College
2017
Launched Little Tommie Cartoon Mascot
1999-2003
Kicked out of 3 middle schools
2003
Repeated the 8th Grade
2007
Gunshot wound while skipping school (Grade 12)
2011
Became an educator in the same school district he attended growing up
2013
City of Jackson Appointment by the Mayor to lead a department
2013
Published "A Dark Journey to a Light Future" Book
2017
Earned a MA in Child Development
2019
Published "Little Tommie's 4B's" Book
2020
Earned Executive PhD in Urban Higher Education
2022
Published "Perspective: The Secret To Students Motivation and Success