For Mary Parker, a wealthy security expert, author and philanthropist, the word “no” has a different meaning for her than others. It means no excuses and no limits to what she can achieve. As the first African American female director of security for an automotive leader and the first ever African-American female owner of a full-service security firm, ALL N ONE, she is a paragon in multiple male-dominated industries. From her meager days as the child of sharecroppers in rural Mississippi to her current status as a venerable force in Atlanta, Parker is proof that you do not have to stay where you start.
“When you’re first, nobody can replace that,” she says during our chat as she recalls her storied journey. She notes several moments meant to discourage her, yet true to her moniker as a Chick in Charge, she used her Panglossian spirit to claim well-deserved success. When I ask what led her from a job in manufacturing to her over 20 years in the security industry, her response is unequivocal.
“My daughter would love to answer this question. Because when the question is asked, her answer is, ‘somebody told her no about something, so she went about her business of recreating something different than what they received. So that’s really how I got into security. It was by default, as I would describe it, however, I know without a doubt that it was God’s divine intervention. It was his plan.”
ALL N ONE is an Atlanta household name with primary markets that includes the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, parking management, security officers, systems integration, traffic control, and parking enforcement throughout the entire State of Georgia.
“We started of course with one person that was me, and the support of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which equals four, in 2001. Today, we have nearly 800 employees in Georgia alone.”
Humbly serving others is one of Parker’s hallmarks and she has done so with the Mary Parker Foundation, which invests in underserved communities. It provides resources for e-learning, business education, youth enrichment, and community empowerment.
While she was searching for a brickand-mortar home for the organization, in 2019, faith and destiny collided to produce Junction 2800, formerly called Campbellton Road Community Center, in Southwest Atlanta. Instead of stopgap solutions, Parker discovered the community needed ongoing services and support. The 30,000 square foot property sits on 7.5 acres and is a multi-purpose property equipped with tangible resources for the community such as a co-working space, educational workshops, a technology hub, and an art gallery and it is also a verified vaccination site and voting poll.
Pandemic aside, during the quarantine, the Mary Parker Foundation was able to offer parents a viable alternative to entertain bored and frustrated children. Facilitators of the foundation successfully held live stream classes that included a virtual vegetable garden, technology, droning, robotics, financial literacy, and even cooking classes.
“God gave me a mission to go in and stamp out underserved from this community by serving them with access to resources unlimited,” she says. “It wasn’t hard to find out what resources were missing. I was able to accomplish that by looking at what was there. And guess what I found? No healthy grocery stores, no healthy restaurant, lack of medical access, no hospitals, and no urgent care, they were missing everything that the community needs to thrive. So, I started by making contact and bringing in the American Heart Association, Fulton County, Fresh Market, Georgia State [as an] educational partner, the city of Atlanta, and Invest Atlanta —the economic arm. These are all organizations that we’ve already established, some type of MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] with, that are serving the community from Junction 2800.”
Along with the aforementioned entities, Parker and her foundation are collaborating with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and other politicians from surrounding areas. The title of this article refers to Parker as a ‘Jewel,’ but she insists that Junction 2800 is the true gem. Junction 2800 is becoming a staple and an integral part of strengthening the entire city of Atlanta, and she is certain of its future.
“The jewel you’re thinking is me, is not me. The Jewel is the community for which I’m assigned. The jewel is Campbellton Road, being in the position that I can take it from where it is now, to what we know can be established there.”
“We are not going to accept being an underserved community. We have taxpayers there. We have people who [are] contributions to the economic and educational system. We have entrepreneurs within the community and that community need the resources in order to thrive. We look at it from one perspective. We look at what is not there. And this is why I want to create a mindset of looking at what is there and what are the opportunities.”
With her remarkable success, it’s important to know what has sustained Parker throughout the highs and lows, as she refuses to accept defeat despite seemingly dire circumstances.
“It was faith, perseverance, determination, and the fact that I understand “no” doesn’t mean no. It just means not now.”
For more information about Mary Parker and Junction 2800 visit, www.MaryParkerFoundation.org
Always game to show and tell a great story, Raquelle “Rocki” Harris is an experienced writer, editor, and media correspondent who focuses on culture, minority-owned businesses, entertainment, and relationships. Adept across multiple platforms, she is also the host/producer of Rocki’s Reality podcast on Motor City Woman Radio.
