Today we’d like to introduce you to Marquis Carrington.
Hi Marquis, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I am a Baltimore Native. I spent all of my life in the city. I was raised in a village that I am extremely grateful for. I took what I had for granted at different points in my early adult life. I overlooked people who deserved far more respect and appreciation for their contributions to the community and my life.
As I became an educator in the same school system that taught me I saw so many themes that I despised growing up and a desire to change them emerged. At the top of 2023, I set out to do a podcast web series called “A Guy From A Place” to make people aware of the city I love and the people that I come across in my journey.
I have been blessed to experience many spaces in the world and I give the city that raised me credit for how I navigate it.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been full of ebbs and flows. The slow downs I have had came from a lack of faith. I allowed fears to be in my space. I feared being myself. I didn’t know myself.
The largest struggle had been letting go of my past to fully honor who I am becoming. The truth is it has always been in me. It has become more accessible and apparent because of what I released and have begun to say no to.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a former educator, currently using podcast conversations to make people aware of the blessings in this experience. I am a lover of all things creative. I work closely with Joy Education Foundation, a virtual reading clinic that provides tools that empower families across the nation.
I am a Certified Yoga Instructor trained by The Black Male Yoga Initiative. I am a man of many hats. I am the most grateful for the space I have been allowed to occupy and the people who enter it with me. I am appreciative of my community. Check out my page to see what sets me apart.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the authenticity and originality. There are plenty of places that the city can be compared to, but none are quite like Baltimore. I love the community efforts I have benefitted from as a youth up into my adult life. I dislike the egotism. I dislike the circumstances that have left us in a constant state of survival. I dislike how much money is prioritized above people.
I dislike how often people are the last thought. In many spaces, I have seen a “how much can we make” rather than “how many can we serve” energy. I understand it. I am not above any of these schools of thought. I just recognize the damage it does. I also dislike how committed some of us are to keeping the narratives alive that we are crabs in a barrel.
I am capable of doing all the work I do because of Black Men and Women in the community. I have had to check myself when it comes to thinking Black people won’t support me. Overall I like the fact that all of these things that are presently “problems” can mostly be solved with mindset shifts and awareness that will empower those shifts.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.charmcitybipper.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charmcitybipper/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aguyfromaplace
