Karen's Projects
Karen’s work spans teaching, writing, analysis, and public voice—each grounded in a commitment to ethical communication, intellectual rigor, and cultural responsibility. Her projects reflect a unified vocation: examining how language shapes identity, power, and public life, while equipping others to speak with clarity, credibility, and purpose.
Studies in Brown Blog
Brown Study (n): the condition of being lost in solitary thought.
Here are the revelations, epiphanies, and innermost thoughts of a Southern-born girl with chocolate brown skin. Not all my stories are joyful, nor are they all sorrowful. They’re tales of resilience and persistent determination to create goodness, to embody virtue, and to express a voice. These stories have shaped and fortified me, fostering toughness and vulnerability. They encompass mistakes, shortcomings, strengths, and triumphs.
Sweet Honey in the Rock
Lately, I’ve been whining. A lot. The non-profit I founded is no longer funded. In fact, I returned two grants because they did not offer any administrative fees, and it is tantamount to making bricks with no straw – so I politely declined. But let's be clear - it's not as though I didn’t have anything to whine about. I left my job as a Communications and Strategy Analyst at Kennedy Space Center in 2020 to establish this non-profit. (Continue Reading)
Wake Up! It’s Someday!
Happy New Year. Welcome to “Someday”. You know that day you said you’d write that book, start that company, or do that other thing God’s been whispering in your ear? When the clock struck midnight last night Someday arrived. The thing is that Someday arrived in a world that has lost its way. We are in a world where absolutes, reality, and even Truth Himself (John 14:6) is being assaulted. How do you navigate life without a sense of direction? (Continue Reading)
Confederate Statutes & “Cancel Culture”
America's Long Overdue Racial Reckoning
November 12, 2020 I found myself recently having a respectful exchange of ideas with someone who expressed concerns about “cancel culture”. If you’re not a Fox News regular, then you might not recognize that as their mock-concern talking point in response to the removal of confederate statues. Not only do I detest the hypocritical resistance to our nation’s long overdue struggle to reckon with systemic racism, but I also refuse to swallow it, coddle it, ignore it, or compromise with it. Iron sharpens iron by rubbing against it – irritating it. It’s the same way pearls are formed. It’s the same way that our nation will finally find that more perfect union. By having the courage to engage in the marketplace of ideas even when it's irritating
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The Woman of My Dreams
The Myth of the Strong, Black Woman
January 12, 2020 Sometimes when I am quiet and still, I close my eyes and I see this woman. She’s confident. She’s poised. She’s articulate. She’s secure, loving, and kind. Her words are infused with wisdom and life. She is a mentor and a mother to anyone who shows up needing one. Whatever she touches flourishes and grows. She’s gracious, compassionate, and authentic. She carries herself with the natural elegance of a queen, yet she’s humble enough that, if it might help you avoid a pitfall, she’ll talk about her mistakes and show you her scars. Continue Reading
The Power of Pregnant Friends
If Not Now, When? #INNW
January 18, 2020 This week I had dinner with a friend who is the president of an international communications agency based out of London with offices in South America and California. He is a larger-than-life, magnetic person and although we are the same age, he has accomplished so much more than I have in my communications career. From working with NBA legends to the Vatican to helping broker a peace agreement between a government and a rebel faction in South America, he has helped to broaden my understanding of what our profession is and what we can be called upon to do.
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The Journey to Springtime
Sis, let's bless the journey!!
January 26, 2020 More on becoming the Women of our Dreams.
I grew up in Mims which is a quaint little township in northern Brevard County, Florida. Mims is located on one of the only still undeveloped stretches of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. The first thing you must understand is that there is Mims and there is East Mims. East Mims is about one square mile that, while I was growing up, was wildly rural, boasting densely wooded areas and yes, even dirt roads. I remember there being a rather large dip in the dirt road in front of my mother’s home. When it rained, we, as children, considered it a wading pool. Continue Reading
Transformation
When was the last time you checked your vitals?
It’s easy to say we’re going to be the Women of our Dreams, isn’t it? It sounds good. It’s a nice goal for the new year. But what does it mean? What does it require? How do you actually change? Here’s the thing about transformation – true transformation. It’s quiet. It’s incremental. It’s consistent. It happens when no one is looking. It usually looks like nothing is happening. It starts from the inside. A good analogy is like a caterpillar wrapped in a chrysalis. It happens in isolation. It means the place you are no longer fits the person you’re destined to be. It requires a focused, intentional struggle; you have to want it. If you persevere, you emerge with bright, beautiful wings.
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Beauty for Ashes
Trying to outrun the beginning...
June 3, 2020 My mother passed away three weeks ago yesterday. My mom had lived a life of significance. She grew up a migrant worker in Hastings, Florida. She and her siblings, eight in all, picked potatoes and cabbage and whatever else was in season. It was a difficult, humble life straddling the divide between Jim Crow and the Black Codes and coming of age during the charged atmosphere of the Civil Rights Movement.Later my mother earned a Master’s degree in microbiology and taught high school science for 30 years while, as a divorced mom she raised four children being paid a schoolteacher’s salary that was delivered once a month.
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A Prophetic Word to Black America
"For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Rom. 13:11
August 11, 2020 I was blessed this month to be asked by Destiny Image Publishers to write an article for their blog. It's a bit longer than my usual post but I still wanted to share it with you here. I hope it blesses you!
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Trash Talking & Giant Toppling
I'm ready to topple some giants. You coming??
November 2, 2020 Hey, Sis! So, I’m still working on becoming the woman of my dreams. Today’s musing in my quiet time was about confidence and humility. There seems to be a narrow isthmus between the two upon which we must balance while walking out our God-given purpose. To wade into one side or the other can mean being lured away by undercurrents of false humility or pride which will surely lead to a fall. Or on the other side into self-abasement and low self-esteem which will be tantamount to trudging through mud with every step. How does one?
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Join us at “The Queens’ Table” where your host Pastor Karen Tooley Curry invites you to join a vibrant community of empowered women. In each episode Pastor Karen and a diverse group of accomplished queens come together to foster a space of acceptance and sisterhood, sharing their wisdom, support, and a good laugh or two. Whether it’s discussing how to cultivate that “Boss Lady” vibe, navigating the complexities of Black love in 2023, or getting honest about the effects of racial trauma on Black women, “The Queens’ Table” is here to uplift and inspire you.
So if you’re on a journey to “level up” or simply seeking a safe place to talk things through, pull up a chair.
Girl, we got you!