Marlanda Dekine is transforming consciousness and community

“It’s always wanting to know the why of things–not just this is the way things are, but why is this the way things are,” says Marlanda Dekine in an article by Lillia Callum-Penso of The Greenville News. Dekine, a 2004 Furman University computer science-turned psychology major, is the cofounder of Spartanburg-based nonprofit Speaking Down Barriers, which works to expose and examine societal differences in order to build bridges within community. “The organization draws on both the rawness of spoken word poetry as well as the introspective push of counseling to foster a deeper awareness of self that pushes dialogue and community action,” says Callum-Penso.