Biography

Before August 20, 2013, Antoinette Tuff was a bookkeeper known for turning around several financially challenged schools in the Atlanta metro area. However, after that fateful day, she is recognized for her heroic efforts in saving the lives of 870 children, teachers and parents by convincing a troubled you man to change his plans to kill himself and others at the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy. Antoinette’s compassion allowed her to be calm and confident despite the uncertainty and desperation of the situation. The incident at the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy is the only school shooting to date, which occurred without fatalities or injuries.

Recently, Antoinette’s story became a Lifetime movie, Faith Under Fire starring Toni Braxton and was based on her best-selling book, PREPARED for a PURPOSE. Additionally, she was able to tell her story in her own words and hear the accolades of faculty, staff, experienced hostage negotiators and psychologists in The Antoinette Tuff Story produced by Biography.

Antoinette speaks to audiences about her firsthand experience of facing the ultimate challenge, being in front of an AK-47. It is her goal to impart to schools, churches, and companies how her challenges and opportunities prepared her for that fateful day and the practical crisis management strategies she utilized to convince the deadly and imbalanced shooter that his life was worth living and that his best option was to put the gun on the receptionist’s desk and surrender peacefully.

Soon after her heroic actions, Antoinette founded the non-profit, Kids on the Move for Success. Its mission is to provide under-served children scholarships, sTEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) mentoring program, field trips and travel opportunities which enable them to see the world through a new set of eyes and give them hope for a better future. She also just held her 1st Town Hall Community Summit on Youth Safety in our communities.

Antoinette is making sure that she gives our youth an opportunity to use their voice and passion to create solutions for safety in their communities through her Town Hall Community Summits.

Conversation in the Crosshairs

Preparation is the key to success in a hostile or life-threatening situation. Conversation is the Crosshairs educates audiences on the real-life incident in which Antoinette used cautious compassion, clever confidence and took control of the situation when interacting with an active shooter that came into her workplace.

Audiences will learn Tuff Tactics that can be used when handling:

• Difficult Customers
•  Interpersonal Relationships (manager, employee or colleague)
•  Hostile Employees
•  Vengeful Family Members
• Active Shooter

PREPARED for a PURPOSE : School Under Seige

Antoinette knows that her personal challenges, including financial struggles, a broken marriage and raising a disabled child, prepared her to handle the gunman that walked into the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy. She believes that everyone is ready for a particular purpose in life. It is her calling to help individuals and organizations reach their potential. She believe that “Ordinary People can become Extraordinary People”.
Antoinette’s Tuff Tactics can be applied to the following situations:

•  Team Building
•  Personal Growth
•  Goal Setting

“Here is somebody who is not just courageous, not just cool under pressure, but also had enough heart that somehow she could convince somebody troubled that she really cared about him.”
Barack Obama, Past President

Just getting over our Chicago Idea Week hangover, thank you Antoinette! You were amazing on stage and terrific with the YOU(th)!”
Chicago Idea Week

“Such wonderful feedback from all that spoke to us. You rocked the place. You scored a Perfect 10 with us.”
Tampa Bay National Day of Prayer

“Thank you for delivering such a powerful presentation, People were talking about your story for weeks. You were definitely motivational and inspiring.”
Women’s Food Service Forum