Today’s episode I believe is of the most important conversations I’ve recorded to date. I sat down to interview Garry Thorton, who has more than thirty years of experience as a teacher, coach, counselor and administrator in both public and private education. Garry also used to be my HS Principal. Garry is a black man who grew up in a very different world than I did, however he has spent well over the last decade living and teaching in North County San Diego, which if who aren’t familiar, it is an affluent, predominantly white community. I wanted to sit down with Garry because due to the recent protests and the murder of George Floyd, there has rightfully been a huge light shed on the systemic racism that is rampant in our country today in 2020.
As things have been escalating, I’ve been asking and wondering myself “What can I do as a white privileged person to help?” There are so any other questions and topics I wanted to ask Garry, however the lens of what can privileged white people do to help the black community is the main guiding star for the conversation today, as well as how white people of privilege can better educate themselves in order to take empowered actions in creating a just society, starting with you and I. So without further ado, today’s episode with Garry Thoron.
Show Notes / Links
Garry Thorton’s Website: http://www.gwthornton.com/
Garry Thorton’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwthornton/
The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Man-Ralph-Ellison/dp/0679732764/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+invisible+man&qid=1591122855&s=books&sr=1-1
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, https://www.amazon.com/Kill-Mockingbird-Harper-Lee/dp/0060935464/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25D0YCZFQS8CH&dchild=1&keywords=to+kill+a+mockingbird&qid=1591122834&s=books&sprefix=to+kill+a+%2Cstripbooks%2C228&sr=1-1
A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League by Ron Suskind https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Unseen-American-Odyssey-League/dp/0767901266
Brian Branks Story (CA Innocence Project) https://californiainnocenceproject.org/read-their-stories/brian-banks/
Rachel Cargle’s TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgufOtRq488
California Innocence Project: https://californiainnocenceproject.org/
Just Mercy Film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4916630/
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, book by Bryan Stevenson: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JYWVYLY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1