50: Marlon Peterson on His Journey from School Valedictorian to State Prisoner to Discovering His Calling as a Youth Mentor

Welcome to another incredible story from At the End of the Tunnel! You might be wondering: what tunnel is Light always referring to? Well, your tunnel is that darkest moment in your life when you think all hope is lost. If you haven’t had your dark tunnel moment yet or you are currently working your way through one, these stories serve as reminders that, while these tunnels signal the end of a part of your life, they also signify the beginning of another. This next phase is often when the real you has an opportunity to shine through.Today’s guest had his dark tunnel moment when he got caught up in an attempted robbery as a teenager and was facing life in the New York State prison system. Marlon Peterson also saw the light at the end of the tunnel, however, and struck up a letter correspondence with a teacher from his old neighborhood and her students. Because of everything he had been through in his life, he became uniquely qualified to offer these kids insight and wisdom into their issues, traumas, and “brokenness.” With a renewed sense of purpose, Marlon went on to earn an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice with Honors. He also spent the last five years of his incarceration as the head of the Transitional Services Center, where he created programming and curricula for men nearing release from incarceration and spearheaded and designed an experiential work-shop for incarcerated men and college students.Since then, Marlon has been named him one of America's 100 Most Influential and Inspiring Leaders in the Black Community by Ebony magazine, is an Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar, a Fall 2016 TED Resident, and a 2015 recipient of the prestigious Soros Justice Fellowship. His TED Talk, ‘Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform’ has over 1 million views and he is the best-selling author of Bird Uncaged: An Abolitionist's Freedom Song. He is also the host of the Decarcerated Podcast, an Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity, and the founder and chief re-imaginator of The Precedential Group, a social justice consulting firm. Marlon’s story proves that there is hope at the end of any dark tunnel if you have the honesty and resolve to let your inner light shine. Tune in today for a candid, challenging, inspiring and, ultimately, uplifting conversation with Marlon Peterson!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!