Vernon's Wisdom from the Underground

During this last episode of the season, Vernon reflected on his life and where he is now. Even though Vernon was wrongfully convicted, what he wants people to get out of his story is the three main values that he lives by: responsibility,  resiliency, and forgiveness. Vernon is currently living in what many people consider "the most horrifying and horrible place to live", but he is FREE.

Tune in to hear why.

As a successful working adult, Vernon worked two jobs as a EOPS counseling assistant at Santa Monica College and as a tutor at LA Strive. The other part of Vernon's identity is being "B-Down" from the Rolling 20's Blood gang. In this Podcast, Vernon reflects on why he kept going back to his old lifestyle. Simply put, it is POWER. Tune in to hear how Vernon breaks down the complexity of one's double life and the crave for power. 

After going to prison for a gun charge, Vernon knew that he had to let go of his anger by facing his biggest challenge. Growing up, Vernon hated his father. To free himself from the anger that kept him emotionally imprisoned, Vernon decided to forgive his father and take the time to listen to his father's experiences. This transformed Vernon's life. 

In this episode, Vernon shared his reasonings for why he found himself back in this old neighborhood and reacquainted with his homies who were gang members. This transitional period caused him to lose himself and went back to the old lifestyle that he has worked so hard to get out of. Tune in to learn more about why Vernon went back to his old lifestyle when he was supposed to be living it up as a UCLA student!

In this episode, Vernon talks about his complex relationship with his mother. After growing up in an abusive home, Vernon sparked the curiosity to learn more about his mother's childhood. When Vernon asked his mother about her childhood, she shared with him the struggles that she went through as a child. From there, he worked to build a healthier relationship with his mother. The journey hasn't been easy but it definitely has been worthwhile. 

After getting out of juvenile, Vernon enrolled at Santa Monica College and it changed his life forever! The love and support that he has received from mentors at Santa Monica College and in his community tremendously contributed to his success. He reflected on his time at SMC and transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles. As a former gang member from South Central Los Angeles to being the first person in his family to enroll in college, Vernon was seen as a success story to everyone in his community!

When Vernon first entered the CA Youth Authority, he really struggled with his anger. It was his addiction. He got into more than 100 fights in the first few months. Then, he transformed his life by engaging in therapy and met his life mentor Aki Batani-Khalfani who introduced him to meaningful education that focuses on Black Studies. 

In this episode, Vernon talked about how he learned low self-worth and violence from his parents. Then, when he went to traditional schools, these institutions reenforced the low self-worth that he gained in his own home and prepared him for prison.  Tune in to learn more...

Fear. Does fear control your life? In this episode, Vernon reflects how his own fear controlled his life experiences. It's important to face our fear and not let fear controls us. 

In this introduction message, Vernon briefly shares a bit about himself as a person who is currently serving  50 years to life in prison. He provides a preview of the first season, which will be focused on his life experiences, emotions, decision making and the lessons that he learned from those experiences.