HARLEM SON

About the Book

Kevin Thorbourne’s gritty tale of growing up in New York is quite adventurous. A family’s transition from a city dwelling to a move to the suburbs in the 1960’s unfolds as they struggle to keep a piece of both lifestyles… A life filled with family dysfunction including mental illness, drug addiction and infidelity portrays this man’s life, while he never is absent from the political scene of all African Americans during these times.
Kevin relives police brutality, Black Nationalism and the birth of black power in the early 60’s on both the streets of New York as well as the national scene. Thorbourne’s personal journey encounters teen years in the 70’s where his family life crumbled causing him to fall to the darkest part of his life. His story is filled with love, lust and an addictive personality. Coming into manhood in the 80’s turned this man’s life around and fatherhood changed him forever.

About the Author

Kevin W. Thorbourne is a native of Harlem, New York. In 1999, he entered a training program of Cornell University School of Labor to train as a mediator. Upon completion, he was awarded a government contract to mediate workplace discrimination cases at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), where he has maintained a 90% settlement rate. Kevin’s entry into conflict resolution came from years of sales and management including labor negotiations in the men’s retail industry. In 1985, Kevin’s love for footwear took him to Milan, Italy where he studied the leather business. Upon his return to the USA, Kevin opened his own store in Hempstead, NY, Gillespie’s Footwear and Accessories. The company specialized in high quality footwear, outerwear and accessories for men and women. It was a successful business for five years but due to the closing of a major department store in the area, shopping traffic slowed down considerably and the company was sold in 1991. Kevin spent 1992-1999 working for three major menswear retail chains- Today’s Man, where he staffed and trained sales associates for 25 stores in the Washington, DC area; and finally landed at the Custom Shop, a company that specialized in handmade custom clothing for men, where in additional to managing the store, he also had the responsibility of handling Human Resources. Kevin has formed his own mediation organization, African American Association of Mediators, where he hopes to work with other members in training those interested in mediation as a career. He also plans to expand his practice to conflict resolution in the Hip Hop community. Kevin is the father of three sons and also has six grandchildren. He currently resides in New York City.