About
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John Torrey is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and a contributing professor in the Africana Studies unit at SUNY Buffalo State. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Spanish from Morehouse College and an MA and Ph. D in Philosophy from the University of Memphis. As a public philosopher, his primary research interest is the interconnection between moral arguments for reparations for Black people and their political limits in America. He has also done work in applied ethics, philosophy of education, and pre-college philosophy. In addition to publications on reparations, he has published on the theoretical underpinnings of Black Lives Matter, on doing precollege philosophy, and was featured on the UnMute Podcast in 2020. He also has developed precollege philosophy programs since 2010, including the July 2019 Buffalo State Lyceum and currently serves on the Academic Advisory Board of PLATO (Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization). As part of his work in public philosophy, he was appointed in 2020 to Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's Commission to Recommend Police Policy and Advance Social Reconstruction, was selected to the Board of Ethics for the City of Buffalo in 2022, and was appointed to the New York State 400 Years of African-American History Commission in 2022.
A proud son of St. Louis, MO, he has been a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan and will travel to see the Redbirds play. He's also a huge fan of the Memphis Grizzlies and will forever be a member of Bills Mafia. |
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Featured On...
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Episode 052: John Torrey on Reparations
May 5, 2020 Myisha Cherry chats with philosopher John Torrey about reparations, public apologies, what kind of justice is needed for African Americans, and so much more. |
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Awards & Grants |
Fellowships |
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Graduate Assistant Meritorious Teaching Award
2017 University of Memphis Philosophy Learning & Teaching Organization (PLATO)
Philosophy Fund Grant for the Buffalo State Lyceum 2019 American Philosophical Association Berry Fund for
Public Philosophy Grant for the Buffalo State Lyceum 2019 |
Buffalo State College Faculty Fellowship
2017-2018 SUNY Buffalo State Southern Regional Educational Board Dissertation Fellowship
2016-2017 Participant in the Spencer Foundation Institute on
Philosophy of Education and Public Policy 2013-2014 |