Background
Offering an alternative view of dealing with youth violence, Mike de
la Rocha has emerged as one of the country's top new voices on youth
development and juvenile justice. He has been acknowledged for
integrating social justice, the arts, and his personal experiences to
bring diverse communities together to promote alternatives to social
inequity and youth violence. With over a decade of experience in
coalition-building, non-profit management, and implementing innovative
youth development programs, Mike's work provides a multi-contextual
framework for empowerment and education, addressing issues of
cross-cultural communication, juvenile justice, and spirituality. As a
legislative deputy for Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas and a
former policy advisor for the City of Los Angeles Human Relations
Commission, Mike has over 5 years of legislative experience. He
currently advises Councilman Cardenas on all juvenile justice
legislation and facilitated the City Council's Community Engagement
Advisory Committee, an internationally-renowned group that developed the
nation's first comprehensive "Community-Based Gang Intervention Model."
Congresswoman Diane Watson recently incorporated the model into
legislation designed to provide a nationwide approach to reducing youth
violence. In 2006, Mike co-created and co-facilitated Breaking the Cycle
with Dignity, an extensive 6-month training to help identify and diffuse
racialized-gang conflict within the Los Angeles County Probation
Department. As a result of the training, he co-founded the Joint City
and County Juvenile Justice Task Force, a nationally-recognized
multi-disciplinary partnership that provides a model for sustained
coordination of government and community resources and services. In
2008, the Task Force was awarded the John Anson Ford Award from the Los
Angeles County Human Relations Commission for significantly impacting
better human relations in the Los Angeles community and beyond. Mike
also worked as a Program Coordinator for the Asian Pacific American
Dispute Resolution Center where he supervised over 800 mediations and
was instrumental in decreasing school suspension rates by over 40% at
various Los Angeles schools. He served four years as the Managing
Director of Equal Opportunity Productions, a non-profit arts outreach
program that produced original theatrical productions written and
performed by at-risk youth. There, Mike directed over seven theatrical
shows, including national and international performances at the
Windybrow Theatre in South Africa, the Apollo Theatre in New York, and
various venues throughout Los Angeles, while increasing the
organization's budget by over 60%. Mike has conducted hundreds of
workshops in schools, community centers, juvenile detention centers, and
universities. In response to the need to bring the youth voice to the
forefront of national discussions, Mike teamed up with veteran filmmaker
and social entrepreneur Michael Skolnik to create Dot 2 Dot, a network
of young leaders with the goal of inspiring and empowering the emerging
generation to build a movement for social change in America. Mike also
co-founded Bruins for Change, a network of politically active UCLA
alumni and students that promote policies that advance the struggle for
social justice at UCLA and beyond.
Mike sings in Broken Ornaments, an electro rock act making headlines in
Los Angeles whose album will be released in fall 2009 as well as working
on several literary projects to compliment his musical and political
career, including an anthology of poems scheduled for release in 2010.
He continues to speak and perform at numerous events across the country
and around the world, including speaking engagements in Mexico, South
Africa, Germany, and Canada.
Mike serves on the Board of Directors of Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural
and Divine Forces Media and is a consultant for UCLA's Community
Programs Office, Youth Speak Collective, and the Los Angeles Cultural
Affairs Department. Mike received his Masters from Cal State University
Dominguez Hills and his Bachelor degree from UCLA where he served as the
1999/2000 Undergraduate Student Body President. At UCLA, Mike was
awarded the Charles E. Young Humanitarian Award for his efforts to
increase student initiated outreach efforts. From his website:
http://mikedelarocha.wordpress.com
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