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 works for the City of Los Angeles as a Legislative Deputy specializing in juvenile justice and sings in Broken Ornaments, an electro rock act making headlines in Los Angeles. Mike continues to speak and perform at venues in America and around the world.
If you’re interested in booking a speaking engagement, musical performance, human relations and conflict resolution training, or consulting on youth development policy and program implementation, contact Mike de la Rocha at mike@mikedelarocha.com
Please check back frequently for the latest news and information about Mike de la Rocha.
What’s New
Dear Friends and Family,
Sorry for the long delay in updates, but rest assurred that I’ve been busy finishing up Moving Forward, my first solo record and Truth…the Real Shortcut, my debut collection of poetry that’s being released this summer 2010. In anticipation for the release of my new album and book, I am working with Timothy Teruo Watters (timothywatters.com) on a new website, with Media Tree Productions on promo videos, still writing for Russell Simmons Global Grind Website, producing a viral video in support of the Youth PROMISE Act, historic federal violence prevention legislation that includes Rob Dyrdek, Robin Wright, Baron Davis, and others, as well as guest starring in a number of cool shows/videos, including taping a show for the next season of L.A. Ink and playing guitar with Cypress Hill in their new video for Armada Latina.
So, follow me on Twitter at @mrmikedelarocha and check out the Archives Section for some of my most recent blogs published on Global Grind, including, “We Are All From Arizona,” The Future Majority of America,” “Walking with John Forte,” and a number of other blogs. Visit the UCLA Section for the latest information on how you could get involved in Bruins for Change, a progressive network of UCLA alumni and students, and last, but not least, check out the Events Section for some upcoming speaking engagements, including a solo performance on June 1st at a benefit for Youth Speak Collective.
Thank you for your continued support,
Mike
Check back every Tuesday afternoon for the latest news, blogs, updates, and stories from the world of Mike de la Rocha.
I Am…
I am mestizo, mixed of Spanish, Indigenous, and African blood
I am the son of a Mexican immigrant father and a second generation Chicana mother
I am the wind howling for change in a white, middle-class neighborhood searching for my identity
I am a child who didn’t speak English until the age of 5 and still struggles to reclaim his native tongue
I am a high school football star, academic nerd, and rock star all rolled into one
I am a former UCLA Student Body President
I am a proud product of Affirmative Action
I am a youth advocate
I am an artist, performer, mentor, and mentee
I am a part of a community that reaches out from the hills of Mexico to the townships of South Africa
I am someone who seeks to inspire
I am a proud social justice activist
I am a unifying spirit
I am the soul of the world smiling because change is possible
I am inspired because change is inevitable
I have faith because change is love.
Mike de la Rocha wrote the following poem during a workshop that he conducted with youth from Santee High School in South Los Angeles in the fall of 2006.
