POET
The stage is as simple and soft as the skin we are born into. A spotlight cast shadows while reflecting an indigo spectrum on varied shades of melanin in the seats. A young man steps to the microphone and let’s his tongue sing with a rhythm that echoes the energy of his father working in the fields “Despite the chaos, know our lives breathe a beauty that resides beyond bars and borders.” If voices hold embryonic visions, then Mark Gonzales is among the lyrical leaders in birthing a more humane way of being.
One of the most engaging voices of a generation, Gonzales has appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry, Fox News, Mun2, NPR, and shared stages with literary, Hip Hop, and academic icons across the globe. The depth of his work can be seen in the diversity of his audience, as he has received acclaims from educators, senators, foster youth, former prisoners, and members of the United Nations. Over 100,000 people have watched him speak the words: "In a war on terror, maybe testosterone is the real terrorist”, in the virtual world. His allies and lyrical supporters cross nation-state identities including: Lebanon, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Cuba, Iran, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Palestine, Jordan, and Indigenous of the Americas.
The vision is more than the voice. The people of Palestine opened their homes to him in 2003, and in return he opened his heart. Youth in prisons have spoken to him in the language of sliced wrists, forcing him to find words that not only speak our pain, but heal our wounds. His tongue tap-dance tangos between Brooklyn mothers and Baghdad sons, and he hums in the name of both. In 2008, he continued to break borders and build beauty by becoming the first Chicano spoken word artist to perform in Syria.
EDUCATOR
The poetic spirit is more than the page. With a Masters in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a legacy of lyrical work, Mark Gonzales blends Hip Hop culture and spoken word into curriculum, classrooms, and facilities. His academic work is rooted in redefining the role of educator from employee to mentor and member of the community, Through youth driven classrooms, curriculum, and accountability, he is transforming education from a site of oppression to one of invention and imagination. His curriculum has been published and acclaimed by educators and administration across the United States. He continues to spark dialogue among diverse audiences to examine and unearth what is real versus what is perceived in our sentiments about difference.
The educational soul is more than classroom. To address root causes of the crisis that resides behind lyrics, Mark Gonzales founded the Human Writes Project, an alliance of artists and community activists dedicated to cultivating and claiming human rights through multi-media arts and education. Human Writes Project has organized summits on Hip Hop as education, provided teacher training and support for educators across the U.S., hosted concerts that cultivate human rights through culture, and sponsored cultural exchanges through international artist delegations. Gonzales currently serves on the advisory board for C.A.D.R.E., who solidifies and advance parent leadership to ensure that all children are rightfully educated regardless of where they live, and is a lead organizer for Alternative Intervention Models, a collective vision of artist educators committed to ensuring the health and holistic growth of all communities.
For Booking and Building email: humanwrites@gmail.com
