Sacred Lessons with Mike de la Rocha

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Fernando Deveras, educator, father, and trauma-informed facilitator, for a powerful conversation on history, masculinity, and healing. Together, they explore how understanding our roots can transform the way we see ourselves, navigate fear, and show up as men in a rapidly changing world. From breaking down inherited ideas of mascul...

In this episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with his brother Yancy "YD" Comins, co-founder of Hands In The Soil, for a powerful conversation on men’s healing, brotherhood, and the medicine of gathering in community. Rooted in their shared experience building the men’s circle at DENA Heals, this conversation explores why so many men are hurting, a...

In this deeply personal episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with his longtime friend Tad Nakamura, an award-winning filmmaker, father, and son of pioneering Asian American cinema icon Robert A. Nakamura. Having known each other for over 25 years, Mike and Tad reflect on growing up as sons of movement fathers, carrying both the gifts and the wounds of legacy. Through Tad’s f...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Jose Arellano, entrepreneur, community leader, Vice President of Operations at Homeboy Industries, and Mike’s business partner at Tepito Coffee. Together they reflect on Jose’s journey from the streets and incarceration to becoming a leader helping others rebuild their lives. This deeply personal conversation explores s...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Salvador Santana, musician, producer, and son of the legendary Carlos Santana, for a deeply personal conversation about fathers and sons. This isn’t about fame or Grammys. It’s about fatherhood, legacy, and the vulnerability it takes to love across generations. For the first time, Salvador speaks candidly about his own...

In this episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with Chris Rivas for a powerful conversation about identity, belonging, and the quiet lie that so many of us carry: that we are not enough. Actor, author of  Brown Enough , and cultural storyteller, Chris challenges harmful notions of supremacy and masculinity while inviting us to reclaim our stories as medicine fo...

In this episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with Vic Mensa and his father, Edward Mensah, for a rare, intergenerational conversation about becoming a father, becoming a son, and becoming accountable to something greater than oneself. Vic reflects on how fatherhood has ushered in a quieter, more intentional chapter of his life, grounded in ancestry, purpose,...

In this episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with Richie Reseda, artist, abolitionist, and CEO of Question Culture, for a raw and transformative conversation about masculinity, accountability, and healing. From co-founding Success Stories inside Soledad Prison to co-creating  Songs From the Hole , Richie reflects on unlearning patriarchy and the radical belief that hea...

In this episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with Selema Masekela for an intimate conversation about culture, nature, and the love between fathers and sons. From surfing, skating, and snowboarding to music and movement as medicine, Selema reflects on how the outdoors became a spiritual home and a pathway to belonging. Together, Mike and Selema explore legacy, grie...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Maestro Jerry Tello for a deeply grounding conversation on ceremony, culture, and healing. A community leader, healing practitioner, and internationally recognized voice for justice, Jerry shares wisdom shaped by his Mexican, Texan, and Coahuiltecan Indigenous roots and upbringing in Los Angeles. With over five decades dedicated to...

In this special live episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha facilitates a powerful panel discussion titled “Sacred Lessons: Exploring Men’s Healing” at the launch of The Indigenous House, a visionary lifestyle brand and media platform rooted in Indigenous cultures, creativity, and community. Joined by DJ Emcee One, Eric Michael Hernandez, and Thosh Collins, Mike guides...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Memo Torres, Director of Engagement and multimedia journalist at the James Beard Award–winning L.A. Taco, for a moving conversation about storytelling, community, and the emotional responsibility of bearing witness. From his roots as a third-generation landscaper to becoming one of LAs’ most trusted narrative voice...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Isaac Zamora, youth advocate and family therapist for a number of youth-serving organizations. Rooted in Chumash and Chicano heritage, Isaac’s journey from incarceration to higher education at Santa Barbara City College, UCLA, and Pepperdine University reveals how culture, kinship, and redemption can turn shame into heal...

In part two of this special Sacred Lessons episode, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with his longtime mentor, poet, and cultural leader Luis J. Rodríguez. Together, they explore how mentorship, purpose, and creativity can turn pain into power and how our stories carry the seeds of healing and belonging. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is part one of a two part episode of Sacred Lessons where Mike de la Rocha sits down with his longtime mentor, poet, and cultural leader Luis J. Rodríguez. From his early years navigating gang life and addiction in East L.A. to becoming an acclaimed author and community organizer, Luis shares how words, art, and storytelling became medicine for survival and transformation. See omnystud...

  In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with internationally renowned musician and changemaker Aloe Blacc. Together, they explore how music can be more than art, it can be medicine, activism, and a call to healing. From his Panamanian roots and Afro-Latino identity to global hits like “The Man” and “I Need a Dollar,” Aloe shares how his art...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with world-champion hoop dancer, filmmaker, and cultural ambassador Eric Michael Hernandez. Together, they explore how hoop dance became a path of resilience, healing, and cultural belonging. From growing up Lumbee and Chicano in Southern California to touring the world with Cirque du Soleil, Eric shares how movement reconnected hi...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Steve Corona, Chicano skater, storyteller, and community voice whose skating blends culture, pride, and healing. From his viral “Pati-Charro” video at Mariachi Plaza to managing a skate shop in Lincoln Heights, Steve has become a cultural bridge between skateboarding and Chicano identity. Together, they explore how...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with legendary photographer and director Estevan Oriol, whose lens has defined Los Angeles and global street culture for decades. From tour-managing Cypress Hill and House of Pain to receiving his first camera from his father, Estevan shares how photography became his medicine. Together, they explore how images can heal by restorin...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Curly Velásquez, storyteller, actor, and producer known for BuzzFeed’s Latinx, PBS’s Dead & Buried, and iHeart/Sonoro’s The Super Secret Bestie Club. Curly has built a career proving that the Latino community is not monolithic, uplifting voices across queerness, Afro-Latinidad, Indigeneity, and mix...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with comedian Jerry Garcia, whose journey from Huntington Park stages to HBO and Netflix has made him one of today’s most relatable voices. Beyond the laughs, Jerry is a father of three boys whose humor bridges culture, family, and healing. Together, they explore how comedy helps men embrace vulnerability, how culture shapes...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.