Sacred Lessons with Mike de la Rocha

In this episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with Chris Spencer, comedian, writer, producer, and actor, for a heartfelt conversation about comedy, vulnerability, and the truths we often hide behind laughter. Together, they explore why so many men learn to make people laugh before they learn to express their feelings. From marriage and fatherhood to the healing power of brot...

In this episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with Bryan Ramirez, founder of Reservoir Tattoo Studio, for a deeply personal conversation recorded while Bryan tattoos a Mesoamerican serpent, a symbol of transformation, healing, and rebirth, onto Mike's arm. Together, they explore why the tattoo chair has become one of the few places where many men feel saf...

In this episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with Carlos Guzman, founder of the influential clothing brand Brown N Proud, for a heartfelt conversation about pride, culture, and identity. From immigrating from México to building a movement that has helped tens of thousands embrace their roots, Carlos reflects on the healing power of representation, faith, and entrepre...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Marisa Renee Lee, author of  Grief Is Love  and  Waiting for Dawn , for a deeply personal conversation about loss, uncertainty, and what it means to keep loving after someone is gone. Drawing from the loss of her mother, the heartbreak of losing a child, and her own journey through illness and uncertainty, Marisa sha...

In this episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with Anna Malaika Tubbs, New York Times bestselling author of The Three Mothers and Erased for a powerful conversation about patriarchy, masculinity, and the stories that shape our understanding of power and identity. Together, they explore how systems of gender, race, and hierarchy are woven into our culture, how those systems i...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha sits with Baratunde Thurston at the BOOST Conference for a thought-provoking conversation about masculinity, America, and the future of humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. Together, they explore how the stories we inherit about power, work, and manhood continue to shape our culture, institutions, and emerging technolog...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Refujio “Cuco” Rodriguez from the Hope and Heal Fund for a powerful conversation about gun violence, masculinity, and the stories boys are taught about power and protection. Moving beyond policy and headlines, Cuco explores how trauma, silence, and harmful ideas about manhood shape violence in our homes and communities,...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Tonatiuh for a powerful conversation about gender, identity, and the cost of living inside expectations that were never ours to begin with. From his acclaimed performances in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Vida, and Promised Land, Tonatiuh reflects on how masculinity is often shaped by perception, performance, and power, and how the wor...

In this deeply moving episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries and a father figure to thousands, for an intimate conversation about love, belonging, and the fathers we find along the way. Together, they explore what happens when men grow up without the guidance, tenderness, or affirmation they needed and how healing becomes possible wh...

In this live episode of  Sacred Lessons , host Mike de la Rocha continues a powerful series on gender violence with Damariz Vasquez and Ozzy Cruz, two practitioners working on the frontlines of healing at the East L.A. Women’s Center. Moving from awareness to action, this conversation centers the day-to-day realities of supporting survivors, working with men, and creating pathways for t...

In this powerful live episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha convenes a critical conversation at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center with Barbara Kappos and Jerry Tello on sexual violence and the urgent need for accountability, healing, and community transformation. As the first in a series confronting violence against women and children, this episode moves beyond awareness to exami...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with filmmaker and novelist Kevin Abrams, whose feature film,  Marisol,  follows a 17-year-old undocumented teen confronting her identity and fighting for her future. Drawing from his Mexican-American heritage and activist roots, Kevin reflects on how storytelling becomes both resistance and healing. From documentaries li...

In this deeply personal roundtable episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with four men from the DENA Heals Men’s Circle for an unfiltered conversation about sex, consent, and the conversations many of us never had growing up. Together, they reflect on coming of age without guidance from fathers or caregivers around intimacy, respect, and responsibility, and how that silence s...

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...