LEAD Summit XIV presentations focus on ‘Telling Our Stories — Our Way, Our Voice: Latino Representation in the Arts, Media and Education’

The importance of Latinos telling their own stories from their own experiences and perspectives will be the focus of LEAD Summit XIV’s capstone presentation, “Telling Our Stories — Our Way, Our Voice,” at the annual gathering, set for Friday, Oct. 3, at Cal State San Bernardino.

“For too long, mainstream media has marginalized, misrepresented, or altogether erased Latino communities, reducing us to stereotypes, token characters, or background noise,” according to the summit’s summary of the afternoon panel presentation. “What we see — and don’t see— on our screens and in our scripts reflects deeper structural inequities in whose stories are valued, funded, and circulated.”

The 1:15 p.m. presentation, as well as the summit’s program of guest speakers and panel discussions, centers on the theme of "Telling Our Stories — Our Way, Our Voice: Latino Representation in the Arts, Media and Education,” which focuses on the urgency and impact of authentic Latino representation.

The summit, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Santos Manuel Student Union South Events Center at CSUSB. Registration may be done online. Sponsorships for the summit are also available. Visit the LEAD Sponsors webpage for information.

Speakers and presenters at the summit are experts and practitioners in their respective fields. For example, the capstone presentation will be moderated by Debora Perez Torres, CSUSB assistant professor communication and media. She will be joined by panelists Bel Hernandez, founder/CEO Latin Heat Media; Enrique Castillo, an award-winning actor/writer/director and author; Kirk Whisler, president of the Latino 247 Media Group; and Johnny Murillo, producer/screenwriter and founder of Chicano Hollywood.

Their panel presentation will not only offer a critical examination of media portrayals of Latinos, but also offer ideas on “reclaiming narrative power and ensuring that future generations of Latinos see themselves reflected — not just as survivors, but as protagonists, visionaries, and storytellers of their own lives.”

“La Palabra as Power: Spoken Word, Música, Poetry, Literature, and the Politics of Voice” is the title of the Dr. Tomás Rivera Featured Panel at 11:15 a.m. The presentation will focus on lyricism, rap, spoken word, literature, cantos, corridos, and contemporary poetry and how they can “speak truth to power, challenge erasure, and build solidarity. These expressive forms are more than artistic genres — they are tools of testimony, resistance, and radical imagination,” the panel description reads.

The panel is named for the late Tomás Rivera, a Mexican American author, poet and educator who was the first Mexican American and minority chancellor in the University of California system, leading the UC Riverside campus from 1979-84. Moderating the panel will be Guillermo Aviles-Rodriguez, CSUSB assistant professor of theatre arts. He will be joined by Jerry Tello, an award-winning author, storyteller and healing practitioner; Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl, a multilingual and multidimensional poet; and Jag Arreola, activist and hip hop artist.

The morning panel presentation, “Curriculum Justice: Centering Latino Voices in Education,” will examine how Latinos can help ensure the history of their contributions — as well as those of other groups that have been marginalized — are recorded and told accurately. “By centering the lived realities, ancestral knowledge, and intellectual contributions of Chicano/Latino communities, educators and institutions create spaces of belonging, critical inquiry, and liberation for students of all backgrounds,” the panel description reads.

The panel will be moderated by Veronica Valadez, president and co-founder of Ehecatl Wind Philosophy and expert ethnic studies educator and curriculum specialist. Panelists joining her will be Gabriel Orosco, CEO and co-founder of Ehecatl Wind Philosophy; Jose Aguilera-Lopez, teacher at Carter High School in Rialto and a doctoral candidate in educational leadership at CSUSB; and Darlene Torres, a veteran classroom educator of Chicano Studies and U.S. history, and dual language co-coordinator at Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park.

Other highlights of the summit include the keynote presentations.

Henry “HEN GEE” Garcia, an American rapper, producer and cultural advocate, will be the featured morning speaker, and Willie Garcia, better known as “Little Willie G” and the “Godfather of Brown-Eyed Soul,” will present the afternoon keynote address.

Also featured will be the photo exhibit “Our Stories Are Ancient,” by Rony Armas, which explores how the symbols of indigenous peoples ancestors add to the richness of contemporary stories.

Through keynote addresses, panel discussions and community-driven sessions, LEAD Summit XIV will spotlight the creative and educational contributions of Latino communities — from Indigenous and African diasporic roots to present-day cultural leaders. Attendees will explore how accurate and multidimensional portrayals of Latino life can dismantle stereotypes, expand understanding and inspire the next generation of learners and leaders.

“This year’s LEAD Summit stands as a powerful affirmation of our right to tell our stories on our own terms,” said Enrique Murillo Jr., executive director of LEAD. “'Telling Our Stories – Our Way, Our Voice' is more than a theme – it is a declaration of cultural resilience and intellectual sovereignty. By centering Latino voices in the arts, media and education, we honor our legacies while forging new narratives that challenge stereotypes and empower future generations.”

In keeping with the theme, the Padrinos de Honor/Honorary Chairs for LEAD Summit XIV are two cultural icons in the arts: José Feliciano, the multi-Grammy Award-winning musical artist whose timeless music transcends borders, and Ignacio Gomez, the renowned Chicano muralist and visual artist known for depicting powerful scenes of Latino history and resilience. Read more at “Latino entertainment and art icons named LEAD Summit XIV’s Padrinos de Honor.”

LEAD Summit XIV aims to bring together a diverse coalition of educators, students, scholars, artists, administrators, parents, civic leaders and advocates — all united in their commitment to educational equity and cultural recognition.

For more information, visit the LEAD Summit XIV website, as well as the LEAD Education Projects webpage.