Presenters

Jlove Calderon

JLOVE CALDERÓN is a white woman who is an author, activist, and social entrepreneur working on issues of social justice, race, and gender. She has authored four books: We Got Issues! with Rha Goddess; That White Girl (optioned for film); Conscious Women Rock the Page! Using Hip-Hop Fiction to Incite Social Change (nominated for a NAACP Image Award) with Marcella Runell Hall, E-Fierce, and Black Artemis; and Love, Race, and Liberation: 'Til the White Day is Done with Marcella Runell Hall (the book was a finalist in the social change category of the 2010 National Indie Excellence Awards). Her articles on hip hop culture, white privilege, and social justice have appeared in The New York Times, Self Magazine, The Source Magazine, among others. For her consistent dedication as an activist, JLove has received numerous awards, including the Union Square Award for her activism, and Self Magazine's Self Starter of the Year award. She speaks regularly and has presented at Harvard, UCLA, Columbia, and many other institutions. She is currently producing progressive film, television, books, and educational materials for all communities. JLove graduated Cum Laude from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Africana Studies and received her M.A. in Education from Long Island University.

Rosa Clemente

ROSA ALICIA CLEMENTE is a community organizer, journalist, hip hop activist and the 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate with the Green Party. She holds a B.A. from University of Albany and received her M.P.S., Masters of Professional Africana Studies and Education at Cornell University. Clemente has been a community organizer and activist for over 15 years. She has been a featured keynote speaker, panelist, and political commentator all over the United States and has presented at over 500 events. Her company, Know They Self Productions, includes a college speakers bureau which has produced four major community activism tours. She consults on issues such as hip hop activism, media justice, voter engagement among youth of color, third party politics, inter-cultural relations between African American and Latino's, and immigrant rights. Rosa is currently working on her first book, When a Puerto Rican Woman Ran for Vice-President and Nobody Knew Her Name. She resides in the home of hip hop, the South Bronx, with her husband and daughter.

T. Tomas Alvarez

T. Tomás Alvarez III, M.S.W., A.C.S.W., BRL Founder / Executive Director

Tomás received his Masters degree in social work from Smith College School for Social Work and Bachelors degree in social work from San Francisco State University. He is the founder and executive director of Beats, Rhymes and Life (BRL), a clinically-based community organization that aims to promote mental health and wellness among youth and young adults by utilizing Hip Hop and other forms of popular culture. Tomás lives and practices social work in Oakland, California where he specializes in culturally congruent strength-based therapeutic group work with adolescents of color. In 2009, his performance-based Rap Therapy group became the focus of a feature film entitled, Beats, Rhymes and Life Film Project set to premier in 2011. Tomás has also documented his work using Rap Therapy in Oakland, California in a chapter for an upcoming book entitled, “Therapeutic uses of Rap Music“. In addition to his work with BRL, Tomás serves as a transitional age youth advocate and consultant for Alameda County. In 2010, he was selected to serve as an advisory committee member for the California Institute for Mental Health Center for Multicultural Development (CMD), an entity designed to promote the cultural competence of publicly funded behavioral health systems.