An HBO Def Poet, a Mexican and a Muslim, Mark Gonzales lives in the centre of intersection. Living a line break of borders that resembles Khalil Gibran and Pablo Neruda in a lyrical breakdance cypher, he is respected internationally for his creative approaches to suicide prevention, human rights and human development via performance, photojournalism, and narrative therapy.
With a Master’s in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles, Mark is at the forefront of curriculum development, relationship building, and healing strategy sharing between historically traumatized communities. He is the first poet of the Hip Hop generation from the States to perform in Syria, and was an invited performer at TEDxRamallah, the first TEDx talks held in Palestine. He is currently serving as visiting professor and artist in residence for the Institute for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford University.