Luis J. Rodriguez’s career as a writer skyrocketed after the 1992 publication of his memoir, Always Running. The wild kid who many brushed off as a worthless junkie and cholo eventually became a prolific author of non-fiction and poetry, anti-poverty/youth activist, and father. In November of last year, he announced his endorsement as the Green Party’s candidate for governor of California in 2014. It may seem like a bit of a stretch (okay, a huuuuuuuuge Lifetime movie-of-the-week stretch) that a man whose original claim to fame was a gang-life memoir would run for governor. Then again, who would have guessed The Terminator would take office? Plus, politics, poverty, and justice have been inescapable themes in his life that continue to rear their heads in various ways. He faced those themes, as well as death, many times as a journalist covering FARC uprisings in Nicaragua and immigrant labor struggles in the US. He also faced them as a leader in peace and youth development efforts in the USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Italy, and England. In this interview, Rodriguez explains how the fight against poverty has been his life’s work and mission, the necessity of a third party in a two-party system, and how his experiences battling poverty and uplifting local communities through education is key to changing California.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:04:51 +0000
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