Sacred Lessons with Mike de la Rocha

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Ken Salazar, former U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Interior, and U.S. Ambassador to México, for a timely conversation about immigration, identity, and who gets to belong in America. Drawing from his family’s centuries-long history in the American Southwest and his memoir Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America, Ken reflects on how history continues to shape our understanding of borders, belonging, and one another. Together, Mike and Ken explore the fear and grief underlying our divisions, how men can redefine leadership and strength, and why building a more inclusive world begins with recognizing our shared future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Mónica Ramírez, founder of Justice for Migrant Women, for an important conversation about gender justice, patriarchy, and redefining power. Recorded live at the five-year anniversary of the Raizado Festival in Aspen, Mónica reflects on decades of fighting alongside migrant women, immigrant families, and survivors of gender-based violence, and what that work has taught her about how patriarchy harms all of us. Together, Mike and Mónica explore how men can help end sexual and gender-based violence, what it means to move from power over others to power with others, and why building a more loving future requires all of us to examine what we've inherited.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with legendary artist Chaz Bojórquez, widely recognized as the Godfather of West Coast Graffiti, for a powerful conversation about art, identity, and remembering who we are. Recorded inside the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City during the historic Aztlán, túnel del tiempo exhibition, Chaz reflects on bringing Chicano art home, the healing power of creative expression, and the responsibility of preserving our stories for future generations. Together, Mike and Chaz explore how art becomes memory, how fathers and culture shape identity, and why reclaiming our narratives is an act of healing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with comedian, author, and actress Aida Rodriguez for a deeply personal conversation about identity, fatherhood, and finding our way home to ourselves. From growing up without her father to searching for him decades later, Aida reflects on the complicated journey toward forgiveness and what it took to realize that her worth was never dependent on someone else choosing her. This heartfelt episode is a reminder that healing begins when we stop searching for validation and realize that we have always been enough.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Def Sound, Black Afro-Caribbean conceptual word artist, producer, poet, and educator for a thought-provoking conversation about identity, freedom, and the courage to become fully ourselves. Together, they explore the stories we inherit about race, gender, masculinity, and belonging, and what becomes possible when we stop performing versions of ourselves created to meet society’s rigid definitions of manhood.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.