About Me

I’m a poet, professor, and vinyl record collector with a deep love for spoken word, social justice, and the sounds that move both body and mind. I earned my Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Claremont Graduate University with a concentration in Africana Studies, where my research focused on the historical context and cultural impact of spoken word and performance poetry. I also hold a master’s degree in Sociological Practice from Cal State San Marcos, where I studied how church communities advocate for racial health equity.

My academic interests span ethnic studies, crime and deviance, Hip Hop studies, and digital humanities. Currently, I serve as the department chair for Sociology and Ethnic Studies at San Bernardino Valley College. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of leading initiatives like the Honors Program, the District DEI Advisory Committee, and the Arts, Lectures, and Diversity committee. One of the efforts I’m most proud of is helping establish our annual campus poetry reading in honor of SBVC alumnus and activist John Trudell.

I’m also part of the Puente Program’s statewide training team, working to strengthen the teaching practices of community college educators across California. My research and writing continue as well, with co-authored pieces published in the Cambridge Companion to 21st Century American Poetry, Journal of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, and a forthcoming article in Applied Theatre and Racial Justice: Radical Imaginings for Just Communities.

In the poetry world, I serve as a publisher for the San Diego Poetry Annual and sit on the board of the San Diego Entertainment + Artists Guild. I’ve led the San Diego Poetry Slam team in five national competitions—including our first-ever final stage appearance in 2013—and performed on TVOne’s Verses & Flow. I continue to perform with bkSoul, a spoken word and dance collective committed to stories of justice, spirit, and liberation. When I’m not teaching or writing, you’ll probably find me digging through crates of records, listening for freedom in every groove.