Beginning with the Netroots Nation convention in Austin, TX, then a small gig during the Democrat National Convention in Denver, CO and now I will be spreading the Gospel of XP tomorrow at the Hispanic Male Summit.

Lone Star College System is hosting a Hispanic Male Summit tomorrow, April 16, for juniors and seniors who attend high school within the system’s service area. In cooperation with LSCS, high school counselors in each of the school districts within the LSCS service area are inviting the students in their schools to the summit.

Hispanic Male Summit keynote speakers Dr. José Ángel Gutiérrez and Dr. Richard A. Tapia. I will be part of a panel discussion focusing on topics related to strengthening family, closing the achievement gap, developing and fostering positive relationships, and staying on course with one’s goals.

Registration for the summit is closed, but fear not my dear readers, fellow blogmano and best friend Stace Medellian of Dos Centavos will be there to take pictures and video of the Summit.

I am totally excited about this because I will have to opportunity to mingle with one of the major political leaders during the Chicano Movement of the 1970s, José Ángel Gutiérrez, who will be the keynote speaker at the summit. Dr. Gutiérrez was co-founder of the the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO), Mexican American Unity Council (MAUC), and La Raza Unida Party. He also has been the subject of PBS’ three-part series, “In Search of Aztlan,” in 2003 and PBS’ “CHICANO! The Mexican American Struggle for Civil Rights, Part III” in 1998.

Many people correctly identify Dr. Gutiérrez being part of the third party, La Raza Unida Party. But when I was an undergrad at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Gutiérrez ran as a Democrat in the special election for US Senate to succeed Lloyd Bentsen in 1993. This was the election that began the era of Karl Rove in Texas. His client at the time was a young State Treasurer, Kay Baily Hutchinson. Dr. Gutiérrez was not only running against her, but also against Gov. Ann Richard’s Senate appointee Bob Krueger in the multi-candidate election. Gutierrez was consider a serious opponent to Democrat favorite Bob Krueger. During the campaign, he had to fight of vicious attacks from both sides of the political aisle. Although he didn’t win, I can proudly say I was part of his cash strapped campaign and I will never forget the he told me after a campaign rally I put together on the UT campus. And one of my proud moments in my life and one of my fondest memories of my time at UT.

I will be on a panel with Harris County’s first Latino elected sheriff, Adrian Garcia. I had my opportunity to do my part for his election too. While was video taping voter experiences during early voting, Adrian Gracia had asked me if could forward my interviews with him to his campaign. You can find it here and here.

Also serving on the panel is Prof. Lorenzo Cano, who also was major player in the Chicano movement as a student activist at the University of Houston. He is now the Associate Director at the Center for Mexican American Studies, the center he helped create when he was student. I got to know him when I was a graduate student at U of H. He too was a major influence in my life.

I only can only hope I can impact the lives of the juniors and seniors who will attending tomorrow as José Ángel Gutiérrez and Lorenzo Cano impacted mine.

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