Episode 6

Under the Avocado Tree: La Matriarquia Salvando Community Roots Garden

CALL TO ACTION

Join us to defend that spirit at the Community Roots Garden in Oxnard Saturday, February 28th at 11am: 1801 Joliet Place, Oxnard, CA.

Welcome to this episode that brims with joy and growth! Today, we’re celebrating the untold stories of 2 Community Roots gardeners—those tireless caretakers of earth and beauty. United by passion and persistence, they create bountiful havens for flora and fauna alike.

Gardeners are the unsung heroes transforming barren lands into blossoming sanctuaries, teaching us resilience and patience. Yet, their challenges are real—from battling climate change to nurturing biodiversity amidst urban sprawl. Now the Community Roots garden is under threat of closing down as the landowners ponder the future of the property.

Together, let's applaud their triumphs and stand in solidarity with Community Roots' struggles. In our shared quest for equality and environmental harmony, we recognize these green-thumb warriors as architects of a sustainable future. Join us in this jubilant celebration of growth, nurturing not just our gardens, but our global community. In this episode, we invite you to embrace the vibrant world where feminism and gardening unite, forging pathways to change and renewal. Dive into stories of resilience, connection, and the undying spirit of gardeners everywhere.

This episode is produced by Socorro Gamboa and Ana Rosa Rizo-Centino. Darren J. de Leon Engineered and edited this episode.

For additional information: https://www.communityrootsgarden.org/ or Instagram: @communityrootsoxnard or Facebook: www.facebook.com/CommunityRootsGarden.JardindeRaicesComunitarias

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About the Podcast

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RAMA Blueprints
The History of the Real Alternatives Program (RAP), a Revolutionary Youth Organization practicing Self-Determination.

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About your hosts

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Darren J. de Leon

Darren J. de Leon is an award winning poet from San Bernardino, CA., playwright, podcast/radio producer, street DJ, high school teacher, taquero and community activist. For 12 years, he produced and hosted Radio 2050, a Latino Arts Radio Magazine for KPFA in Berkeley, CA. In the mid 90’s, Darren was a teacher at Real Alternative Programs (RAP High School) where he developed a curriculum that emphasized the practice of non-violence, composition, and self-expression for juvenile delinquents and the chronically truant. Currently, Darren lives in San Bernardino, CA in his family’s house of over 50 years. He continues to write, create art, and tend to his garden of vegetables and fruits. He produced Podcast Descarga: A History of Los Delicados and Project 1521, a poetry podcast. An avid bicycle rider, he can be spotted around the L.A. area on weekends pedaling and enjoying the art and literary scene. He loves mezcal and hates gasoline.
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Socorro Gamboa

Socorro R. Gamboa is a conscious and passionate leader born and raised in Oxnard, California, she is a Community Activist, Artvist, an original Chicano Park muralist, a former high school principal, former Gang Reduction Intervention/Outreach specialist, a podcast producer and a community engagement consultant.
Socorro is truly a renaissance artivist. Socorro moved to San Francisco in 1988 where she began her journey working at the Real Alternatives Program (RAP) where she worked for 15 years as Case Manager, Education DIrector and the interim Executive Director of R.A.P. She also worked as the Director of the Community Response Network (CRN) a city wide community youth violence street intervention program, supervising 25 formerly incarcerated individuals, providing outreach and professionalism development. She is currently the co-founder of the 5 Sisters Audio Garden Production Company and co-producer and host of the RAMA Blueprints Podcast. She is rooted deeply in her spiritual practices, working the land, gardening and preserving the legacy of the elders by leaving a repository of valuable life lessons and insights.