DEBATE REACTION – FIVE MINUTES OF FUNK – GUESTS: Aurea Montes Rodriguez, Josh Lockman, Luis Rodriguez, Anthony Samad

AUREA MONTES-RODRIGUEZ, is the Vice President of Organizational Growth at Community Coalition, a social justice non-profit based in South Los Angeles. Born in Mexico but raised in South L.A., Aurea is responsible for the development and sustainability of the organization. She is a passionate advocate and community organizer focusing on building black and brown unity who has been working in South L.A. for nearly fifteen years. Website:www.cocosouthla.org/

JOSH LOCKMAN, is a Lecturer in Law at USC Law, where he teaches international law and U.S. foreign policy. From 2008 to 2010, he was an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles. He received a B.A. from Yale University in 2004 and graduated from USC Law in 2008. Lockman is a fellow with the Truman National Security Project, and a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy. He has been interviewed by Al Jazeera and the Los Angeles Times, and has been published in the Huffington Post and Foreign Policy Digest. Lockman is currently conducting research on the impact of the rise of Iran on Israeli-Arab relations. Email:josh.lockman@gmail.com  Website:www.usc.edu

DR. ANTHONY ASADULLAH SAMAD, is an author, columnist and scholar known for his fiery analysis of social, political and economic issues that impact American society. As one of the most-read featured columnists in the African American press over the past 20 years, Samad’s various weekly editorial commentaries contributes to newspapers and cyber websites nationwide. A Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at East Los Angeles College, Samad has a Master’s of Arts in Public Administration (Public Finance specialization) from the University of Southern California, a second Master’s of Arts Degree, in Political Economy, from the Claremont Graduate University’s School of Politics and Economics, and has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University. Website: www.anthonysamad.com

LUIS RODRIGUEZ, is best known for the 1993 memoir of gang life, “Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A.” (paperback by Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster). It became a stage play by the Cornerstone Theater Company at the Mark Taper Auditorium in the L.A. Public Library from 2003-2005 to 6,000 high school students, and at the Ivar Theater in Hollywood for a limited six-day run in 2005. His latest book is the long-awaited sequel to “Always Running,” entitled “It Calls You Back: An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing” (Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster), released in the fall of 2011. There is also an e-book from Simon & Schuster and an audio book of “It Calls You Back”, (Dreamscape Audio Books). Website: www.luisjrodriguez.com