Edgar Ernesto Ibarra Gutierrez is a Chicano Indigenous young man raised in the city of Watsonville by his mom and his three siblings. He is currently a 4th-year student at UC Davis majoring in Communications, with aspirations to pursue a master’s degree in the future. He is the Leadership and Program Coordinator at MILPA. He facilitates culturally-rooted leadership development, rites of passage, and movement-building approaches that encourage young people to get involved in their community while they work towards a future where the next generations’ can thrive with cultural pride, traditions, and dignity. Edgar has strategically supported efforts at MILPA that are working to dismantle, disrupt, and change the carceral system by challenging and undoing laws that disproportionately impact Black and Indigenous people.
He has also worked closely with colleagues, the community, and other organizations to push for racially equitable, participatory budgeting both at the city and county levels. His focus is on expanding and strengthening the movement to end mass incarceration while building communications infrastructure that promotes people power. Edgar enjoys reading books, participating in barrio scholarship with his friends, and spending his time outdoors hiking, swimming, and exploring the beauty that nature has to offer. He is on the path to relearning his sacred indigenous traditions of songs, drums, and storytelling by staying close to the fire, honoring the water, and listening to the elders.