Jerry Tello
Jerry Tello is a father, grandfather, son and relative to many. For over the last 40 years, Mr. Tello has dedicated himself to the prevention and healing of individuals, families, communities and systems by sharing culturally based teachings to over half a million people and training thousands of facilitators across the nation. Born from a family of Mexican, Texan and Coahuiltecan roots and raised in the South Central/Compton areas of Los Angeles, Mr. Tello is considered an international expert in the areas of trauma, healing, men and boys of color, fatherhood, family strengthening, racial justice, racial healing, community peace and mobilization and culturally based violence prevention/intervention issues. He is co-founder of the National Compadres Network (established in 1988) and presently is Director of Training and Capacity Building. He has authored numerous articles, videos and curricula addressing the issues of Culturally Based Healing, Fatherhood, Male “Rites of Passage,” relationship and gang violence prevention, racial justice, teen fatherhood, pregnancy prevention, family strengthening, fatherhood literacy and community peace. He served as a principal consultant for Scholastic Books on International Bilingual Literacy curriculum, is the author “A Fathers Love”, a series of children’s books, co-editor of Family Violence and Men of Color, a series of motivational health and healing CD’s and author of the recently released award winning book “Recovering Your Sacredness.”
He has appeared in Time, Newsweek, Latina, and Lowrider magazines and has received many major awards including Maria Shriver’s Annual Advocate for Change award; the White House Champions of Change award; the Presidential Crime Victims Service award, presented by President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno; two California Governor’s Awards; and the Ambassador of Peace Award presented by Rotary International.
Finally, in collaboration with the American G.I. Forum, Mr. Tello and his companion Susanna Armijo were part of an effort of providing Domestic Violence awareness, healing and support presentations and support to Iraq, Afghanistan and Persian Gulf veterans and their spouses. They also oversee the Sacred Circles Healing Center in Whittier, California. Between them, they have five children; Marcos, Renee, Emilio, Paloma, Tenaya and six grandchildren; Amara, Naiya, Greyson, Harrison, Vivienne and Elias.