I Am Because You Are

David Ryan Barcega Castro-Harris is accustomed to people asking him "Where are you from?" The answer "Colton, California." Which often leads to "Well, where are your parents from?" That answer, too, is "Colton, California." He's has compassion for those trained to see him as "other." His business is training people to people to connect with another.

His father's side of the family was brought to the United States among the millions of enslaved Africans. In the West African language of Zulu, Ubuntu means "I am because you are." Kapwa means togetherness or interconnectedness in Filipino, his maternal ancestry. For David, the practices of Restorative Justice (RJ) is an American take on the sense of community that is inherent in his heritage.

He began sharing RJ on an instagram account dedicated to the purpose. Over time, this has now developed into Amplify RJ, a business that works with other agencies and organizations to train their personnel in RJ practices. While this business continues to grow, he still finds time to work in one of his earliest occupations as an X-Ray technician.

Among his many accomplishments are reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania as a young adult and completing  the Los Angeles marathon as a teen. 

Connect with Amplify RJ on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. His podcast, This Restorative Justice Life can be found here.

Favorite songs Hey Ya cover by Kamauu and Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror.   Favorite quote: "Fall down seven times. Stand up eight."

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or visit us at 365brothers.com.

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About this podcast: In each episode, a Brother reflects on his life; explores the experience of being a Black man in America; shares his interactions with law enforcement; and answers the question "If America was a woman, what would you say to her?"

Every interview starts with getting-to-know-you questions about favorites, accomplishments and then goes deeper. You won't find a collection of conversations with Black men like this anywhere else. Hear their wisdom.

Host, Rahbin Shyne, is an author, educator, creative and avid half-marathon walker. Follow on Instagram @allthingshyne or on Facebook.

Interested in being a guest? Click here.

Special thanks to Sonji Walker, Shedrick Sanders, Abigail Gonzalez and Don Davis for their generous support.