Once imprisoned for thirty-one years in a maximum-security prison, Luis “Suave” Gonzales now spends his time advocating for urban youth to pursue their education. On September 21st, 2022, he spoke to Esperanza Academy students sharing his story in the hopes they could understand the critical value of education in today’s society and towards developing their potential.
In a podcast about his life, by Futuro Media Group and PRX Productions, Suave recounts a bucket list he penned in prison: “What I wrote all them years ago, it says, even though I’ve been sentenced to die in a prison, by death by incarceration, I’m writing this wish list because if I ever get the chance to go home, I would love to do certain things to repay …for the wrong I have done. By conducting a few of the below tasks, I will be taking control of my life. The first thing on my list was speak to the youth at a North Philly school about the pitfalls in the streets and prison, find me a good woman and marry her… and then apologize to the community for my wrongdoing… Be a good man, take full responsibility for my actions, I checked that one out, get a GED degree, I checked that one out, create a scholarship, I checked that one out, write a few books, I did that, and then the last one was find a …way to get out of this prison…”
Suave entered the prison system as an illiterate teenager but began asking other prisoners for help in learning to read and write. He earned his GED and then a bachelor’s degree through Villanova University. Next, he and other prisoners raised money to give scholarships to urban youth to aid them on a path towards higher education. These prisoners were donating money from their meager funds making $0.20 an hour. And, despite zero hope to exit the prison system, he still dreamed of life outside of confinement. He wanted to visit high schools and share with students the importance of education and the importance of your peer group.
To keep kids from entering the prison, they need resources. They need mentors, educational opportunities, positive peers, and a supportive community. Suave is advocating for all of these.
While in prison, he received a well-known visitor. Maria Hinojosa, nationally acclaimed NPR journalist, visited his prison to speak to inmates with life sentences. Her story on urban youth and their time behind bars allowed for their meeting. A meeting that Suave did not know at the time would shape his future. After leaving prison, he joined Hinojosa’s media company, Futuro, to start a podcast. His podcast was to share this story of hope and redemption as well as stressing the supreme importance of education. Knowledge is power. It is also a launch pad into creating a life that you want. A life that allows your dreams to take flight.
Their podcast, also by the name of “Suave,” has since received a Pulitzer Prize. Today both Suave and Hinojosa continuously share with students that no one can tell you what your future holds. You decide. You can reach your dreams. You can make your path. In order to do this, you will need resources. The most important of those are your community and your education. Suave says he followed someone at 17 and following them led him to prison. “If you are going to follow anyone, follow someone going to college,” he said.
To learn more about juvenile sentencing, Suave’s story, and his work in the community, click here to listen to Futuro Media Group’s podcast “Suave.”
