Dieter is a Black-Mexican / German male, currently residing in Houston Texas. He is an organizer at heart with a passion for juvenile justice reform, urban agriculture, fighting for equity and equality for those in need. His first name meaning "warrior of the people" in German, his mantra is leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.
As a youth he received a ten year sentence and spent close to four years incarcerated for his first offense, where he was with three adults and Dieter was the only individual required to serve time due to the juvenile detention system not having a PR bond system in place. Having experience going to court without proper representation and being coerced into signing a plea bargain due to not knowing his rights, and witnessing extortion, youth being sexually assaulted, and other forms of oppression against youth within juvenile jails, he knew at an early age how unfair the criminal justice system was designed. While incarcerated Dieter studied Fidel Castro, Barack Obama, and Pedro Albizu Campos on how to turn moments into movements, and decided to give back once he was released by getting involved with community organizing. His passion for youth leadership development movement within marginalized communities, has led him to build a national base of activists dedicated to creating justice and freedom for people of color.
Dieter has experience working in various capacities and advocating for a plethora of issues as a Violence Interrupter for Cure Violence (Chicago) , Lead Criminal Justice Organizer at Texas Organizing Project (Houston), and Program Manager for youth and community engagement at Harris County Youth Collective. He is highly effective at turning social movements into recognizable brands, gaining national recognition for "Cantus Books to Incarcerated Youth" "The Trident Family" and "Respect Women Campaign". For his efforts he has acquired nearly 3.5 million in grant funding over the span of five years.
As a youth he received a ten year sentence and spent close to four years incarcerated for his first offense, where he was with three adults and Dieter was the only individual required to serve time due to the juvenile detention system not having a PR bond system in place. Having experience going to court without proper representation and being coerced into signing a plea bargain due to not knowing his rights, and witnessing extortion, youth being sexually assaulted, and other forms of oppression against youth within juvenile jails, he knew at an early age how unfair the criminal justice system was designed. While incarcerated Dieter studied Fidel Castro, Barack Obama, and Pedro Albizu Campos on how to turn moments into movements, and decided to give back once he was released by getting involved with community organizing. His passion for youth leadership development movement within marginalized communities, has led him to build a national base of activists dedicated to creating justice and freedom for people of color.
Dieter has experience working in various capacities and advocating for a plethora of issues as a Violence Interrupter for Cure Violence (Chicago) , Lead Criminal Justice Organizer at Texas Organizing Project (Houston), and Program Manager for youth and community engagement at Harris County Youth Collective. He is highly effective at turning social movements into recognizable brands, gaining national recognition for "Cantus Books to Incarcerated Youth" "The Trident Family" and "Respect Women Campaign". For his efforts he has acquired nearly 3.5 million in grant funding over the span of five years.
Organizations that Dieter has developed, incorporated, or worked with
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Having a long history of community organizing and now working for a county agency, he focuses on combining grasstop and grassroots organizing with an agenda that is based off six core principles.
1. Identifying and understanding a vulnerable community, its root problem(s), and how the existing social system has created the problem(s)
2. Developing a shared solution (and narrative) for how the solve the community's problem(s)
3. Creating an action plan to achieve the desired solution by winning collective power
4. Building relationships, bringing people together, and educating them on how they can help carry out the plan
5. Keeping the plan moving forward toward its intended goal through trainings, actions, media relations, regenerative support, building solidarity and coalitions, and other movement strategies
6. Identifying and keeping resources in the community, empowering community members to no longer need the system and how to become self sufficient.
1. Identifying and understanding a vulnerable community, its root problem(s), and how the existing social system has created the problem(s)
2. Developing a shared solution (and narrative) for how the solve the community's problem(s)
3. Creating an action plan to achieve the desired solution by winning collective power
4. Building relationships, bringing people together, and educating them on how they can help carry out the plan
5. Keeping the plan moving forward toward its intended goal through trainings, actions, media relations, regenerative support, building solidarity and coalitions, and other movement strategies
6. Identifying and keeping resources in the community, empowering community members to no longer need the system and how to become self sufficient.
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