MBK young leader spotlight: Leo Mercer, Oakland, CA – healing through hip hop
Meet Leo Mercer! Leo is an artist and community organizer, born and raised in Oakland, California. He shared center-stage with President Obama and Steph Curry at MBK Rising!, and completed the MBK Rising! Young Leaders Equity Training in the subsequent months. Since that time, Leo has earned $5,000 from the City of Oakland General Services department, and $127,000 from the Open Society Foundation, to launch the Youth Alchemy Project (Opens in a new tab). In partnership with Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth, the Youth Alchemy Project will create a series of healing and restorative workshops and outreach performances in classrooms for Oakland youth. Leo also receives support from the Urban Strategies Council, an MBK Alliance national Impact Community Partner, focused on eliminating poverty in the Bay Area.