Rafael Navarro Jr. is the proud founder of Beats and Bars. He is a Mexican-American first generation college graduate, as well as a Hip-Hop artist from Chicago, IL. With background experience in both behavioral therapy with children in a group setting, as well as one-on-one with teens at Chicago Public Schools, in combination with his years of experience as an artist, he has created a program he strongly believe in.
He was born and raised in Chicago's West side to immigrant parents. He was introduced to Hip-Hop at an early age and soon after found writing to be the perfect escape for a young man trying to outgrow his environment. Music kept him busy and away from many of the pitfalls my peers were falling victim to in his community. Living in mostly Latino and African-American neighborhoods, it was at my first Hip-Hop show as a teen where I witnessed diversity in such an amazing way. It was beautiful, we all connected over music. Fast forward many years, he graduated with a Bachelor's and specialized in working with children with Autism, as well as teens with behavioral health issues.
His passion for music and working with youth were always two separate worlds, It wasn't until one of the students came across his music online at the school he was working with at the time. This then led to a group of students suggesting he start an after-school music program, which is where Beats & Bars originated. He finally found the place to have my separate worlds come together. He came to realize the value there is in a skill set he taught to himself as a teen and he want nothing more than for the youth in our city to realize how valuable they are to themselves and their community. He want to give our youth options. “There isn't one correct path to take, but it's our responsibility to help them find the path that works best for them.” He looked forward to the day where Beats and Bars spaces exists throughout our communities and it provides the necessary resources for our teens to realize the options that exist.
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