(all material on this page ©2010 Sammy Rangel)

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Bio

Mr. Rangel is the new author of the autobiography FOURBEARS: The Myths of Forgiveness. Sammy Rangel has been the Program Coordinator for the SAFE Streets Outreach Program for ten years. Sammy works with Racine County youth and families who face extreme crisis or danger. Often times these youth are involved in gang, drug, and crime activities that place them in risk for incarceration, addiction or worse. Sammy has reached thousands of youth, families, and professionals across the nation. Many of the youth experience abuse, abandonment, homelessness, and engage in survival behavior such as sex in exchange for food and shelter. Mr. Rangel has created an initiative called “Adopt a School”. The presentations are tailored to the climate and needs of the individual school. Sammy has been able to reach tens of thousands of youth through this effort alone.

Google Ideas, in association with the Council on Foreign Relations and Tribeca Film Festival invited Sammy to participate in the Summit Against Violent Extremism in Dublin, Ireland June 26 through June 29, 2011. The summit convened over 80 former members of violent, exploitative organizations, from inner-city gangs to right-wing militants to religious extremist groups, all of whom are now actively and publicly working to helping youth find positive alternatives to violent extremism.

In October 2010 Sammy was asked to provide a plenary session to open the second day of the 2010 Gang Summit Conference in Milwaukee to Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement and service providers. Soon after he offered two workshops: one on Best Practices for Youth Outreach Workers and on Cultural Diversity at a statewide conference for AmeriCorps Workers. In 2004 Sammy gave in Chicago, a six-state regional conference keynote address and workshop for the Region V Training & Technical Assistance Program and again in Milwaukee 2006 offered a six-state regional two-day conference as co-main presenter for outreach workers on best practices, crisis intervention, and gang intervention in non/traditional settings.

Sammy was the main presenter in 2008 and 2009 at Why Gangs Conference in Racine, WI. In conjunction with the Milwaukee Lincoln Park Community Center and the Milwaukee Police Academy, at the Annual “Gangs, Violence and Crime” Conference, Sammy has provided ongoing workshops, presenting information on gangs for the beginner and advanced listener. Analysis on the subject included development, physical, and mental organizational concepts that make up a gang, street gangs and street workers, providing relevant facts and data. Sammy also has provided presentations to University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Carthage College in the Criminal Justice field with emphasis on client centered approaches and the importance of self-awareness when choosing fields and providing services.

Mr. Rangel is often asked to come in to various juvenile and adult correctional facilities in the Midwest speaking with staff and clients. In 2006 Sammy was asked to present to the Department of Corrections Psychological Staff.

In 2004 Sammy graduated with Presidential honors from Gateway Technical College-Racine as the District and College Ambassador representing 450,000 students in Wisconsin. Sammy graduated from Carthage College with a Bachelors of Social Work Degree with a minor in Psychology, Cum Laude, in 2008. On September 13, 2009 Sammy graduated with a Master of Social Work Degree, Summa Cum Laude, with a mental health focus, from Loyola University-Chicago. He was also awarded An Excellence In Service Award by the school at graduation. Most recently October 19, 2010, Ren Svanoe Youth Leadership Award by the Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services in recognition of outstanding dedication working with youth and families over the last ten years. In February 2008, Racine Interfaith Coalition recognized Sammy and his wife Denise, for promoting peace in the community. In 2006, Sammy received the Martin Luther King Award from UW-Parkside for his Community Service in Racine. Sammy, in 2005, was awarded the Hispanic Unsung Hero Award from the Martin Luther King Center in Racine for his work in the community. Sammy has been repeatedly asked to speak at multiple Black History Month events including for the NAACP and at the Sturtevant DOC site.

Mr. Rangel also worked at the Racine County Jail from 2004 through 2008 as a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor helping men and women with addictive and criminal lifestyles. In addition to his work with youth he also provides mental health treatment as Racine Psychological Services with patient who are chronically mentally ill and/or dual diagnosed. Sammy is an adjunct teacher for MATC, Gateway Technical College, and for the Department of Transportation. Sammy contributes to the community by sitting on various committees that address race, homelessness, crime, gang activity or drug abuse issues among our youth and adults.

Sammy has furthered his credibility by overcoming the grips of addiction, and recovering from a street life of Chicago area gangs, violence and prison. It is worthy of note to mention that Sammy has accomplished all the aforementioned within ten years of being released from the Department of Corrections November 11, 1999, after serving more than 15 ½ years through his juvenile and adult years. Sammy lived out the majority of his preadolescent years as a victim of daily and ongoing childhood physical and sexual abuse. At the age of 11, Sammy set out on his own and lived out the rest of his juvenile life as homeless, throwaway child who very quickly encountered drugs, crime, sex, and violence on the street, just like at home. Eventually, Sammy made a lifestyle of the street life including gangs, crime, drugs, and institutions.

Sammy considers his most crucial role in the community as raising a family of four girls and enjoys being married to a wonderful woman, all of whom have actively participated and supported Sammy through his career and education.

As his wife so aptly stated… “The scary thing about Sammy is that despite all that he has accomplished in a very short period of time…He’s just getting started.”

There are videos of presentations Sammy has done at the links below. For more information about Sammy and the work he is doing visit these sites.

Kindness Not Weakness

SAFE Haven of Racine

Against Violent Extremism

Media Coverage

After 22-year search, father and daughter reunited

Brothers who overcame abuse reunited after more than 40 years

Working Another Side of the Streets

Forgiveness Project: Sammy Rangel