Posted on February 12, 2018 by Jana Schwartz
The Bexar County Commissioners Court officially declared Feb. 13 as Dieter Cantu Day in the City of San Antonio. Dieter, an alumnus of the UTSA College of Public Policy, graduated with his degree in Public Administration. He has impacted incarcerated youths in Texas through his nonprofit organization Position of Power.
Dieter, an alumnus of the College, graduated with his degree in Public Administration. He has impacted incarcerated youths in Texas through his nonprofit organization Position of Power.
Through his grassroots efforts such as Respect Women Campaign to speak out against domestic violence and Books to Incarcerated Youth Project, Dieter is impacting the lives of many young people and minorities in the state of Texas. He is an advocate of juvenile justice reform and has been recognized for his group’s charitable endeavors and his motivational talks in communities across the state. He has partnered with organizations, schools, businesses and other groups to collect books for youth in detention centers to provide access to education and inspire them to engage in higher learning. For these reasons, he now has his own day Feb. 13 for people to remember year after year the work he has done in his community and the many lives he impacted throughout the region.
Dieter will give his first TEDx Talk on March 23 entitled “The Child Who Believed He Could.” Learn how you can join a project dedicated to improving the lives of incarcerated youth. In Dieter’s TEDxACU talk, he will discuss the difficulties facing teens in juvenile facilities. Cantu hopes to reduce the level of recidivism through his Books to Incarcerated Youth Project. Visit the following webpage for tickets: https://tedxacu.ticketleap.com/tedxacu2018/t/tedxacuorg/
Currently, Dieter works as the Lead Criminal Justice Organizer for Texas Organizing Project in Houston, TX.
— Jana Schwartz
