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Exploring our being-in-the-world

How we engage with it, make sense of it, and transform it

JULIÁN ESTEBAN
TORRES LÓPEZ
 Creator of The Nasiona Storyteller Public Scholar Culture Architect Podcast Host Trauma-Informed Publisher Anti-Oppression Consultant Ethnographer Hermeneutic Phenomenologist Narrative Therapist JEDI Consultant |

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Julián

pronounced
hoo-lyáhn

Julián Esteban Torres López (he/him/él) is a bilingual, Colombia-born storyteller, public scholar, and culture architect with Afro-Euro-Indigenous roots. Some of his other intersectional identities also inform his work, such as: atheist, multiply neurodivergent, formerly an undocumented immigrant, (non-visibly) disabled, chronic mental health conditions, Latine/o/x. 

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SERVICES

With over two decades’ experience in community development and advancing social justice on the ground and in academic, corporate, and nonprofit settings, Julián is available for consulting, public talks, keynotes, workshops, training, coaching, mentorship, and interviews.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Julián is also available to partner with others to advocate for and center, elevate, and amplify the voices, experiences, and concerns of survivors of oppressive systems and dominant cultures.

Storyteller

Author. Poet. Essayist. Memoirist. Spoken Word Artist. Fiction Writer. Experiential Sound Designer. Journalist.

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Public Scholar

Proactively taking his work on the roots and effects of systems of oppression and dominant cultures beyond the academy and to the masses.

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Culture Architect

Intentionally designing and influencing our ways of life to better cultivate the soil that nourishes the roots and the branches of our intersectional and interrelated identities and communities.

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Praise for Julián's talks & Workshops

We are deeply grateful to Julián for joining us for a workshop on Cultural Heritage Podcasting and a public talk on Decolonizing Storytelling. Both events were truly compelling. Julián engaged students and other audience members with his generative questions, incisive commentary, and passionate delivery. Students and other audience members left inspired to tell their own stories and to work toward social justice. We highly recommend working with him!
Dr. Katherine Gillen
Chair, Department of Language, Literature, and Arts, Texas A&M University-San Antonio
As an educator engaged with Critical Pedagogy, I admire how Julián’s public talk "Decolonizing Storytelling" brought together actionable concepts in ways that encourage application in our classrooms and the lives of our students. Julián’s talk opened a space for important reflections on crucial topics for underrepresented communities such as political art, the politics of representation, and activism. In a personalized and honest manner, Julián exemplified Paulo Freire’s statement that “There is no true word that is not at the same time praxis” (Pedagogy of the Oppressed 1970). Similarly, Julián demonstrates in his workshop "Cultural Heritage Podcasting" and throughout his own artistic practice the value of listening and the empowerment that comes from producing and amplifying storytelling from the margins. In so doing, Julián reminds us that, “to speak a true word is to transform the world” (Freire).
Dr. Alexandra Rodriguez Sabogal
Educator, Spanish + Latin American Culture and Literature
Julián embodies community and inspires the next generation of Latinx creators. When we first met at the Cruzando Fronteras event run by Central Americans for Empowerment (CAFE) at Chico State, Julián was an incredible professional speaker and passionate about helping our students. His presence was a guiding force and it felt like he invested so much time, patience, and wisdom into us in such a short amount of time. He was our biggest supporter, both attentive and kind in equal measure. We could tell that he wanted to see us succeed, not just on that day, but for everything else that was coming for us as individuals. When publishing our work with him and The Nasiona, Julián made us feel appreciated. I’d highly recommend working with Julián!
Alondra Adame
Poet, Essayist, Lecturer at California State University, Chico
I have been lucky enough to work with Julián as a contributor to The Nasiona, and he was also kind enough to speak to my college Narrative Storytelling class on two occasions. As an editor, he inspired my writing; he brought the same passion and clarity as a guest lecturer. I'd recommend Julián to any organization that needs genuine, compassionate, and informed insight on the pressing social justice matters of our time.
Tom Molanphy
Educator + Journalist