Roots of RAP part 3: Mitchell Salazar, Loyal to the Soil

In a three-part episode series, we begin to tell the story of Mitchell Salazar, the Real Alternatives Program’s Executive Director from 1984 to 1999. We cover Michell’s story from the blocks of San Francisco’s Bernal Heights as a young hustler with a deep entrepreneurial drive, to the legacy in the Mission District through his You & I dances, to the young community leader who led RAP at the young age of 24. We cover his tenure at RAP and the level of youth services that were expanded under his leadership, which also included starting a four year high school and a teen clinic.

Mitchell passed away in 2022. His story is a complex one filled with twists, risks and opportunities. We follow a handful of events that not only help shape one of San Francisco’s Mission District’s most effective community leaders, but also show what his heart and intentions were for the actions and decisions he made.