SLO Equity Podcast

Men of Color: Navigating Community in SLO County

This episode of the SLO Equity Podcast — Making space for every story centers a conversation with men of color living in San Luis Obispo County on California’s Central Coast. Recorded as an in-person roundtable, this discussion brings together four local voices to reflect on a simple but layered question: What is it like to be a man of color in San Luis Obispo County? From navigating visibility and isolation to questioning how community is experienced across different spaces, the conversation surfaces both the progress in diversity and inclusion and the realities that continue to shape everyday life in SLO County. Roundtable speakers: * Ben Arona — Restaurant owner (Benny’s Pizza) and History Professor at Cuesta College * Cornel Morton — Community leader and Board Chair, Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County * Ernesto Reyes — Senior Coordinator for Equity & Inclusion, Cal Poly * Velanche Stewart — Community member, creative, and Diversity Coalition's Community Outreach Committee member The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of any affiliated organizations. Continue learning: * Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County — https://www.diversityslo.org [https://www.diversityslo.org] Learn more about local programs, trainings, and community efforts.

Built This Way: Talking About Housing Inequity

The SLO Equity Podcast is back! In this relaunch episode, we talk about housing in San Luis Obispo County, not just as policy, but as something we’ve experienced and had to navigate ourselves. We break down redlining in a friendly conversation, and connect it to what people are still dealing with today. We also interview RACE Matters' Executive Director, Courtney Haile, about their documentary short "Restrictions Apply". Courtney was also featured in a past podcast episode, Why San Luis Obispo Lacks Diversity, where we discussed the then-upcoming documentary release. Now, we return to it, capturing new reactions, reflecting on the film, and the work that still needs to be done. This episode also includes reflections from an anonymous resident sharing their own experience navigating housing in SLO County. Real conversations, local context, and a deeper look at what’s shaping our community. In this episode, we: * Share lived experiences with housing in SLO County * React to Restrictions Apply by RACE Matters SLO * Reflect on how these systems continue to shape everyday life SHOW NOTES * Get involved with Diversity Coalition and the SLO Equity Podcast: https://www.diversityslo.org [https://www.diversityslo.org/] * RACE Matters SLO – Restrictions Apply short documentary (18 mins): https://www.racemattersslo.org/restrictions-apply [https://www.racemattersslo.org/restrictions-apply] * Previous episode: Why San Luis Obispo Lacks Diversity: https://www.diversityslo.org/sloequity [https://www.diversityslo.org/sloequity] Understanding Housing Inequity * A Gender Equity Perspective on California’s Housing Crisis 👉 Read the report [https://thegepi.org/a-gender-equality-perspective-on-californias-housing-crisis/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * European Institute for Gender Equality – Gender Mainstreaming 👉 Learn more [https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming?language_content_entity=en&utm_source=chatgpt.com] * California Tenants Guide - A guide to residential tenants’ and landlords’ rights and responsibilities 👉 Learn more [https://www4.courts.ca.gov/documents/California-Tenants-Guide.pdf] This episode is coming to you thanks to: * Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County * Diversity Coalition's Community Outreach Committee * Special thanks to: Velanche Stewart, Chenda Lor, KT Bertrand, Yolande Sukal, Courtney Haile,

M’Lynn Martin’s Story - Part 2 What Racism Looks Like Today (re-upload)

In this second part episode, M’Lynn Martin shares about how her voice was systematically shut down in San Luis Obispo County for standing up for what she believed in. This is what racism looks like today. This episode was first published on 09/24/21

M’Lynn Martin’s Story - Part 1 Growing Up Black in North County (re-upload)

In this special 2 part episode M’Lynn Martin, a youth pastor shares how she was raised in San Luis Obispo county and what it was like to be on of the only black girls in north county. In the second episode you’ll hear how her voice was systematically silenced by the church she worked for in 2020 for speaking out against racism. This episode was first published on 09/24/21

Serving Underserved Populations (re-upload)

Garrett Olson, CEO of the Food Bank and Dr. Nooristani Founder of the Noor Foundation and Noor Clinic share their missions for serving the underserved and why people of color are often a large percentage of that population. This episode was first published on 9/30/21