Black Lives Matter

On this edition of Issues & Ideas, we take a look at a new virtual art exhibit in San Luis Obispo, which documents the local Black Lives Matter Movement. In Santa Maria, local artists and advocates are working together to bring new art to public spaces. Santa Barbara community members gathered in solidarity with the Asian Pacific Islander community last month, after the violence in Georgia. San Luis Obispo County Public Health Director Penny Borenstein looks back at lessons learned about the COVID 19 pandemic. And finally, we check out the 36th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

More than 100 people gathered at Mitchell Park in San Luis Obispo for a ‘Stop Asian American and Pacific Islander Hate’ rally on April 1.

A new exhibit documenting the local Black Lives Matter movement is open for virtual viewing at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.

This summer during the Black Lives Matter protests, the city of San Luis Obispo created a diversity task force, with a goal of making the city more inclusive. Now, the city is provided grant funding for local nonprofits and programs.

After nearly two weeks of widespread calls for action, the San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) announced Wednesday it was recommending a criminal charge for a motorcyclist who drove into protestors during a September 2 march in downtown San Luis Obispo. 

San Luis Obispo activist and organizer Tianna Arata did not enter a plea during her court appearance Thursday for the criminal charges she is facing, stemming from a July 21 protest that San Luis Obispo police say turned violent.

As the Black Lives Matter movement continues nationwide and locally, the mayor of Paso Robles has launched a diversity panel to address issues with racism.

Hundreds gathered Tuesday at the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse for a Free Tiana Arrata rally. Across the street, a group of counter-protesters formed in support of District Attorney Dan Dow, and whatever charges he may decide to pursue against Arrata.

Archivists at UC Santa Barbara are documenting the pandemic’s effect on the university’s community. To do so, they’ve asked students, staff, faculty and alumni to send in submissions, without any guidance on form or content.

And so far, UCSB’s Special Research Collections have received nearly 100 submissions.

In this episode of Playing With Food: Getting authentic Southern smoked pulled pork and a sought-after Southern BBQ sauce isn't always easy on the Central Coast, but Miss Oddette's Creole Kitchen will deliver, with a side of coleslaw and more. Father Ian visits with Oddette Augustus and talks about the recent local Black Lives Matter and George Floyd demonstrations, and how nationwide calls for racial justice were felt here on the Central Coast. 

Over the span of less than a month, the city of San Luis Obispo spent over a quarter million dollars to police recent demonstrations in response to the death of George Floyd and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

On this episode of Issues & Ideas, Cal Poly grad student and photojournalist Diego Rivera discusses his  reporting on the SLO Police Department's explanations for using tear gas and pepper spray during the June 1 San Luis Obispo protest march. We’ll hear from Courtney Haile, co-founder of R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, describing the goals of the organization and the recent protests around San Luis Obispo County. Michelle Shoresman of the San Luis Obispo County Health Department talks about her job helping find medical coverage for poverty-level residents. And while government insurance covers the poorest of the poor, there are still millions of Americans who fall into a gap: they make too much to qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford to buy insurance on the marketplace. The Noor Foundation in San Luis Obispo County aims to close that gap. Finally, UC Santa Barbara professor of communication Robin Nabi talks about her research on the positive effects of entertainment media as it relates to stress, illness, and goal attainment.