It's no secret that San Luis Obispo lacks the diversity of California at large. According to the latest census estimates, more than two-thirds of SLO County residents identified as white, compared to about one-third statewide. In 2020, the Black Lives Matter protests in SLO put a spotlight on some of the challenges faced by marginalized community members here. In response, the city created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, which came up with a list of recommendations that the city council approved unanimously in January 2021.

In this episode, I talk with Beya Makekau, SLO's first manager of diversity, equity and inclusion, about what the city's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has done to follow up on those recommendations—and how she plans to transform SLO into a more welcoming community. 

Action item: The deadline for nonprofit organizations to apply for a DEI grant is Aug. 31. The city is offering up to $300,000 for programming that advances the city's goal of making the community feel more welcoming to all.  

Also, keep an eye out for Diversity Speaker Series events. Find out about them by subscribing to the city's email updates and selecting "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion." 

This episode was produced by Samantha Riordan, with music by Wes Bisheff. If you liked the show, you can go to agendabreakdown.com to listen to past episodes and follow us on social media. 

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