Posted: February 20, 2020Written by: Ritchie Bermudez

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cuesta College invites the local community to participate in the 21-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge beginning Feb 24. The Challenge provides participants with daily activities for 21 days to develop learning and understanding of racial equity and social justice issues and build more effective habits.

Sponsored by the Equity and Student Success Committee, the Challenge aims to build community and create an inclusive culture. “Given the mission of Cuesta College as an open-access higher education institution, our hope is every student feels welcome and valued on our campus,” said Que Dang, Director of Student Equity and Success Centers. “The Challenge is one of many ways we invest in building the skills for our students, faculty, and staff to ensure that we’re doing what it takes to live up to our mission.”

According to the committee, the goal of the Challenge is to inspire transformative results through small steps such as building positive habits, collaborating with others to establish a sense of teamwork, and engaging in meaningful conversations. The idea for the Challenge came from Dr. Ali Michaels, author of Racing Race Questions, who was the keynote speaker at Cuesta College’s Fall 2019 Opening Day for faculty and staff. She noted that attending a few events about social justice and racial issues is not enough and that conversations need to continue and happen often. In addition to students, faculty, and staff, these conversations can extend to the local community.

“To learn, grow, and support racial equity and social justice, you need to set intentions and work at it all the time,” said Dang. “The best way to deepen our learning and commitment to equity is to learn from and with each other. Having conversations on these important topics is key to moving towards action to addressing how we build a more inclusive and socially just San Luis Obispo community.”

Participants will receive daily tasks via email, such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, and reflecting on personal experience. Community conversations and meetups to share ideas and ask questions are also planned each Friday from 12 – 1 p.m. on both Cuesta College campuses:

  • Feb 28, San Luis Obispo Campus, Cultural Center, Room 5104A
  • Feb 28, North County Campus, Library, Room N3114
  • Mar 6, San Luis Obispo Campus, Cultural Center, Room 5104A
  • Mar 6, North County Campus, Library, Room N3114
  • Mar 13, San Luis Obispo Campus, Cultural Center, Room 5104A
  • Mar 20, San Luis Obispo Campus, Cultural Center, Room 5104A
  • Mar 20, North County Campus, Library, Room N3114
  • Mar 27, San Luis Obispo Campus, Cultural Center, Room 5104A
  • Mar 27, North County Campus, Library, Room N3114

The Challenge will culminate on Mar 30 with a celebration lunch and a community resource fair featuring organizations that support racial equity and social justice issues from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on both San Luis Obispo and North County campuses.

Community members may sign up for the Challenge online. Participants are also encouraged to share comments and experiences on social media using hashtags #Cuesta4Equity and #ShareYouAction.