Dying To Stay Here
Dying To Stay Here
Podcast Description
This project has been a true work of passion for host Chuck Cantrell, driven by a deep desire to educate, inspire, and create momentum for meaningful change. Through thoughtful analysis and powerful storytelling, the series aims to shed light on the pressing economic and social challenges facing Black Americans in Silicon Valley and beyond.
Join us as we embark on this critical journey—subscribe and be part of the conversation for equity and justice.
Chuck Cantrell’s “Dying to Stay Here” video podcast series is a compelling exploration of the structural economic and social barriers facing Black Americans, particularly in Silicon Valley and Santa Clara County. Hosted by economist and San Jose planning commissioner Chuck Cantrell, the series draws on public data and personal experience to reveal how generational poverty, discriminatory business cycles, and systemic racism continue to marginalize African Americans in one of the nation’s wealthiest regions.
Each episode delves into topics such as employment disparities, the “last in, first out” layoff practices, housing unaffordability, and the alarming overrepresentation of Black residents among the unhoused and those facing premature mortality. Cantrell’s analysis, informed by decades of research and lived experience, highlights how these forces not only trap Black families in cycles of disadvantage but also serve as early warning signs—like canaries in a coal mine—of broader societal crises.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on critical themes such as structural racism, generational poverty, and employment disparities, with episodes exploring topics like the impact of discriminatory business practices and the severe housing crisis affecting Black residents in Silicon Valley. For example, Episode 1 features Keanna Ward, who shares her lived experience of being unhoused and highlights systemic barriers to stable housing.
This project has been a true work of passion for host Chuck Cantrell, driven by a deep desire to educate, inspire, and create momentum for meaningful change. Through thoughtful analysis and powerful storytelling, the series aims to shed light on the pressing economic and social challenges facing Black Americans in Silicon Valley and beyond.
Join us as we embark on this critical journey—subscribe and be part of the conversation for equity and justice.
Chuck Cantrell’s “Dying to Stay Here” video podcast series is a compelling exploration of the structural economic and social barriers facing Black Americans, particularly in Silicon Valley and Santa Clara County. Hosted by economist and San Jose planning commissioner Chuck Cantrell, the series draws on public data and personal experience to reveal how generational poverty, discriminatory business cycles, and systemic racism continue to marginalize African Americans in one of the nation’s wealthiest regions.
Each episode delves into topics such as employment disparities, the “last in, first out” layoff practices, housing unaffordability, and the alarming overrepresentation of Black residents among the unhoused and those facing premature mortality. Cantrell’s analysis, informed by decades of research and lived experience, highlights how these forces not only trap Black families in cycles of disadvantage but also serve as early warning signs—like canaries in a coal mine—of broader societal crises.
In the powerful first episode of the Dying to Stay Here podcast, inspired by Chuck Cantrell’s acclaimed mini-documentary, Keanna Ward reclaims the narrative of what it means to be unhoused and Black in Silicon Valley. Through her unfiltered perspective, Ward shares a deeply personal and eye-opening account of surviving on the streets, the systemic barriers she faced, and her journey back to stable housing.
Ward’s story is not just about hardship—it’s a call to action. She courageously identifies the individuals and institutions responsible for perpetuating inequity, exposing the broken systems that fail Black residents in one of the nation’s wealthiest regions. Her testimony is grounded in lived experience and supported by data, highlighting the staggering disparities in housing, employment, and health outcomes for African Americans in Santa Clara County, where Black residents make up 2.35% of the population but account for about 19% of the unhoused.
Listeners are invited to confront uncomfortable truths and reflect on the urgent need for justice and reform. Ward’s compelling narrative will challenge your sense of fairness, deepen your understanding, and inspire meaningful dialogue about equity and belonging in Silicon Valley.
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