Join instructor Joy Wilkins for a 60-minute community meditation and movement class held on the first Thursday of each month at Texture salon in San Luis Obispo.

In collaboration with R.A.C.E. Matters, this series is a heartfelt invitation to come home to yourself, especially during challenging times—both in the world and within our own lives. It is an honor to hold space for our collective healing and empowerment. This offering is centered on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, creating a mindful space rooted in breath, meditation, gentle movement, and sound. This class welcomes all levels and all bodies. Participants can use a chair if using mat is not accessible. Space is limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.

Bring your yoga mat, bottle of water and wear layers: comfortable clothing. Herbal tea provided for social time after class. Class is priced on a sliding scale and no-one will be turned away due to a lack of funds.

Joy Wilkins is a RYT 200-hour certified teacher with training in Hatha, Yin, Restorative, and Kundalini yoga. Her classes are rooted in embodied practices, incorporating asana, pranayama, mantra, mudra, meditation, and the chakra system to support deep connection and presence.

Black Birders Week is May 25-31st. Join us for a Black-led nature walk! Volunteer guides will introduce you to Sweet Springs and its bird life. No experience necessary — just comfy shoes and curiosity. Please register here.

Black Birders Week began in 2020 to highlight Black nature enthusiasts and to increase the visibility of Black birders, who face unique challenges and dangers when engaging in outdoor activities.

More on Black Birders Week from the National Museum of African American History and Culture

“On May 25, 2020, Christian Cooper, was confronted by a white woman and her dog while birdwatching in New York City’s Central Park. After Cooper requested the woman put her dog on a leash, the woman responded by calling the police and filing a false police report. Cooper’s recording of the incident quickly went viral, overlapping with recent incidents of police brutality such as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd (who perished the same day).  

American ornithologist, Corina Newsome, responded to the event on twitter by saying, “For far too long, Black people in the United States have been shown that outdoor exploration activities are not for us.”  The response to the tweet by a collective of Black scientists and nature lovers was the first-ever Black Birders Week, a social media event intended to raise awareness of African American participation in outdoor activities and the challenges they face.”

Our NoireSLO event series is intended to connect the local Black community and we're opening our Texture space for a casual hang out and game night. If you just want to chill or meet people, we have space for you too and there wil be an icebreaker at 7:00pm. RSVP required here.

Event begins at 6:00 and all attendees will be encouraged to participate in a fun group icebreaker game at 7:00pm.

• We'll have some games on hand or you can bring your own

• Refreshments provided!

Event Postponed Until Fall: Please complete our information form and we’ll contact you with the new date and get some information in order to cater our presentation to you. The Black Girl Wellness series is intended to uplfit Black women and girls ages 12 and up. We;ll explore physical and mental health issues that disproportionately impact Black women and girls. From puberty to menopause and beyond - we got you! After some ice breakers to get to know one another, this event will include a presentation, discussion, and Q&A. This is a free event supported by the Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County and refreshments will be provided. 

Dr. Angela Pullen, MD, OBGYN  will share insights about her field of Gynecology and about health issues that disproportionately impact Black women. 

Allison Parker, MS, LMFT 133661 will provide information about mental health issues, especially as they intersect with Black women and girls. Please note this experience will not however be comparable to therapy. 

Join instructor Joy Wilkins for a 60-minute community meditation and movement class held on the first Thursday of each month at Texture salon in San Luis Obispo.

In collaboration with R.A.C.E. Matters, this series is a heartfelt invitation to come home to yourself, especially during challenging times—both in the world and within our own lives. It is an honor to hold space for our collective healing and empowerment. This offering is centered on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, creating a mindful space rooted in breath, meditation, gentle movement, and sound. This class welcomes all levels and all bodies. Participants can use a chair if using mat is not accessible. Space is limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.

Bring your yoga mat, bottle of water and wear layers: comfortable clothing. Herbal tea provided for social time after class. Class is priced on a sliding scale and no-one will be turned away due to a lack of funds.

Joy Wilkins is a RYT 200-hour certified teacher with training in Hatha, Yin, Restorative, and Kundalini yoga. Her classes are rooted in embodied practices, incorporating asana, pranayama, mantra, mudra, meditation, and the chakra system to support deep connection and presence.

Film Screening + Q&A! Join us at the Palm Theatre for five short films lovingly curated by the R.A.C.E. Matters crew! Pay What You Want for our 5th annual program featuring a variety of stories by filmmakers who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. Q&A with filmmakers to follow screening. Learn more and grab your tickets here.

Join us at Texture for an in-person event dedicated to helping you embrace and care for your beautiful curls, coils, and kinks. Learn all about the basics of textured hair maintenance, styling tips, and product recommendations from licensed cosmetologist and trichologist Caprisha Daniels. Whether you're a newbie to the natural hair journey or a seasoned pro, this event is perfect for anyone looking to level up their hair care game. Get ready to celebrate and elevate your natural beauty with us! Tickets here.

Program includes brief discussion and icebreaker, hands-on hair care education, Caprisha's hair product samples, light snacks, and the space to ask our instructor Caprisha Daniels anything!

Though the Black Girl Wellness workshops series is intended to uplift Black identified, female identified people ages 12-17, all ages who understand the content, including caregivers, are welcome.

Black Girl Wellness is generously supported by The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo.

Support our organization, plus our local independent theater by going to the movies! We are proud to partner with SLO Film Center to present films in honor of Black History Month. Going to Mars screens Saturday the 22nd at 7pm and Monday the 24th at 4:00pm. A portion fo proceeds support R.A.C.E. Matters. Learn more about Going to Mars and purchase tickets here.

Support our organization, plus our local independent theater by going to the movies! We are proud to partner with SLO Film Center to present films in honor of Black History Month. Love and Basketball screens Saturday the 15th at 7pm and Monday the 17th at 4:00pm. A portion fo proceeds support R.A.C.E. Matters. Learn more about Love and Basketball and purchase tickets here.

The Black Girl Wellness workshop series is intended to uplift Black-Identified girls ages 12-17. Tickets Here.

Session Two, All About Love: The workshop will include icebreakers, activity and discussion about love and self-love based on the work of author and theorist bell hooks, gentle yoga exercises and meditation tools for girls to take home, and journaling around how we cultivate self-love as Black people in our community. The three hour workshop will include breaks, snacks, and swag! All materials for the yoga and meditation component will be provided and participants should wear comfortable clothes they can move in. Tickets Here.

Santa is back! Enjoy milk, cookies, storytime, and free photos with Santa by Michelle Ann Photography. Shop Black-owned goods to support R.A.C.E. Matters.

Join us for a one-night only screening of the visually stunning, critically acclaimed film Exhibiting Forgiveness with proceeds benefiting R.A.C.E. Matters and SLO Film Fest. Purchase tickets here.

Utilizing his paintings to find freedom from his past, a Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving. Watch the trailer of Exhibiting Forgiveness here!

Monthly offering the second Tuesday of the month! Practice meditation with with Jevon Devon. This offering is intended for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. Sign up here.

Trained at the Himalayan Institute for his 200-hour YTT and Vishoka Meditation, Jevon believes we all have more than our five senses and various ways of perceiving the world. Through his self-exploration and healing journey, he discovered many forms and foundations to explore these other senses.As a certified personal trainer, somatic worker, and dedicated practitioner, Jevon continues to expand his learning and teachings on mind, body, and soul wellness.

Our friends at Saints Barrel will give 15% of bar sales to RM on the last Friday of each month! A great opportunity to meet and mingle with like-minded people: our team, friends, collaborators, and supporters. Saints Barrel serves wine, beer, light bites, and will feature a drink special for our monthly Happy Hour.

Monthly offering the second Tuesday of the month! Practice meditation with with Jevon Devon. This offering is intended for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. Sign up here.

Trained at the Himalayan Institute for his 200-hour YTT and Vishoka Meditation, Jevon believes we all have more than our five senses and various ways of perceiving the world. Through his self-exploration and healing journey, he discovered many forms and foundations to explore these other senses.As a certified personal trainer, somatic worker, and dedicated practitioner, Jevon continues to expand his learning and teachings on mind, body, and soul wellness.

A Community Conversation on Afro Hair Care, Afrikan Embodiment, and the Black Body as Global Capital. . .with visiting artist bespokecurry

Details and Tickets Here.

Our bodies are the original tech(know)logy and our hair is the litm(us) test for that which is happening in our personal bodies of water, and by extension the earth and its bodies if water.

The commodification of Black hair is proverbially the final nail in the casket of our liberation.

Afro hair is mad sacred. The moment it became commodity, it was a releasing of our own power.

Afro hair is first altar at which we find ourselves as Afrikan people

Our scalp is literal earth, foundation, protecting ancient cosmology that guides us beyond superficial looks.

This is a praxis in understanding how we restore community and healing to the ritual of Afro Hair.

A 6 week series centered on healing for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. Explore racial and ethnic identity through expressive arts with Alisa Orozco LMFT. Unlike our other Shop Talk offerings this is not a drop-in group but rather a series of recurring sessions with the same group of people. What’s the first step? Email alisa@mindfulheartcounselingcenter.com.

Session One, Detangling Identity: Join us with members of Cal Poly's Black Student Union and the Cal Poly chapter of Zeta Phi Beta, Inc., for a lively discussion about our hair and racial identity. We'll follow with a hands-on hair care lesson by Zeta Vice President, 4th year Psychology major, and braider Nailah DuBose! Experience includes breaks, snacks, and swag! Tickets Here.

UPDATE: Registration open to all ages + caregivers While the focus of Black Girl Wellness Workshop series is to uplift Black identifying girls ages 12-17. we are opening up registration for our first workshop to Black women of all ages plus all caregivers of Black identifying girls.

Our friends at Saints Barrel will give 15% of bar sales to RM on the last Friday of each month! A great opportunity to meet and mingle with like-minded people: our team, friends, collaborators, and supporters. Saints Barrel serves wine, beer, light bites, and will feature a drink special for our monthly Happy Hour.

Monthly offering the second Tuesday of the month! Practice meditation with with Jevon Devon. This offering is intended for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. Sign up here.

Trained at the Himalayan Institute for his 200-hour YTT and Vishoka Meditation, Jevon believes we all have more than our five senses and various ways of perceiving the world. Through his self-exploration and healing journey, he discovered many forms and foundations to explore these other senses.As a certified personal trainer, somatic worker, and dedicated practitioner, Jevon continues to expand his learning and teachings on mind, body, and soul wellness.