SANTA BARBARA — KCSB-FM 91.9 Santa Barbara, the community radio station located on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, is hosting a live broadcast event focusing on the causes of disasters, both natural and man-made, and their impact on underrepresented communities.
The public is invited to attend Unnatural Disasters and Environmental Racism, a panel discussion, on Monday, February 25, at 5PM, in the Graduate Student (GSA) Lounge located on the second floor of the MultiCultural Center (Associated Students building) at UCSB. The program will broadcast live in the Santa Barbara area on 91.9 FM. The event, produced by student leaders at KCSB FM, will feature a discussion with representatives from the UCSB Environmental Studies Department, UCSB Students for Environmental Justice, Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) and the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.
The panel will focus on the implications of (un)natural disasters on marginalized communities due to non-inclusive and outdated policies. This will include discussion of case studies and their impact on communities, as well as collaborative efforts in moving forward – envisioning how policy makers and government responses can include marginalized communities.
“Disasters are made to seem like they affect everyone equally, but low-income communities and communities of color experiences during these disasters are much more amplified.” said KCSB General Manager, Alyssa Saldaña. “This is not to say that other communities are not affected, but oppressive conditions before a disaster make it much harder for marginalized communities to recover; MICOP and CAUSE can attest to this.”
Panelists include Genevieve Flores-Haro with MICOP; chair of the UCSB Environmental Studies Department, David N. Pellow; Professor Leah C. Stokes, with the UCSB Political Science Department; Cynthia Torres from UCSB Environmental Affairs Board, Das Williams, who represents the First District on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, and Lucas Zucker with CAUSE. KCSB News Directors Anita Carraher and Dorothy Tang will facilitate the discussion and take questions from the audience after the discussion.
Unnatural Disasters and Environmental Racism will broadcast during KCSB’s annual on-air Fund Drive. KCSB operations and staff salaries are funded by UCSB student fees. However, once a year, station volunteers, programming staff, and KCSB staff invite listeners to show their support for KCSB by making a financial donation. External fundraising enables KCSB to take on new and exciting projects, and organize unique events. Funds raised last year went toward a new website and two unique concerts featuring world artists.
KCSB is widely recognized as a leading college and community radio institution. It’s been serving the greater Santa Barbara area for over 50 years. Dedicated to providing quality programming for our diverse community of listeners, a team of 100+ volunteer and student programmers bring heart, passion, and a rare commitment to public-service broadcasting. Committed to supporting underrepresented voices through locally-originated news, sports, music, cultural arts, and public-affairs programs, KCSB produces creative, socially-conscious work that reflects matters of regional and global interest, while also promoting local arts, music, non-profit initiatives, and education.
KCSB FM offers an eclectic mix of music that is not heard anywhere else on the radio dial, public affairs shows and news programs, most of which originate in the KCSB studios located beneath Storke Tower at UCSB. For more information go to kcsb.org.
About KCSB FM: Non-commercial community radio KCSB offers sounds and perspectives from the Tri-Counties (Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo) and free year-round training to individuals and groups without other access to media resources. Both student and non-student volunteers learn to produce music, news, sports, cultural arts, and public affairs content airing 24/7/365 at 91.9 FM (www.kcsb.org). Most shows are produced locally, but KCSB hosts national and international programs too, including the popular morning news program Democracy Now with Amy Goodman. Part of Associated Students at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), KCSB is financed by self-assessed student fees and listener support,.
About KCSB News: With a team of volunteer and student reporters, KCSB News is the largest radio news team in Santa Barbara County. The KCSB News airs on Monday and Thursday at 5pm on 91.9 FM KCSB. Wednesdays at 5pm, KCSB News presents “Inside Isla Vista,” a 30-minute weekly public affairs program about all things Isla Vista.