February 1st Kut to be the Best documentary screening at The Kinney SLO, 1800 Monterey Street.
Be among the first see this original short documentary about the closing of the last Black-owned barbershop in San Luis Obispo.
Historically, the barbershop has provided a crucial sense of place for the Black community; and this is especially true on the Central Coast. For nine years, Terry Guillford owed and operated Kut to be the Best, the only Black-owned barbershop in San Luis Obispo. A multicultural yet unapologetically Black space in a predominantly White community, Kut to be the Best was an essential cultural outlet for many.
Directed and edited by SLO County raised filmmaker Justice Whitaker and produced by San Luis Obispo local Courtney Haile — co-founder of R.A.C.E. Matters SLO County; Kut to be the Best is part of the larger event and exhibit series entitled BELONGING: Local Expressions of Black Empowerment and Possibility.
Film contains some strong language. Limited Capacity. Reservations Required.
The first screening + Q&A is full! Stay tuned for information on future screenings on racematterslo.org.
Additional BELONGING events, include:
February 1st through April 30th Portraits and Perspectives at Downtown SLO, 1135 Chorro St.
February 1st through April 30th Portraits and Perspectives at San Luis Obispo Library, 995 Palm St.
February 7th Art After Dark at Downtown SLO
February 12th Black Business Belongs: Black Business Leaders Forum moderated by City Councilwoman Erica Stewart, at SeaCrest Hotel.
February 29th Stories Matter: An evening of live storytelling at The Kinney SLO.
In commemoration of Black History Month, on February 1st local organization R.A.C.E. Matters will launch a month-long, multimedia, multi-location event series entitled BELONGING. The series kicks off February 1st with the R.A.C.E. Matters produced short documentary film Kut to be the Best- the Last Black Barbershop in SLO. The BELONGING program also includes Portraits and Perspectives: photography and oral history excerpts at the Downtown SLO Association office and the San Luis Obispo Library. Rounding out the month, R.A.C.E. Matters will also host a Black business leaders forum and evening of live storytelling. Some events have limited space and require reservations. See racemattersslo.org for details.
R.A.C.E. Matters SLO County is a community-based organization that amplifies the voices of Black and other People of Color, in an effort to build an actively anti-racist Central Coast.