Dying To Stay Here

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.