Workshops

Dr. Bruce Hoskins is a dynamic and passionate creator and presenter of workshops regarding diversity issues. He has done workshops regarding issues surrounding the social construction of race, multiracial identity formation, the concept of privilege and how it works; defining diversity and acceptance, teaching and learning in a hip hop culture, and using spoken word poetry as pedagogy.

What is Right could be Wrong: A discussion of how ideology creates structured privilege

This workshop delves into one of the hardest concepts to teach people regarding race and gender issues: privilege. This workshop relates the experiences of a particular oppressed group and concretely illustrates how power and privilege for the dominant group are structured into our society. We will then speak to what would have to be done to end unearned privilege in our community.

Spoken Word Poetry as Pedagogy

 This workshop is designed to help instructors find creative and meaningful ways to incorporate the art of spoken word poetry into their curriculum. This form of poetry combines elegant prose with passionate delivery and serves as a voice for many people of color and other underrepresented communities. Learning how to express themselves is only the beginning of what students can learn through the use of spoken word poetry as a teaching tool. This workshop will also show how using spoken word poetry as pedagogy can help students learn to be better writers, speakers, thinkers, and listeners. We will demonstrate various ways to incorporate spoken word poetry into your lesson plans; we will have multiple performances of this art form, we will have several resources (including a list of various artists/poems that you could find on YouTube) available to use or to just listen to.  This session should particularly benefit teachers that are trying to develop innovative ways to engage their students, especially students of color and other underrepresented groups, people with a passion for student self-expression, and those who just want to hear some excellent spoken word poetry.

Black Lives Matter: Does statistical analysis support the movement?

Is it true that more white people get killed by the police than black people? Is it true that a Harvard researcher found no statistical support that police officers demonstrated racial bias when a situation warranted the use of force? Is it true that the over-representation of black people in prison is because black people commit more crimes than white people? Come with an open heart, an open mind, and a CALCULATOR as we explore the possibility that statistical analysis uncovers patterns of racial discrimination towards black people within the criminal justice system.

 Asian American Racial Realities in Black and White

In his book, Asian American Realities in Black and White, Dr. Bruce Hoskins focuses on how people of Asian/white and Asian/black heritage experience race. This workshop will speak to the lived lives of people of multiracial Asian heritage and how being mixed with either white or black can effect racial identity development. Contrary to popular belief, clear evidence will be given that suggests that an increase of multiracial people will not decrease the use of racial categories but may strengthen them.

Who’s Allowed to Use the “N” Word

This workshop will use personal reflection, group discussion and selected video clips to try and answer the question of who is allowed to use the N-word and why this is important for us all to figure out.

Writing Your Truth: Exploring the Art of Poetry

This workshop will help people write about their truth regarding social justice issues and personal narratives. Dr. Bruce Hoskins is a professor of Sociology at MiraCosta College, author of the book Asian American Racial Realities in Black and White, and a spoken word poet.  This session should particularly benefit people that are interested in research regarding people of multiracial heritage and teachers that are trying to find clearer ways to teach students how race is a social construction.

Teaching and Learning in a Hip Hop Culture – This workshop will develop an understanding and appreciation of the emergence and evolution of hip-hop as a culture and will illuminate some of its’ essential elements and beliefs. We will then discuss what consequences this may have in our current learning environments.

 Are Barack Obama and Tiger Woods Black? – A discussion of current understandings of race and multiracial identity

 What are a “Half-rican” and a “Cablin-Asian” and why should we care? This workshop is not about politics nor is it about people of multiracial heritage; we will focus on these two multiracial people because of how discourse surrounding them illustrates the changing concepts of race in the United States. After assessing this new racial landscape, we will discuss what effects these differences may have in our current educational environments.

Click HERE for booking information. Please make sure to specify the request (keynote, workshops, poetry, or any combination of the previously listed).