Workshop Titles and Descriptions

The Mixing of Gender, Sexuality and Power: Heterosexism 101
Library Pillow Room 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm
Belinda Bellinger
What is gender? What is sexuality? What happens when the two mix? We will use popular education to understand the system of heterosexism and its oppressive uses of gender and sexuality to promote heteronormative and homonormative ways of living, being, and thinking. We will look at how we express ourselves sexually and sensually, through gender and through the forming of relationships. We will use these areas to investigate the ways in which we uphold patriarchy through our gender and sexuality. Come prepared to exchange, build and have fun!!!


Mindfulness as a means to freedom
Reisinger 10am-12pm & 3pm-5pm
iamani i. ameni
we focus on the tools of mindfulness and meditation as a way of understanding ourselves more thouroughly, learning healthier ways to proccess stress, and reclaim the power we gave up to conditioning and oppression...


Scared of Your Own Reflection?
PAC 2 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm
SandMan
Race within the United States and around the world is considered an illusive subject of controversy. Many cultural anthropologists now consider race to be more a social or mental construct than an objective biological fact. Though one may make the argument that race is a biological fact, as a construct it has served as a justification for slavery, genocide, institutional exclusion, and much more, throughout the world, but does it still? The biological aspect of race is described today not in observable physical features but rather in such genetic characteristics as blood groups and metabolic processes, and the groupings indicated by these factors seldom coincide very neatly with those put forward by earlier physical anthropologists. Don’t we still segment ourselves based off of fore-drawn conclusions and what would be the benefit of adopting the conclusions of present day anthropologists, if any? Is it so “black and white?” Has race relations improved now that the U.S. has a black president? Is racism being brought up in today’s world, just a want, to maintain a lazy victim attitude? Is race identification necessary to celebrate differences or does it simply subjugate us as individuals? As an active exploration of the race as a construct, we will come face to face the human collective consciousness, and the origins of categorical mandates and all historical contexts there in. We will take a survey of the stereotypical traits, image manipulations and the cultural renderings of the media that influence the perceptions of the masses. We will question our motives, in assimilating status quo perceptions, and dismantle, rebuild, or solidify views. You get to choose…..or do you?


The Agony Of Apathy
PAC 1 10am-12pm & PAC 2 3pm-5pm
Do D.A.T. (FreshVibe Media)
If we are reflections of our environment, then exactly how and in what ways do we reflect back on our environment? There is a lot of negative weight placed on us every day by the external elements of our habitat poverty, gang violence/crime, drugs police brutality etc, and we can absorb it all so deeply that it passes from generation to generation. In response, some people lash out violently; others use literature and other art forms as a means of constructing themselves. Whatever the case, an outlet needs to be established to prevent the unhealthy effects of this external weight on people and their surrounding community. This workshop analyzes the conditions of urban environments and the effects the surrounding environment has had on our everyday life in the past and present..


Sexism 101: Who am I supposed to be?
Library E2 10am-12pm & Library E1 3pm-5pm
Siaira Shawn (FreshVibe Media)
We will discuss sexism and patriarchy, how it affects our development, gender expression, and gender roles in society, and then discuss how to liberate ourselves from this oppression through artistic expression We will not only discuss how to free ourselves from this oppression, but we will also begin to create art; including songwriting and performance, that challenges this oppression. Be ready to challenge yourselves and have fun!


Hip Hop: Can She B-Girl in a Man’s World?
Library E2 1pm-3pm & 3pm-5pm
M.C. K~Swift & SupaNova (Zulu Nation/ New Rap Order)
This workshop will investigate Women’s roles in the development and continuity of the Hip Hop Cultural Arts Canon. Participants will be encouraged to critically examine Hip Hop History & Media against the societal constructs relating to femininity and masculinity.


You Have A Right: Early African American Through SongsFacilitated
Library E1 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm
TreZure the Empress (New Rap Order)
This workshop introduces the history and performance of Ring Shout songs of early African American slaves and coorelates the use of rhythm and vocal percussion, call and response and instruction lyrics to grassroots liberation development.


Is Hip-Hop the new Rock and Roll? With Hip-Hop's globalization and commercial success who or what has the authority on what's "real" ?
Westlands 104 1pm-3pm & 3pm-5pm
Cavalier and Faro-Z (New Rap Order)
This workshop will examine this prevailing trend in the American Music Industry. Participants will be asked to address the ways we reinforce cultural divisions and its effects on a culture's identity.


Voices of a Movement
PAC 1 1pm-3pm & 3pm-5pm
Terry, Matt, Abe (Aerosol Love Letter Campaign)
Many times throughout history artists have been called upon to address and document the changing world and societies around them. In this time of tremendous political and social upheaval both on local and global scales, it is now more important than ever for the folks everywhere to stand up, speak, engage and in enact change in their communities. In this workshop will be exploring the intersections of art and activism and use our creative gifts as tools to build change. Through creative writing and spoken word performance we will challenging ourselves to take agency in both our art as well our activism and finding strength through aligning these two components of social change.