Speaking Topics

Carmen Van Kerckhove specializes in facilitating relaxed, authentic, and productive conversations about race and racism. Here are the topics on which she is available to speak.

Beyond Diversity Buzzwords and Oppression Olympics:
A New Framework for Discussing Race and Racism
45-minute keynote or 90-minute seminar
There is something fundamentally broken about the way we talk about race today. Instead of confronting head-on the complex issues surrounding race and racism, we engage in uncritical celebrations of diversity and multiculturalism. Instead of focusing on the impact of institutional racism, we fixate on individual acts of prejudice. Instead of recognizing that racism persists through an intricate web of intergroup and intragroup oppression and privilege, we just blame “The Man.” Instead of recognizing that it is an affront to us all when one group is discriminated against, communities compete with each other about who is more oppressed. In this seminar/keynote, Carmen Van Kerckhove argues that the old approach is broken, and outlines a new framework for discussing race and racism.

Recognizing Racial Stereotypes and Their Impact on the Workplace
90-minute seminar
Racial stereotypes impact our perceptions of and interactions with others. This seminar examines the most common racial stereotypes—both negative and positive—and demonstrates how these widespread ideas can manifest themselves in our everyday lives. Using a variety of media, Carmen Van Kerckhove explores the historical origins of these stereotypes and explains why they are so harmful.

Not Just Fetishists and Race Traitors:
Challenging the Ways We View Interracial Relationships
90-minute seminar
Even after John and Yoko, and Heidi and Seal, interracial relationships are still considered taboo. Society’s discomfort is especially obvious in the media, where interracial couples are constantly exploited for eroticism or shock value. In this seminar, Carmen Van Kerckhove examines the historical origins of this tension and explore the common assumptions made about interracial couples. Carmen demonstrates that while race plays an undeniable role in shaping the dynamics within interracial relationships, it does so in far more complex and subtle ways than people may initially think.

Racialicious! When Race and Pop Culture Collide
90-minute seminar
From the neo-minstrelsy of Flavor of Love to the racial segregation on Survivor, from the race-swapping families on Black.White. to the fascination with interracial sex, from Gwen Stefani’s use of Harajuku girls as mute human props to Angelina Jolie’s obsession with international adoption, from Michael Richards’ lynching tirade to Rosie O’Donnell’s “ching chong” remarks, race and pop culture are colliding more now than ever before. What does pop culture reveal about our attitudes toward race and racism? Does pop culture’s treatment of race help or harm discussions about race? As consumers of pop culture, what kinds of stereotypes and assumptions should we look out for?

Cute But Confused: Myths and Realities of Mixed Race Identity
90-minute seminar
“Mixed babies are the cutest! Too bad they grow up to be such confused adults.” Chances are you’ve heard others talk about mixed race people using simplistic stereotypes like this. The reality is that being multiracial is a complex, multi-layered experience. In this seminar, Carmen Van Kerckhove identifies some of the common assumptions made about mixed race people, points out why these are untrue, and discusses some of the implications that the growing multiracial population has on communities of color.

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Carmen’s Bio
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