Jocks and Nerds: Stereotypes in Our Everyday Lives with Derek Keith

What we imagine a “jock” or a “nerd” to be is shaped by media representations and popular culture. What people experience in their everyday lives, however, often differs from these representations, yet stereotypes are powerful. Stereotypes often lead to biases, or behavior in favor or against a group of people. Sometimes it is a conscious bias. More often, it is an unconscious or implicit bias. Unintentionally, people make judgments about their co-workers, their neighbors, or the random people they interact with day-to-day. So, how do we recognize stereotypes? What can we do about them? Join us for a conversation about how stereotypes form and the effects they have on our community.

This program is cohosted by Phoenix Public Libraries – Ocotillo Branch.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Derek spent the first decade of his professional career as an educator weaving diversity and social justice education into his curriculum and everyday life. He started his career as an English Teacher and Activities Director in Southern California. It was here he was introduced to the California Conference for Equity and Justice and he found a passion for Social Justice education. He went on to develop a Social Justice literature course for a high school in the San Francisco area. In this position he worked with high school seniors to develop the ability to be critical thinkers who can make change. Currently, he works at ASU’s Learning Enterprise as a Senior Project Manager. During his time at ASU, he started internal DEI committees, led trainings for professional and student staff on DEI initiatives and practices, worked on equitable hiring practices, and presented at ASU’s Diversity and Inclusion 2021 conference. His current role focuses on improving higher education onramps for underserved communities inside and outside of Arizona