Education & training
Sonny has over two decades of experience facilitating workshops and giving talks on anti-oppression, racial equity, and social justice issues. He regularly leads trainings for nonprofit organizations, arts institutions, schools, and colleges/universities, and is sought after for his transformative approach to education and social change. His pedagogical approach centers reflection, honest dialogue, and critical systemic analysis. Sonny is a longtime member of the training team at Race Forward. He has recently been a featured speaker and musical performer at National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference, University of Vermont’s Inclusive Excellence Symposium, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) conference, and the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE).
Sonny has been active in movements for social and economic justice since he was a teenager and worked as a labor and community organizer in his 20s. He received his Master’s Degree in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he studied and practiced the art of using education as a tool for liberation.
Sonny’s writing on racial politics, Sikhs in America, Islamophobia, and more have been published in the Huffington Post, India Abroad, The Langar Hall, Colorlines, Left Turn, Asian American Literary Review, Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (9th Edition), and Open City Magazine. He was a 2014-2015 Open City Fellow for the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, covering stories in Richmond Hill, Queens.
Sonny is currently a board member of TakeRoot Justice.
Offerings
Sample Keynotes:
Chardi Kala: Radical Optimism in a Time of Crisis (with music option)
Becoming a Sage Warrior (with music option)
The Sikh Revolution: Sikhism and Social Justice (with music option)
Using Art & Music as a Tool for Social Change & Healing (with music)
An American Tragedy: Sikhs, the Oak Creek shooting, and post-9/11 racism in America
Sample Workshops & Trainings:
Education for Liberation: Popular Education Facilitation
Anti-Oppression Reflection, Analysis, and Practice
Applying a Racial Justice Lens in Your Organization
Talking About Race in the Classroom
International Anti-Oppression Work Across Borders
Racial & Social Justice in Study Abroad Programs
Fight the Power! An Introduction to Organizing for Social Change
Addressing Bias-based Bullying in Schools
Confronting Islamophobia and Post-9/11 Backlash Violence
Film Screenings & Discussions:
Article of Faith, a 10-minute documentary on Sonny’s work with Sikh youth to combat bias-based bullying in NYC schools.
From Here, a feature documentary about Sonny and four other children of immigrants redefining questions of belonging and identity through their art and activism.
To book Sonny for a training or talk, email education@sonnysingh.com or visit Speakers for All.