2015–16 WILL*/WGSS Speaker Series

The Making of “Citizen”
Claudia Rankine
Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.
Jepson Alumni Center
Part of the 2015–16 Writers Series

Claudia Rankine’s critically acclaimed book, “Citizen: An American Lyric,” uses poetry, essay, cultural criticism, and visual images to explore what it means to be a U.S. citizen in a “post-racial” society. This collection examines everyday encounters with racism in the second person, forcing the reader — regardless of identity — to engage a narrative haunted by the deaths of Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, and Trayvon Martin among many others. A defining text for our time, “Citizen” won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry.

“Feminism, Beyoncé, and Writing Queer Cuentos: A Talk on Media Representations”
Daisy Hernández
Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.
Weinstein Hall, Brown-Alley Room
Part of UR Comes Out! and Latino-Hispanic Heritage Month

We often only think of TV shows, YouTube videos, and magazine covers as media representations, but words play a critical role in how gender, race, queer, and immigration issues are portrayed — and policed. Words also offer us a powerful vehicle for imagining a different future as evidenced most recently by #blacklivesmatter. Daisy Hernández will discuss reporting and writing at the intersection of race, gender, and queer issues, and how we can turn social media into social education.
Viewing and Discussion of “The Hunting Ground”
Jan. 26, 2016 at 6 p.m.
Tyler Haynes Commons, Alice Haynes Room
In partnership with Westhampton College and Richmond College

This documentary from Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering details sexual assault on U.S. college campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and the devastating toll they take on students and their families. Weaving together observational footage and first-person testimonies, the film follows survivors as they pursue their education while fighting for justice.
“American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity, and Making a Difference”
Bryan Stevenson
Feb. 29, 2016 at 6 p.m.
Camp Concert Hall with reception to follow in Booth Lobby
One Book, One Richmond event

Bryan Stevenson is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to fighting poverty and challenging racial discrimination in the criminal justice system. He is the author of “Just Mercy,” a moving portrait of those he defended on death row and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of justice.